Verse 1
उपास्य रात्रि शेषं तु शोणाकूले महर्षिभिः ।
निशायां सुप्रभातायां विश्वामित्रोऽभ्यभाषत ॥
Having spent the remaining part of the night on the bank of the river Sona with the great sages, Vishvamitra spoke when dawn had arrived.
Verse 2
सुप्रभाता निशा राम पूर्वा संध्या प्रवर्तते ।
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते गमनायाभिरोचय ॥
“O Rama, the night has passed and dawn has appeared. The eastern twilight has begun. Arise, arise. May you be blessed. Prepare yourself for the journey.”
Verse 3
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकाः क्रियाः ।
गमनं रोचयामास वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह ॥
Hearing those words of Vishvamitra, Rama performed his morning duties, prepared himself for the journey, and spoke these words.
Verse 4
अयं शोणः शुभजलो गाधः पुलिनमण्डितः ।
कतरेण पथा ब्रह्मन् संतारिष्यामहे वयम् ॥
“O Brahman, this river Sona has auspicious waters and is adorned with sandy banks. By which path shall we cross it?”
Verse 5
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीदिदम् ।
एष पन्था मयोद्दिष्टो येन यान्ति महर्षयः ॥
Thus addressed by Rama, Vishvamitra replied: “This is the path I have indicated, by which the great sages travel.”
Verse 6
एवमुक्त्वा महर्षयो विश्वामित्रेण धीमता ।
पश्यन्तस्ते प्रयाता वै वनानि विविधानि च ॥
Having spoken thus, the great sages, led by the wise Vishvamitra, proceeded onward, observing various forests along the way.
Verse 7
ते गत्वा दूरमध्वानं गतेऽर्धदिवसे तदा ।
जाह्नवीं सरितां श्रेष्ठां ददृशुर्मुनिसेविताम् ॥
After travelling a long distance, when half the day had passed, they saw the river Jahnavi, the foremost of rivers, frequented by sages.
Verse 8
तां दृष्ट्वा पुण्यसलिलां हंससारससेविताम् ।
बभूवुर्मुनयः सर्वे मुदिता सह राघवौ ॥
Seeing that sacred river, whose waters were holy and which was frequented by swans and sarasa birds, all the sages, together with Rama and Lakshmana, became delighted.
Verse 9
तस्यास्तीरे ततश्चक्रुस्ते आवासपरिग्रहम् ।
ततः स्नात्वा यथान्यायं संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः ॥
Then they made their dwelling on the bank of that river. After bathing there according to custom, they offered water to their ancestors and deities.
Verse 10
हुत्वा चैवाग्निहोत्राणि प्राश्य चामृतवद्धविः ।
विविशुर्जाह्नवीतीरे शुभा मुदितमानसाः ॥
Having performed the Agnihotra sacrifices and partaken of the sacred offerings like ambrosia, they sat upon the auspicious bank of the Jahnavi with joyful minds.
Verse 11
विष्टिताश्च यथान्यायं राघवौ च यथार्हतः ।
संप्रहृष्टमना रामो विश्वामित्रमथाब्रवीत् ॥
When everyone had settled according to custom, Rama and Lakshmana also sat appropriately. Rama, greatly delighted, then spoke to Vishvamitra.
Verse 12
भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामि गङ्गां त्रिपथगां नदीम् ।
त्रैलोक्यं कथमाक्रम्य गता नदनदीपतिम् ॥
“O Bhagavan, I wish to hear about the river Ganga, which flows through the three paths. How did she traverse the three worlds and reach the lord of rivers and streams, the ocean?”
Verse 13
चोदितो रामवाक्येन विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ।
वृद्धिं जन्म च गङ्गाया वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ॥
Prompted by Rama’s words, the great sage Vishvamitra began to narrate the origin and development of the river Ganga.
Verse 14
शैलेन्द्रो हिमवान् राम धातूनामाकरो महान् ।
तस्य कन्याद्वयं राम रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि ॥
“O Rama, the lord of mountains, Himavan, is a great repository of minerals. He has two daughters whose beauty is unequalled on earth.”
Verse 15
या मेरुदुहिता राम तयोर्माता सुमध्यमा ।
नाम्ना मेना मनोज्ञा वै पत्नी हिमवतः प्रिया ॥
“O Rama, the slender-waisted and beautiful Mena, daughter of Mount Meru, is the mother of those two daughters and the beloved wife of Himavan.”
Verse 16
तस्यां गङ्गेयमभवज्ज्येष्ठा हिमवतः सुता ।
उमा नाम द्वितीयाभूत् कन्या तस्यैव राघव ॥
“O Raghava, Ganga was born as the elder daughter of Himavan through Mena, while the second daughter of Himavan was named Uma.”
Verse 17
अथ ज्येष्ठां सुराः सर्वे देवकार्यचिकीर्षया ।
शैलेन्द्रं वरयामासुर्गङ्गां त्रिपथगां नदीम् ॥
Then all the gods, desiring to accomplish a divine purpose, approached the lord of mountains, Himavan, asking for Ganga, the river destined to flow through the three paths.
Verse 18
ददौ धर्मेण हिमवान् तनयां लोकपावनीम् ।
स्वच्छन्दपथगां गङ्गां त्रैलोक्यहितकाम्यया ॥
Himavan, with a righteous mind and desiring the welfare of the three worlds, gave his daughter Ganga, the purifier of the worlds, whose course would flow according to her own will.
Verse 19
प्रतिगृह्य त्रिलोकार्थं त्रिलोकहितकाङ्क्षिणः ।
गङ्गामादाय तेऽगच्छन् कृतार्थेनान्तरात्मना ॥
The gods, desiring the welfare of the three worlds, received Ganga for the purpose of the three worlds and departed with her, their hearts filled with the satisfaction of having accomplished their purpose.
Verse 20
या चान्या शैलदुहिता कन्यासीद्रघुनन्दन ।
उग्रं सुव्रतमास्थाय तपस्तेपे तपोधना ॥
“O delight of the Raghu dynasty, the other daughter of Himavan, Uma, undertook a severe vow and performed austerities, making asceticism her wealth.”
Verse 21
उग्रेण तपसा युक्तां ददौ शैलवरः सुताम् ।
रुद्रायाप्रतिरूपाय उमां लोकनमस्कृताम् ॥
The excellent mountain Himavan gave his daughter Uma, who was devoted to severe austerities and revered by the whole world, to the incomparable Rudra.
Verse 22
एते ते शैलराजस्य सुते लोकनमस्कृते ।
गङ्गा च सरितां श्रेष्ठा उमादेवी च राघव ॥
“O Raghava, Ganga, the foremost of rivers, and Goddess Uma are these two daughters of the king of mountains, both revered by the world.”
Verse 23
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा त्रिपथगामिनी ।
खं गता प्रथमं तात गतिं गतिमतां वर ॥
“O dear Rama, best among those who move, I have told you everything about how Ganga, who travels through the three paths, first went into the sky.”
Verse 24
सैषा सुरनदी रम्या शैलेन्द्रतनया तदा ।
सुरलोकं समारूढा विपापा जलवाहिनी ॥
Thus, that beautiful and sinless daughter of the lord of mountains, flowing in the form of water, ascended to the world of the gods and became the celestial river Ganga.
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे पंचत्रिंशः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the thirty-fifth Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.