Verse 1
विश्वामित्रवचः श्रुत्वा राघवः सह लक्ष्मणः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं विश्वामित्रं महामुनिम् ॥
Hearing the words of Vishvamitra, Rama, together with Lakshmana, spoke these sweet words to the great sage.
Verse 2
भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामि गङ्गावतरणं पुनः ।
भगीरथस्य च चरितं विस्तरेण महामुने ॥
“O Bhagavan, O great sage, I wish to hear once again about the descent of Ganga and the story of Bhagiratha in detail.”
Verse 3
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं रामं रघुकुलोद्वहम् ॥
Hearing those words, the great sage Vishvamitra spoke sweetly to Rama, the descendant of the Raghu dynasty.
Verse 4
शृणु राम महाभाग गङ्गावतरणं शुभम् ।
भगीरथस्य राजर्षेः चरितं पुण्यवर्धनम् ॥
“O greatly fortunate Rama, listen to the auspicious account of the descent of Ganga and the meritorious story of the royal sage Bhagiratha.”
Verse 5
स राजा सगरस्याथ पौत्रोऽभूत् परमद्युतिः ।
भगीरथ इति ख्यातः सत्यसंधो जितेन्द्रियः ॥
That king was the greatly radiant grandson of Sagara. He was renowned as Bhagiratha, truthful in his resolve and master of his senses.
Verse 6
स राज्यं त्यक्तवान् वीरः पुत्रपौत्रविवर्जितः ।
गङ्गावतरणे यत्नं चकार नृपसत्तमः ॥
That heroic and excellent king, being without sons or grandsons, set aside the affairs of his kingdom and undertook an effort to bring Ganga down to earth.
Verse 7
स गत्वा हिमवत्पार्श्वं तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् ।
गङ्गावतरणार्थाय ब्रह्माणं समुपागमत् ॥
He went to the side of the Himalayas and performed extremely severe austerities for the purpose of bringing Ganga down, seeking the grace of Brahma.
Verse 8
तस्य तुष्टोऽभवद् ब्रह्मा तपसा भावितात्मनः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं भगीरथमरिंदमम् ॥
Brahma became pleased with Bhagiratha, whose mind had been purified through austerities, and spoke sweet words to the subduer of enemies.
Verse 9
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वर्तते ।
तत् सर्वं प्रदास्यामि तपसा तव तोषितः ॥
“May you be blessed. Choose the boon that is in your mind. Having been pleased by your austerities, I shall grant it all.”
Verse 10
स तु राजर्षिशार्दूलो भगीरथ उवाच ह ।
गङ्गा त्रिपथगा देव भूमिम् आगच्छतु प्रभो ॥
The tiger among royal sages, Bhagiratha, then spoke: “O Lord, may Ganga, who travels through the three paths, descend to earth.”
Verse 11
पितॄणां च हितार्थाय लोकानां च हिताय च ।
गङ्गा देवी महाभागा मम पूर्वपितामहान् ॥
“For the welfare of my ancestors and for the welfare of the worlds, may the greatly blessed Goddess Ganga descend and sanctify my forefathers.”
Verse 12
भस्मीभूतान् नरश्रेष्ठ तारयेत् सरितां वरा ।
एतदिच्छामि देवेश वरमेतं प्रयच्छ मे ॥
“O best of men, may the foremost of rivers liberate those who have been reduced to ashes. O Lord of gods, this is what I desire. Grant me this boon.”
Verse 13
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।
उवाच वाक्यं धर्मज्ञं भगीरथमरिंदमम् ॥
Hearing those words, Brahma, the grandsire of the worlds, spoke to the righteous Bhagiratha, the subduer of enemies.
Verse 14
गङ्गा तु देवगङ्गा वै महावेगा महाबला ।
न शक्नोति धरां गन्तुं धारयितुं महीतले ॥
“Ganga, the celestial river, possesses tremendous speed and great power. She cannot descend directly to the earth, nor can the earth bear her force.”
Verse 15
शङ्करस्तु महातेजा धारयिष्यति तां नदीम् ।
तस्य मूर्धनि गङ्गा वै पतिष्यति न संशयः ॥
“Only the greatly radiant Shankara can bear that river. Ganga will fall upon his head; of this there is no doubt.”
Verse 16
तं प्रसादय राजेन्द्र शङ्करं लोकनायकम् ।
स तां धारयितुं शक्तो गङ्गां देव नदीं शुभाम् ॥
“O king, please propitiate Shankara, the Lord of the worlds. He alone is capable of bearing the auspicious celestial river Ganga.”
Verse 17
एवमुक्तस्तु ब्रह्मर्षिणा भगीरथो नृपः ।
शङ्करं तोषयामास तपसा भूरिदक्षिणः ॥
Thus instructed by Brahma, Bhagiratha, the king, performed austerities to please Shankara, the great Lord, offering himself through severe penance.
Verse 18
तस्य तुष्टो महादेवः प्रसन्नोऽभूद् वरप्रदः ।
उवाच वचनं देवो भगीरथमिदं नृपम् ॥
Mahadeva became pleased with him and, being the giver of boons, spoke these words to King Bhagiratha.
Verse 19
अहं धारयितुं शक्तो गङ्गां त्रिपथगां नदीम् ।
मम मूर्धनि तु पततां गङ्गा देव नदी शुभा ॥
“I am capable of bearing Ganga, the river that travels through the three paths. Let the auspicious celestial river Ganga fall upon my head.”
Verse 20
इत्युक्त्वा भगवान् रुद्रो गङ्गां देव नदीं तदा ।
आह्वयामास तां देवीं पतन्तीं गगनाद् भुवि ॥
Having spoken thus, Bhagavan Rudra summoned the celestial river Ganga as she descended from the sky toward the earth.
Verse 21
सा तु वेगेन महता पतन्ती शङ्करोपरि ।
जटाजूटे महादेवः तां चकार निरन्तराम् ॥
Descending with tremendous force upon Shankara, Ganga was caught and confined by Mahadeva within his matted locks.
Verse 22
सा तु तत्रैव संविष्टा न निर्गच्छति जाह्नवी ।
महादेवस्य मूर्धानं न च शक्नोति निर्गमम् ॥
There Ganga remained confined and could not emerge. She could not find a way out from the head of Mahadeva.
Verse 23
ततो भगीरथो राजा पुनरेव महेश्वरम् ।
तोषयामास तपसा गङ्गानिर्गमनाय वै ॥
Then King Bhagiratha again pleased Maheshvara through austerities, seeking the release of Ganga.
Verse 24
तस्य तुष्टो महादेवः प्रसन्नोऽभून्महातपाः ।
जटाभ्यो निर्ममौ गङ्गां बिन्दुसारेति विश्रुताम् ॥
Mahadeva, the great ascetic, became pleased with him and released Ganga from his matted locks. She became renowned as Bindusara.
Verse 25
सा तु गङ्गा महावेगा भगीरथमनुव्रता ।
जगाम सरितां श्रेष्ठा समुद्रस्य निवेशनम् ॥
That immensely swift Ganga followed Bhagiratha and, as the foremost of rivers, proceeded toward the ocean.
Verse 26
सा गच्छन्ती तु तत्रैव जह्नुना मुनिपुङ्गवेन ।
पीता च पुनरुद्गीर्णा जाह्नवीति ततः स्मृता ॥
As Ganga was flowing onward, she was swallowed by the great sage Jahnu and then released again. From that time she became known as Jahnavi.
Verse 27
ततः सागरपुत्राणां भस्मराशिं समाप्लुतम् ।
गङ्गायाः सलिलेनैव भगीरथसमन्विता ॥
Then Ganga, following Bhagiratha, reached the heap of ashes of the sons of Sagara and flooded it with her sacred waters.
Verse 28
तेषां तु सलिलस्पर्शाद् दिव्यं रूपमवाप्नुयुः ।
स्वर्गलोकं गताः सर्वे गङ्गायाः सलिलेन वै ॥
By the touch of Ganga’s waters, they attained divine forms and all proceeded to the celestial world through the sacred waters of Ganga.
Verse 29
भगीरथस्य राजर्षेः प्रयत्नेन महात्मनः ।
गङ्गा त्रिपथगा जाता लोकानां हितकाम्यया ॥
Through the effort of the great-souled royal sage Bhagiratha, Ganga became Tripathaga, flowing through the three paths for the welfare of the worlds.
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे चत्वारिंशः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the fortieth Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.