Ganga's Becoming a Wife of Krishna

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.9.14.1)

नारद उवाच । लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती गङ्गा तुलसी विश्वपावनी । एता नारायणस्यैव चतस्रश्च प्रिया इति

nārada uvāca | lakṣmīḥ sarasvatī gaṅgā tulasī viśvapāvanī | etā nārāyaṇasyaiva catasraśca priyā iti

Narada said: Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Ganga, and Tulasi, the purifier of the universe — these four are, I have heard, the beloved consorts of Narayana.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.9.14.2)

गङ्गा जगाम वैकुण्ठमिदमेव श्रुतं मया । कथं सा तस्य पत्नी च बभूवेति च न श्रुतम्

gaṅgā jagāma vaikuṇṭhamidameva śrutaṁ mayā | kathaṁ sā tasya patnī ca babhūveti ca na śrutam

This much only I have heard, that Ganga went to Vaikuntha; but how she became his wife — that I have not heard.

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.9.14.3)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । गङ्गा जगाम वैकुण्ठं तत्पश्चाज्जगतां विधिः । गत्वोवाच तया सार्धं प्रणम्य जगदीश्वरम्

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca | gaṅgā jagāma vaikuṇṭhaṁ tatpaścājjagatāṁ vidhiḥ | gatvovāca tayā sārdhaṁ praṇamya jagadīśvaram

Sri Narayana said: Ganga went to Vaikuntha; thereafter Brahma, the ordainer of the worlds, having gone there and bowed to the Lord of the universe, spoke, with her present, of the matter.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.9.14.4)

ब्रह्मोवाच । राधाकृष्णाङ्गसम्भूता या देवी द्रवरूपिणी । नवयौवनसम्पन्ना सुशीला सुन्दरी वरा

brahmovāca | rādhākṛṣṇāṅgasambhūtā yā devī dravarūpiṇī | navayauvanasampannā suśīlā sundarī varā

Brahma said: Radha, the goddess born in liquid form from Krishna's own body, endowed with fresh youth, gentle of nature, beautiful and most excellent —

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.9.14.5)

शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपा च क्रोधाहङ्कारवर्जिता । तदङ्गसम्भवा नान्यं वृणोतीयं च तं विना

śuddhasattvasvarūpā ca krodhāhaṅkāravarjitā | tadaṅgasambhavā nānyaṁ vṛṇotīyaṁ ca taṁ vinā

— she is of pure sattva nature, free of anger and pride; and being born of his own body, this goddess chooses none other than him.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.9.14.6)

तत्रातिमानिनी राधा सा च तेजस्विनी वरा । समुद्युक्ता पातुमिमां भीतेयं बुद्धिपूर्वकम्

tatrātimāninī rādhā sā ca tejasvinī varā | samudyuktā pātumimāṁ bhīteyaṁ buddhipūrvakam

There Radha, exceedingly proud and most resplendent, resolved — out of fear, and with deliberate intent — to drink this one (Ganga) up.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.9.14.7)

विवेश चरणाम्भोजे कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः । सर्वत्र गोलकं शुष्कं दृष्ट्वाहमगमं तदा

viveśa caraṇāmbhoje kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ | sarvatra golakaṁ śuṣkaṁ dṛṣṭvāhamagamaṁ tadā

She entered the lotus feet of Krishna, the Supreme Soul; and seeing Goloka dried up on every side, I then went there.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.9.14.8)

गोलोके यत्र कृष्णश्च सर्ववृत्तान्तप्राप्तये । सर्वान्तरात्मा सर्वेषां ज्ञात्वाभिप्रायमेव च

goloke yatra kṛṣṇaśca sarvavṛttāntaprāptaye | sarvāntarātmā sarveṣāṁ jñātvābhiprāyameva ca

— to Goloka, where Krishna was, so as to learn the whole matter; and he, the inner self of all, having known everyone's intent —

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.9.14.9)

बहिश्चकार गङ्गा च पादाङ्गुष्ठनखाग्रतः । दत्त्वास्यै राधिकामन्त्रं पूरयित्वा च गोलकम्

bahiścakāra gaṅgā ca pādāṅguṣṭhanakhāgrataḥ | dattvāsyai rādhikāmantraṁ pūrayitvā ca golakam

— brought Ganga forth from the very tip of his own toenail, and having bestowed on her the Radhika-mantra, filled Goloka once more.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.9.14.10)

प्रणम्य तां च राधेशं गृहीत्वात्रागमं प्रभो । गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन गृहाणेमां सुरेश्वरीम्

praṇamya tāṁ ca rādheśaṁ gṛhītvātrāgamaṁ prabho | gāndharveṇa vivāhena gṛhāṇemāṁ sureśvarīm

Having bowed to Radha, and taking this one with me, O Lord, I have come here: accept this goddess among the gods in Gandharva marriage.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.9.14.11)

सुरेश्वरेषु रसिको रसिकेयं समागता । त्वं रत्नं पुंसु देवेश स्त्रीरत्नं स्त्रीष्वियं सती

sureśvareṣu rasiko rasikeyaṁ samāgatā | tvaṁ ratnaṁ puṁsu deveśa strīratnaṁ strīṣviyaṁ satī

Among the lords of the gods you are the connoisseur of delight, and she, delighting likewise, has come to you; O Lord of gods, you are the jewel among men, and this virtuous one is the jewel among women.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.9.14.12)

विदग्धया विदग्धेन सङ्गमो गुणवान् भवेत् । उपस्थितां स्वयं कन्यां न गृह्णातीह यः पुमान्

vidagdhayā vidagdhena saṅgamo guṇavān bhavet | upasthitāṁ svayaṁ kanyāṁ na gṛhṇātīha yaḥ pumān

The union of the refined woman with the refined man is a blessed thing; and that man who does not accept a maiden who has come to him of her own accord —

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.9.14.13)

तं विहाय महालक्ष्मी रुष्टा याति न संशयः । यो भवेत्पण्डितः सो ऽपि प्रकृतिं नावमन्यते

taṁ vihāya mahālakṣmī ruṣṭā yāti na saṁśayaḥ | yo bhavetpaṇḍitaḥ so 'pi prakṛtiṁ nāvamanyate

— abandoning him, Mahalakshmi departs in anger, without doubt; whoever is truly wise never disrespects Prakriti.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.9.14.14)

सर्वे प्राकृतिकाः पुंसः कामिन्यः प्रकृतेः कलाः । त्वमेव भगवान्नाथो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः

sarve prākṛtikāḥ puṁsaḥ kāminyaḥ prakṛteḥ kalāḥ | tvameva bhagavānnātho nirguṇaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ

All men belong to material nature, and every woman is a portion of Prakriti; you alone, O Lord, are the master, beyond qualities, transcendent to Prakriti itself.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.9.14.15)

अर्धाङ्गं द्विभुजः कृष्णो योऽर्धाङ्गेन चतुर्भुजः । कृष्णवामाङ्गसम्भूता बभूव राधिका पुरा

ardhāṅgaṁ dvibhujaḥ kṛṣṇo yo'rdhāṅgena caturbhujaḥ | kṛṣṇavāmāṅgasambhūtā babhūva rādhikā purā

Krishna is two-armed in half his form and four-armed in the other half; and from Krishna's own left side, Radhika was born long ago.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.9.14.16)

दक्षिणांशः स्वयं सा च वामांशः कमला तथा । तेनेयं त्वां वृणोत्येव यतस्त्वद्देहसम्भवा

dakṣiṇāṁśaḥ svayaṁ sā ca vāmāṁśaḥ kamalā tathā | teneyaṁ tvāṁ vṛṇotyeva yatastvaddehasambhavā

She herself is your right portion, and Kamala likewise your left portion; and therefore this one too chooses you alone, since she has arisen from your own body.

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.9.14.17)

एकाङ्गं चैव स्वीपुंसोर्यथा प्रकृतिपूरुषौ । इत्येवमुक्त्वा धाता तां तं समर्प्य जगाम सः

ekāṅgaṁ caiva svīpuṁsoryathā prakṛtipūruṣau | ityevamuktvā dhātā tāṁ taṁ samarpya jagāma saḥ

For woman and man form a single body indeed, just as Prakriti and Purusha do. Having spoken thus, the Creator, having entrusted her to him, went his way.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.9.14.18)

गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन तां जग्राह हरिः स्वयम् । नारायणः करं धृत्वा पुष्पचन्दनचर्चितम्

gāndharveṇa vivāhena tāṁ jagrāha hariḥ svayam | nārāyaṇaḥ karaṁ dhṛtvā puṣpacandanacarcitam

By the Gandharva rite of marriage, Hari himself accepted her, Narayana taking her hand, anointed with flowers and sandal-paste.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.9.14.19)

रेमे रमापतिस्तत्र गङ्गया सहितो मुदा । गङ्गा पृथ्वीं गता या सा स्वस्थानं पुनरागता

reme ramāpatistatra gaṅgayā sahito mudā | gaṅgā pṛthvīṁ gatā yā sā svasthānaṁ punarāgatā

There the Lord of Rama sported joyfully together with Ganga; and the Ganga who had gone down to earth returned once more to her own abode.

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.9.14.20)

निर्गता विष्णुपादाब्जात्तेन विष्णुपदीति च । मूर्च्छां सम्प्राप सा देवी नवसङ्गमलीलया

nirgatā viṣṇupādābjāttena viṣṇupadīti ca | mūrcchāṁ samprāpa sā devī navasaṅgamalīlayā

Because she had issued from Vishnu's own lotus foot, she is thus called Vishnupadi; and through the sport of their fresh union, that goddess fell into a swoon.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.9.14.21)

रसिका सुखसम्भोगाद्रसिकेश्वरसंयुता । तां दृष्ट्वा दुःखिता वाणी पद्मया वर्जितापि च

rasikā sukhasambhogādrasikeśvarasaṁyutā | tāṁ dṛṣṭvā duḥkhitā vāṇī padmayā varjitāpi ca

Delighting in that joyous union, she was now joined with the lord of delight; seeing her thus, Vani grew sorrowful — and Padma too, though she had no part in it.

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.9.14.22)

नित्यमीर्ष्यति तां वाणी न च गङ्गा सरस्वतीम् । गङ्गा शशाप कोपेन भारते च हरिप्रिया

nityamīrṣyati tāṁ vāṇī na ca gaṅgā sarasvatīm | gaṅgā śaśāpa kopena bhārate ca haripriyā

Vani forever envied Ganga, but Ganga in turn did not envy Sarasvati; yet Ganga, the beloved of Hari, in anger cursed her to descend to Bharata.

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.9.14.23)

गङ्गया सह तस्यैव तिस्रो भार्या रमापतेः । सार्धं तुलस्या पश्चाच्च चतस्रश्चाभवन्मुने

gaṅgayā saha tasyaiva tisro bhāryā ramāpateḥ | sārdhaṁ tulasyā paścācca catasraścābhavanmune

Together with Ganga, there thus came to be three wives of Ramapati; and afterward, O sage, with Tulasi added, they became four.