Verse 1
कालधर्मं गते राम सगरे प्रकृतीजनाः ।
राजानं रोचयामासुरंशुमन्तं सुधार्मिकम् ॥
O Rama, when King Sagara passed away according to the law of Time, the ministers and people chose the highly righteous Anshuman as their king.
Verse 2
स राजा सुमहानासीदंशुमान् रघुनन्दन ।
तस्य पुत्रो महानासीद्दिलीप इति विश्रुतः ॥
O delight of the Raghu dynasty, Anshuman became a very great king, and he had a noble son who was renowned by the name Dilipa.
Verse 3
तस्मिन् राज्यं समावेश्य दिलीपे रघुनन्दन ।
हिमवत् शिखरे रम्ये तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् ॥
O delight of the Raghu dynasty, having entrusted the kingdom to Dilipa, Anshuman performed extremely severe austerities upon a beautiful peak of the Himalayas.
Verse 4
द्वात्रिंशत्सहस्राणि वर्षाणि सुमहायशाः ।
तपोवनगतो राजा स्वर्गं लेभे तपोधनः ॥
That highly renowned king, whose wealth was austerity, practised penance in the forest of ascetics for thirty-two thousand years and attained heaven.
Verse 5
दिलीपस्तु महातेजाः श्रुत्वा पैतामहं वधम् ।
दुःखोपहतया बुद्ध्या निश्चयं नाध्यगच्छत ॥
The greatly radiant Dilipa, hearing of the destruction of his ancestors, became overcome with sorrow and was unable to find a way to accomplish their liberation.
Verse 6
स चिन्तयन् महातेजा गङ्गावतरणं प्रति ।
न शक्तोऽभूत्तदा राजा गङ्गां नेतुं महीतले ॥
The greatly radiant king contemplated bringing Ganga down to earth, but at that time he was unable to accomplish the descent of Ganga.
Verse 7
स तु दुःखसमाविष्टो राज्यं पुत्रे निवेश्य च ।
तपस्तेपे महातेजा गङ्गावतरणं प्रति ॥
Overcome with sorrow, that greatly radiant king entrusted the kingdom to his son and performed austerities for the purpose of bringing Ganga down to earth.
Verse 8
तस्य पुत्रोऽभवद् राजन् भगीरथ इति श्रुतः ।
महायशा महातेजा राजर्षिर्विदितः प्रभुः ॥
O king, he had a son who was renowned as Bhagiratha, a highly illustrious and greatly radiant royal sage.
Verse 9
स तु राज्यं समासाद्य भगीरथो नरर्षभः ।
गङ्गावतरणे यत्नं चकार सुदृढव्रतः ॥
Having obtained the kingdom, Bhagiratha, the foremost of men, firmly resolved to bring Ganga down to earth and undertook the effort.
Verse 10
स गत्वा हिमवत्पार्श्वं गोकर्णे पर्वतोत्तमे ।
तपस्तेपे महातेजा गङ्गावतरणं प्रति ॥
The greatly radiant Bhagiratha went to Gokarna, near the Himalayas, the excellent mountain, and performed austerities for the descent of Ganga.
Verse 11
ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्निरालम्बो वायुभक्षो निराश्रयः ।
तपस्तेपे महातेजाः पञ्च वर्षशतानि च ॥
With his arms raised upward, without support, living only on air and without shelter, the greatly radiant Bhagiratha performed austerities for five hundred years.
Verse 12
तस्य तुष्टो महातेजा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं भगीरथमरिन्दमम् ॥
Brahma, the greatly radiant grandsire of the worlds, became pleased with him and spoke sweet words to Bhagiratha, the subduer of enemies.
Verse 13
तपसा तव तुष्टोऽस्मि राजर्षे रघुनन्दन ।
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वर्तते ॥
“O royal sage, I am pleased with your austerities. O delight of the Raghu dynasty, may you be blessed. Choose the boon that is in your mind.”
Verse 14
भगीरथस्तु राजर्षिर्ब्रह्माणमिदमब्रवीत् ।
पितामहानां सर्वेषां पावनार्थं महात्मनाम् ॥
The royal sage Bhagiratha then spoke these words to Brahma for the purification of all his great-souled ancestors.
Verse 15
गङ्गां त्रिपथगां देव पृथिवीमवतारय ।
पितामहानां सर्वेषां भस्मीभूतानां च प्रभो ॥
“O Lord, cause Ganga, who flows through the three paths, to descend upon the earth for the sake of all my ancestors who have been reduced to ashes.”
Verse 16
गङ्गायाः पतनं देव पृथिवी न सहिष्यति ।
तां धारयितुमिच्छामि शिरसा शूलपाणिनम् ॥
“O Lord, the earth will not be able to endure the descent of Ganga. I desire that the wielder of the trident, Shiva, bear her upon his head.”
Verse 17
एवमुक्तस्तु राजर्षिर्ब्रह्मणा लोकपावनः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं भगीरथमरिन्दमम् ॥
Thus addressed by Brahma, the purifier of the worlds, the royal sage spoke sweet words to Bhagiratha, the subduer of enemies.
Verse 18
गङ्गा त्रिपथगा देव पृथिवीमवतारिता ।
तस्याः पतनवेगं तु न शक्नोति मही धरम् ॥
“Ganga, who flows through the three paths, may descend upon the earth, but the earth cannot withstand the force of her descent.”
Verse 19
शङ्करस्य तु मूर्धानं नान्यं पश्यामि शूलिनः ।
तं प्रसादय राजेन्द्र गङ्गां धारयितुं प्रभुम् ॥
“O king, I see no one other than the wielder of the trident, Shankara, who can bear her upon his head. Therefore, O king, propitiate him, for he is capable of sustaining Ganga.”
Verse 20
एवमुक्तस्तु राजेन्द्र भगीरथो महातपाः ।
शङ्करं तोषयामास तपसा नियतेन्द्रियः ॥
Thus instructed, Bhagiratha, the great ascetic and excellent king, pleased Shankara through austerities, with his senses under control.
Verse 21
तस्य तुष्टो महादेवो भगीरथमरिन्दमम् ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं गङ्गां धारयितुं प्रभुः ॥
Mahadeva became pleased with Bhagiratha, the subduer of enemies, and spoke sweet words, agreeing to bear Ganga.
Verse 22
अहं धारयितुं शक्तो गङ्गां देव नदीं शुभाम् ।
मत्तः प्रस्रवणं तस्याः पृथिव्यामवतारणम् ॥
“I am capable of bearing the auspicious celestial river Ganga. From me she shall flow forth and descend upon the earth.”
Verse 23
एवमुक्तस्तु देवेशो भगीरथमरिन्दमम् ।
तुष्टोऽभवन्महातेजा गङ्गां धारयितुं प्रभुः ॥
Thus addressed, the Lord of the gods became pleased with Bhagiratha, the subduer of enemies, and the greatly radiant Lord agreed to bear Ganga.
Verse 24
गङ्गायाः पतनं राजन् पृथिवी न सहिष्यते ।
तां धारयितुमिच्छामि शिरसा शूलपाणिनम् ॥
“O king, the earth cannot endure the descent of Ganga. I desire that the wielder of the trident bear her upon his head.”
Verse 25
तम् एवम् उक्त्वा राजानं गङ्गां चाभाष्य लोककृत् ।
जगाम त्रिदिवं देवैः सह सर्वैर्मरुद्गणैः ॥
Having spoken thus to King Bhagiratha and also addressed Ganga, Brahma, the creator of the worlds, departed for heaven together with all the gods and the hosts of the Maruts.
इति वाल्मीकिरामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the forty-second Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.