Bala Kanda, Sarga 43

Meaning

“When the celebrated Brahmā (the adored even of gods) had left, O Rāma, Bhagīratha waited upon Lord Śiva for a year remaining standing on the tip of one of his great toes stamped on the ground. (1)

Meaning

On a year being completed, Lord Śiva (the Spouse of Umā, who evidently appeared with Him), Protector of the Jīva (who has been likened to an animal because of its bondage), the adored of all the worlds, forthwith addressed the following words to the king : (2)

Meaning

“I am pleased with you, O jewel among men, and shall do that which is pleasing to you. I shall receive the Gaṅgā, the daughter of Himavān, the king of mountains, on My head even as it descends on earth. (3)

Meaning

Swelling into the form of a very mighty stream and acquiring a formidable force, the celebrated Gaṅgā, the elder daughter of Himavān, the adored of all the worlds, thereupon descended forthwith, O Rāma, from the heavens (her reputed home) on the blessed head of Lord Śiva: so the tradition goes. Nay, the said Gaṅgā, who is all-glorious and most difficult to sustain, thought within herself : “Wafting Lord Śaṅkara alongwith my stream, I might as well enter Pātāla.” Enraged to perceive her arrogance, the three-eyed Lord Śaṅkara (the Destroyer of the universe) for His part forthwith made up His mind to conceal her in the midst of His matted locks. Fallen on the holy head of Lord Rudra, thick with coils of matted hair and resembling the Himālayas, in its colossal size, O Rāma, that sacred river could in no way reach the earth even though it made every effort to do so. (4—8)

Meaning

Revolving in the coils of His matted locks it did not find an egress even on reaching their end; the divine stream continued to meander on His head alone for several rounds of years. (9)

Meaning

Bhagīratha saw it there and took to supreme asceticism once more. Lord Śiva felt extremely pleased with that, O scion of Raghu ! (10)

Meaning

Thereupon Lord Śiva (the Destroyer of the universe) let fall the Gaṅgā into the Bindusara, a lake in the region of the Himālayas, attributed to Brahmā. While the river was being released, it got split up into seven streams. (11)

Meaning

Of these, three blessed streams of the Gaṅgā, consisting of delightful waters, viz., Hlādinī, Pāvanī and even so Nalinī too, ran in an easterly direction. (12)

Meaning

Again, Sucakṣu and Sītā and even so the great river Sindhu—these three, consisting of blessed waters, flowed in a westerly direction. (13)

Meaning

Again, the seventh of them forthwith followed the chariot of Bhagīratha. Mounted on a beautiful chariot, the royal sage Bhagīratha too, invested with unique splendour, marched ahead and the Gaṅgā, really speaking, followed him. In this way the holy river descended from the heavens to the head of Lord Śaṅkara and came down from there to the earth and thereby justified the appellation of “Tripathagā” or the river following a threefold path, enjoyed by it. (14-15)

Meaning

There on the earth’s surface the water of the Gaṅgā meandered with a terrific noise. And the earth looked exceptionally charming with its hosts of fishes and tortoises as well as with its multitudes of sea-elephants falling and already fallen alongwith the stream on the earth’s surface. At that time, seized with great bewilderment those celestial Ṛṣis and Gandharvas as well as the hosts of Yakṣas and Siddhas, and the gods stationed there (in the heavens) beheld from their aerial cars, big as cities, as well as from the back of their horses and excellent elephants the Gaṅgā’s descent on the earth from the said heavens. Eager to see this celebrated, nay, wonderful and superb descent of the Gaṅgā on the mortal plane, multitudes of gods possessed of infinite strength collected in the heavens. With the hosts of gods coming down with great speed and with the brilliance of their shining jewels, the cloudless firmament looked as if irradiated by hundreds of suns. Scattered on that occasion with multitudes of sea-elephants and snakes as well as with throbbing fishes, the sky appeared covered with streaks of lightning. Nay, with volumes of white foam that were being tossed about in numberless particles the vault of heavens looked as if overcast with autumnal waterless and hence white clouds and crowded with flocks of flying swans. The Gaṅgā now flowed very swiftly, now tortuously; now it broadened out and now again narrowed down when forcing its way through a ravine; now it was tossed high when dashed against a rock and now it glided. Now buffeted by the waves of the same water indeed (when turned back by the wind), the water of the Gaṅgā spouted upwards once more and dashed to the ground again. First fallen on the head of Lord Saṅkara and again dropped on the earth’s surface, the limpid water of the Gaṅgā, which rids those who come in contact with it of all sin, shone bright on that occasion. On that spot hosts of Ṛṣis and Gandharvas as well as the inhabitants of the globe touched (sipped) the water fallen from the person of Lord Śiva (the Source of the universe) as purifying. Those who had fallen from the heavens to the terrestrial plane through a curse were rid of their sin (responsible for the curse) by bathing in it. Having been rid of their sin through the very touch of that water and further invested with merit, they ascended once more to the heavens and returned to their respective realms. Already delighted with the very sight of that sparkling water and rid of their sin by having bathed in the Gaṅgā, people rejoiced all the more. Mounted on a charming chariot, Emperor Bhagīratha, the royal sage, drove ahead, while the Gaṅgā followed at his heels. Full of delight all gods including hosts of Ṛṣis, as well as Daityas, Dānavas and ogres, the foremost among Gandharvas and Yakṣas, including Kinnaras and great Nāgas, as well as serpents and celestial nymphs, as also all species of aquatic creatures that existed followed the Gaṅgā, keeping behind Bhagīratha’s chariot. The illustrious Gaṅgā, the foremost of all rivers, which is capable of eradicating all sins, followed in whatever direction Bhagīratha drove. Proceeding from there, it is said, the Gaṅgā actually inundated the sacrificial ground of the high-souled sage Jahnu, the worker of miracles, who had been performing a sacrifice. Jahnu felt enraged to perceive the pride of Gaṅgā, O scion of Raghu, and drank up by dint of his yogic power all the water of the Gaṅgā, which was a supreme miracle indeed. Highly astonished, the gods including the Gandharvas and Ṛṣis thereupon glorified the high-souled Jahnu, the foremost among men, and reduced the Gaṅgā to the position of a daughter of that exalted soul by prevailing upon him to eject the Gaṅgā. (16—37)

Meaning

Pleased at that, the powerful sage, invested as he was with exceptional glory, discharged the Gaṅgā through his ears. Hence the Gaṅgā is spoken of as a daughter of Jahnu and called by the name of Jāhnavī (descended from Jahnu). (38)

Meaning

The Gaṅgā once more followed in the wake of Bhagīratha’s chariot and duly reached the excavation made by Sagara’s sons and filled it*. Then that foremost of rivers forced its way into Rasātala (the penultimate subterranean region) for consummating the feat of Bhagīratha, viz., the deliverance of his departed forbears. Leading the Gaṅgā with superhuman effort to Rasātala as aforesaid, the royal sage Bhagīratha too beheld his great grand-uncles reduced to ashes and fainted (as it were partly from grief and partly from exhaustion). The most sacred water of the Gaṅgā forthwith submerged the heaps of their ashes and, purged of their sin, the souls of Sagara’s departed sons ascended to heaven, O jewel among the Raghus ! (39—41)