Bala Kanda, Sarga 36

Meaning

The aforesaid sage, Viśwāmitra, having concluded his speech, both the heroes, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, hailed with joy the story of the two daughters of Himavān, told by him and spoke as follows to Viśwāmitra, the foremost of sages : (1)

Meaning

“You have narrated, holy Sir, this most excellent story capable of conferring merit on those who hear it. Be pleased now to give a detailed account of Gaṅgā (the elder daughter of Himavān), relating to her celestial and earthly career, since you know these details. (2)

Meaning

“With what motive did that world-purifying stream choose to wash all the three regions (heaven, earth and the space intervening them)? How did the Gaṅgā, which takes a threefold course, come to be known as the foremost of rivers? (3)

Meaning

“With what achievements is she associated in the three worlds, O knower of Dharma (what is right)?” While Śrī Rāma (a scion of Kakutstha) was speaking thus, Viśwāmitra, who claims askesis as his only wealth, narrated in extenso in the midst of the Ṛṣis, that accompanied him, the whole story as follows : “Seeing Goddess Pārvatī by His side, O Rāma, Lord Śiva, who bears a blue patch on His throat, nay, who is noted for His great asceticism and had just married Her, devoted Himself to the delights of conjugal bliss. A hundred celestial years (equivalent to 36,000 human years) rolled past the all-wise Lord Śiva, the Supreme Deity, while He sported with His Spouse. (4—6)

Meaning

“Neither any son nor any daughter was, however, born of Her, O Rāma, the chastiser of foes ! All the gods with Brahmā, the progenitor of the entire creation, as their leader girded up their loins to stop the amorous sport. For, they said to themselves, ‘Who will be able to bear the glory of the offspring that is born of this divine Lady?’ Approaching Him and falling prostrate before Him, all the gods addressed to Him the following prayer : ‘O Supreme Lord, the adored of all gods, devoted as You are to the good of this universe, be pleased to extend Your grace to us, gods, in response to our prostrations. (7—9)

Meaning

“ ‘The worlds or their denizens will not be able to bear Your glory in the shape of Your progeny, O Chief of gods ! Therefore, rich as You are in askesis in the form of oneness with Brahma, desist from enjoying the delights of connubial bliss and practise austerities alongwith Your Divine Consort. (10)

Meaning

“ ‘For the welfare of all the three worlds, which is Your chief concern, pray retain Your vital energy in Your own glorious Self and thereby preserve all these worlds from destruction, for the son that will be born to You will be extremely glorious and will burn all the three worlds. Pray, do not bring about the extinction of the worlds.’ (11)

Meaning

“Hearing the remonstrance of the gods, Lord Śiva (the suzerain Lord of all the worlds) said ‘Amen !’ And further addressed the following words to them all, so the tradition goes : ‘I alongwith Umā shall retain Our vital energy by dint of Our very glory (retentive power). Let the terrestrial globe as also the other worlds, O gods, live in peace, i.e., free from fear of destruction. (12-13)

Meaning

“But who shall receive that vital fluid of Mine, unsurpassed as it is, which is already shaken from its seat in the heart? Tell Me this, O jewels among gods !” (14)

Meaning

Questioned thus by Lord Śiva, the gods thereupon replied to Lord Śiva (whose ensign bears the device of a bull), ‘Earth (who is capable of holding everything) will indeed receive the vital fluid that has got dislodged so far.’ (15)

Meaning

Addressed thus by the gods, the almighty Lord Śiva, the Ruler of gods, let fall His seed, by which was covered the entire globe including the mountains and forests. (16)

Meaning

Thereupon fearing lest the earth may be cracked by being covered all over by the powerful fluid, the gods further addressed the following prayer to the god of fire that feeds on the sacrificial offerings : ‘Accompanied by the wind-god (and mobilized by him) suck you the mighty seed of Rudra (the god of destruction).’ (17)

Meaning

Concentrated by fire (assisted by the wind-god), it now got consolidated into a white mountain and was subsequently transformed into a thicket of white reeds resplendent as fire and the sun, in which was born the exceptionally glorious Kārtikeya (so-called because he was suckled later on by the deities presiding over the group of stars known by the name of Kṛttikās), who is accordingly spoken of as fire-born. “Highly delighted in mind on that occasion, the gods including the hosts of Ṛṣis that accompanied them, now profusely worshipped Umā and, even so, Lord Śiva. Thereupon Umā, Daughter of Himavān, with eyes bloodshot through anger pronounced an imprecation on all gods and angrily addressed them as follows : ‘Since I, who was united with My Spouse with the desire of getting a son, have been deterred from the act by you, you shall no longer be able to beget an offspring through your respective consorts. Let your wives remain issueless from this day.’ (18—22)

Meaning

Having addressed all the gods as aforesaid, she cursed Earth, too, in the following words : ‘You will have a multiform surface, O earth, and shall have many masters. (23)

Meaning

‘Agitated by My curse, nor shall you enjoy the delight of having a son,* O highly evil-minded lady, since you do not wish that I should have a son.’ (24)

Meaning

Seeing all those gods tormented by the curse of His Spouse, Lord Śiva (the Ruler of gods) prepared to proceed in a westerly direction, the quarter ruled over by Varuṇa, the god of water. (25)

Meaning

Going there the celebrated Lord Śiva, the supreme Divinity, took to asceticism alongwith His Consort, Goddess Pārvatī, on the summit called Himavatprabhava in the northern wing of the celebrated mountain, Himālaya.” (26)

Meaning

In this way have I told you, O Rāma, a detailed account of Goddess Umā, Daughter of Himavān. Now hear from me alongwith Lakṣmaṇa the story of the origin of the Gaṅgā too. (27)