Verse 1
ततो रामः स लक्ष्मणो विश्वामित्रेण धीमता ।
सहितो मुनिशार्दूलं गङ्गां पप्रच्छ राघवः ॥
Then Rama, together with Lakshmana and the wise Vishvamitra, asked the tiger among sages about Ganga.
Verse 2
भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामि गङ्गायाः सरितां वराम् ।
त्रिपथां कथमाख्यातां कथं वा जाह्नवी शुभा ॥
“O Bhagavan, I wish to hear about Ganga, the foremost of rivers. Why is she known as Tripatha, and how did the auspicious Jahnavi come to be?”
Verse 3
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं राघवं रघुनन्दनम् ॥
Hearing those words, the great sage Vishvamitra spoke sweetly to Rama, the delight of the Raghu dynasty.
Verse 4
शृणु राम महाभाग गङ्गायाः सम्भवं शुभम् ।
यथा त्रिपथगा जाता जाह्नवी च यथा शुभा ॥
“O greatly fortunate Rama, listen to the auspicious origin of Ganga, how she became Tripathaga and how she came to be known as the auspicious Jahnavi.”
Verse 5
हिमवांश्चैव विन्ध्यश्च मेरुश्चैव महागिरिः ।
तेषां मध्ये तु गङ्गा वै प्रवृत्ता सरितां वरा ॥
Himalaya, Vindhya and the great mountain Meru stood among the great mountains. Among them flowed Ganga, the foremost of rivers.
Verse 6
सर्वलोकहितार्थाय देवैः सा निर्मिता नदी ।
त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्याता पुण्या पापप्रणाशिनी ॥
That river was created for the welfare of all the worlds. She became renowned throughout the three worlds as sacred and destroyer of sins.
Verse 7
तां तु देवा महाभागां गङ्गां त्रिपथगां नदीम् ।
स्वर्गे मन्दाकिनीं प्राहुर्भुवि भागीरथीं तथा ॥
The gods call that greatly blessed river Ganga Mandakini in heaven, while upon earth she is known as Bhagirathi.
Verse 8
पाताले भोगवती नाम गङ्गा त्रिपथगा स्मृता ।
एवं त्रिषु पथेष्वेषा गङ्गा लोकान् पुनाति वै ॥
In the subterranean world Ganga is known as Bhogavati. Thus, flowing through three paths, Ganga purifies the worlds.
Verse 9
पूर्वं तु ब्रह्मलोकस्था गङ्गा लोकपवित्रिणी ।
देवानां हितकामाय पृथिव्यामवतारिता ॥
Originally dwelling in the world of Brahma, Ganga, the purifier of the worlds, descended upon earth for the welfare of the gods.
Verse 10
भगीरथेन राजर्षिणा तपसा भावितात्मना ।
आनीता पृथिवीं देवी गङ्गा त्रिपथगा शुभा ॥
The auspicious divine Ganga, flowing through the three paths, was brought to earth by the royal sage Bhagiratha, whose mind had been purified through austerities.
Verse 11
तस्याः प्रभावं देवेशो न शक्नोति कथञ्चन ।
वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि सर्वलोकहितैषिणः ॥
Even the Lord of the gods could not fully describe her greatness in hundreds of years, for she works for the welfare of all the worlds.
Verse 12
गङ्गायाः पतनं राम शृणु विस्तरतो मम ।
यथा सा पतिता देवी शम्भोर्मूर्ध्नि महात्मनः ॥
O Rama, listen in detail to the descent of Ganga and how the goddess fell upon the head of the great-souled Shambhu.
Verse 13
स तु राजा महातेजा भगीरथ इति स्मृतः ।
तपसा तामनुप्राप्य गङ्गामानयदव्ययाम् ॥
That greatly radiant king, known as Bhagiratha, obtained Ganga through his austerities and brought the eternal river to earth.
Verse 14
तस्य तु प्रयतो राज्ञो गङ्गामन्वेषतोऽभवत् ।
पितॄणां च हितार्थाय ययौ गङ्गा महापगा ॥
As the king devoted himself to bringing Ganga for the welfare of his ancestors, the great river followed him.
Verse 15
गङ्गायाः पतनं दृष्ट्वा देवा ऋषिगणास्तथा ।
साधु साध्विति तं राजन् भगीरथमपूजयन् ॥
Seeing the descent of Ganga, the gods and hosts of sages praised King Bhagiratha, saying, “Well done! Well done!”
Verse 16
ततो गङ्गा महावेगा भगीरथमनुव्रता ।
जगाम सरितां श्रेष्ठा समुद्रस्य निवेशनम् ॥
Then Ganga, possessing tremendous speed and following Bhagiratha, proceeded toward the ocean, the abode of the foremost waters.
Verse 17
ततोऽनु गच्छती गङ्गा जह्नुं मुनिवरं ययौ ।
तस्य क्रोधसमुद्भूतं वारि सर्वमपाहरत् ॥
As Ganga continued on her course, she reached the excellent sage Jahnu and carried away all the water that had arisen through his anger.
Verse 18
ततः स मुनिशार्दूलो जह्नुर्नाम महातपाः ।
अपिबत् सलिलं सर्वं गङ्गायाः सरितां वराम् ॥
Then the great ascetic Jahnu, the tiger among sages, drank all the water of Ganga, the foremost of rivers.
Verse 19
ततः सुरगणाः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः ।
जाह्नवीं सरितां श्रेष्ठां तं मुनिं पर्यवारयन् ॥
Then all the hosts of gods and the sages whose wealth was austerity surrounded that sage and requested him to release Jahnavi, the foremost of rivers.
Verse 20
तुष्टावुः परमप्रीता जह्नुं मुनिवरं तदा ।
गङ्गां चापि महाभागां मोक्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत ॥
They greatly pleased and praised the excellent sage Jahnu and said, “O righteous one, you should release the greatly blessed Ganga.”
Verse 21
ततः स मुनिशार्दूलो जह्नुर्नाम महातपाः ।
उत्ससर्ज महावेगां गङ्गां लोकनमस्कृताम् ॥
Then the great ascetic Jahnu, the tiger among sages, released the immensely swift Ganga, who is revered by all the worlds.
Verse 22
तस्मात् तु जाह्नवी नाम गङ्गा लोकप्रविश्रुता ।
जाह्नोः कन्येति चाख्याता त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता ॥
Therefore Ganga became widely known throughout the worlds as Jahnavi and was also known as the daughter of Jahnu.
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे चतुश्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the forty-fourth Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.