The Descent of the Ganga

Verse 1 (markandeya.56.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच धराधरां जगद्योनेः पदं नारायणस्य च । ततः प्रवृत्ता या देवी गङ्गा त्रिपथगामिनी ॥ 56.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca dharādharāṁ jagadyoneḥ padaṁ nārāyaṇasya ca tataḥ pravṛttā yā devī gaṅgā tripathagāminī

Markandeya said: The foot of Narayana, the source of the universe, bears the earth; from that foot arose the goddess Ganga, who flows through the three worlds by three courses.

Verse 2 (markandeya.56.2)

सा प्रविश्य सुधायोनिं सोममाधारमम्भसाम् । ततः सम्बध्यमानार्करश्मिसङ्गतिपावनी ॥ 56.2 ॥

sā praviśya sudhāyoniṁ somamādhāramambhasām tataḥ sambadhyamānārkaraśmisaṅgatipāvanī

She entered the moon, the womb of nectar and the receptacle of all waters, and there was purified by her contact with the rays of the sun bound to it.

Verse 3 (markandeya.56.3)

पपात मेरुपृष्ठे च सा चतुर्धा ततो ययौ । मेरुकूटतटान्तेभ्यो निपतन्ती ववर्तिता ॥ 56.3 ॥

papāta merupṛṣṭhe ca sā caturdhā tato yayau merukūṭataṭāntebhyo nipatantī vavartitā

Then she fell upon the summit of Meru and from there flowed forth divided into four streams; falling from the edges of Meru's peaks and slopes, she was whirled about.

Verse 4 (markandeya.56.4)

विकीर्यमाणसलिला निरालम्बा पपात सा । मन्दराद्येषु पादेषु प्रविभक्तोदका समम् ॥ 56.4 ॥

vikīryamāṇasalilā nirālambā papāta sā mandarādyeṣu pādeṣu pravibhaktodakā samam

Her waters scattering, she fell without any support, and divided her flow equally at the feet of Mandara and the other mountains.

Verse 5 (markandeya.56.5)

चतुर्ष्वपि पपाताम्बुविभिन्नाङ्घ्रिशिलोच्चया । पूर्वा सीतेऽति विख्याता ययौ चैत्ररथं वनम् ॥ 56.5 ॥

caturṣvapi papātāmbuvibhinnāṅghriśiloccayā pūrvā sīte'ti vikhyātā yayau caitrarathaṁ vanam

Falling alike upon all four mountains, her waters broke apart the heaped rocks at their feet; the eastern stream, renowned by the name Sita, flowed on to the Chaitraratha forest.

Verse 6 (markandeya.56.6)

तत् प्लावयित्वा च ययौ वरुणोदं सरोवनम् । शीतान्तञ्च गिरिं तस्मात्ततश्चान्यान् गिरीन् क्रमात् ॥ 56.6 ॥

tat plāvayitvā ca yayau varuṇodaṁ sarovanam śītāntañca giriṁ tasmāttataścānyān girīn kramāt

Flooding that forest, she went on to the lake Varunoda, then to Mount Shitanta, and thence to the other mountains in succession.

Verse 7 (markandeya.56.7)

गत्वा भुवं समासाद्य भद्राश्वाज्जलधिं गता । तथैवालकनन्दाख्या दक्षिणे गन्धमादने ॥ 56.7 ॥

gatvā bhuvaṁ samāsādya bhadrāśvājjaladhiṁ gatā tathaivālakanandākhyā dakṣiṇe gandhamādane

Descending thus to the earth, she passed through Bhadrashva into the ocean. So too, toward the south, the stream known as Alakananda flowed to Gandhamadana.

Verse 8 (markandeya.56.8)

मेरुपादवनं गत्वा नन्दनं देवनन्दनम् । मानसञ्च महावेगात् प्लापयित्वा सरोवरम् ॥ 56.8 ॥

merupādavanaṁ gatvā nandanaṁ devanandanam mānasañca mahāvegāt plāpayitvā sarovaram

It reached the Nandana forest at the foot of Meru, the delight of the gods, and flooded the lake Manasa with great force.

Verse 9 (markandeya.56.9)

आसाद्य शैलराजानं रम्यं हि शिखरन्तथा । तस्माच्च पर्वतान् सर्वान् दक्षिणोपक्रमोदितान् ॥ 56.9 ॥

āsādya śailarājānaṁ ramyaṁ hi śikharantathā tasmācca parvatān sarvān dakṣiṇopakramoditān

It reached the delightful king of mountains named Shikhara, and from there flowed over all the mountains named in succession toward the south.

Verse 10 (markandeya.56.10)

तान् प्लावयित्वा संप्राप्ता हिमवन्तं महागिरिम् । दधार तत्र तां शम्भुर्न मुमोच वृषध्वजः ॥ 56.10 ॥

tān plāvayitvā saṁprāptā himavantaṁ mahāgirim dadhāra tatra tāṁ śambhurna mumoca vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Flooding all of them, she reached the great mountain Himavat, where Shiva, bearer of the bull banner, held her fast and would not release her.

Verse 11 (markandeya.56.11)

भघीरथेनोपवासैः स्तुत्या चाराधितो विभुः । तत्र मुक्ता च शर्वेण सप्तधा दक्षिणोदधिम् ॥ 56.11 ॥

bhaghīrathenopavāsaiḥ stutyā cārādhito vibhuḥ tatra muktā ca śarveṇa saptadhā dakṣiṇodadhim

Propitiated there by Bhagiratha's fasting and hymns, the lord released her, and she flowed in seven streams toward the southern ocean.

Verse 12 (markandeya.56.12)

प्रविवेश त्रिधा प्राच्यां प्लावयन्ती महानदी । भगीरथरथस्यानु स्त्रोतसैकेन दक्षिणाम् ॥ 56.12 ॥

praviveśa tridhā prācyāṁ plāvayantī mahānadī bhagīratharathasyānu strotasaikena dakṣiṇām

That great river entered the eastern sea in three streams, and with a single stream she flooded the southern land, following behind Bhagiratha's chariot.

Verse 13 (markandeya.56.13)

तथैव पश्चिमे पादे विपुले सा महानदी । सुचक्षुरिति विख्याता वैभ्राजं साचलं ययौ ॥ 56.13 ॥

tathaiva paścime pāde vipule sā mahānadī sucakṣuriti vikhyātā vaibhrājaṁ sācalaṁ yayau

So too, on the west, at Mount Vipula, that great river, known by the name Suchakshu, flowed on to Mount Vaibhraja.

Verse 14 (markandeya.56.14)

शीतोदञ्च सरस्तस्मात् प्लावयन्ती महानदी । सुचक्षुः पर्वतं प्राप्ता ततश्च त्रिशिखं गता ॥ 56.14 ॥

śītodañca sarastasmāt plāvayantī mahānadī sucakṣuḥ parvataṁ prāptā tataśca triśikhaṁ gatā

Flooding the lake Sitoda from there, the great river reached Mount Suchakshu and then passed on to Mount Trishikha.

Verse 15 (markandeya.56.15)

तस्मात् क्रमेण चाद्रीणां शिखरेषु निपत्य सा । केतुमालं समासाद्य प्रविष्टा लवणोदधिम् ॥ 56.15 ॥

tasmāt krameṇa cādrīṇāṁ śikhareṣu nipatya sā ketumālaṁ samāsādya praviṣṭā lavaṇodadhim

From there, falling in turn upon the peaks of the mountains, she reached Ketumala and entered the Ocean of Salt.

Verse 16 (markandeya.56.16)

सुपार्श्वन्तु तथैवाद्रिं मेरुपादं हि सा गता । (भद्रसोमेति) तत्र सोमेति विख्याता सा ययौ सवितुर्वनम् ॥ 56.16 ॥

supārśvantu tathaivādriṁ merupādaṁ hi sā gatā (bhadrasometi) tatra someti vikhyātā sā yayau saviturvanam

In the same way she went also to Mount Suparshva at the foot of Meru; there, renowned by the name Soma (or Bhadrasoma), she flowed on to the forest of Savitri, the sun.

Verse 17 (markandeya.56.17)

तत्पावयन्ती संप्राप्ता महाभद्रं सरोवरम् । ततश्च शङ्खकूटं सा प्रयाता वै महानदी ॥ 56.17 ॥

tatpāvayantī saṁprāptā mahābhadraṁ sarovaram tataśca śaṅkhakūṭaṁ sā prayātā vai mahānadī

Purifying that forest, she reached the lake Mahabhadra, and from there the great river went on to Mount Shankhakuta.

Verse 18 (markandeya.56.18)

तस्माच्च वृषभादीन् सा क्रमात् प्राप्य शिलोच्चयान् । महार्णवमनुप्राप्ता प्लावयित्वोत्तरान् कुरून् ॥ 56.18 ॥

tasmācca vṛṣabhādīn sā kramāt prāpya śiloccayān mahārṇavamanuprāptā plāvayitvottarān kurūn

From there, reaching Mount Vrishabha and the other peaks in succession, she flooded the land of the Northern Kurus and reached the great ocean.

Verse 19 (markandeya.56.19)

एवमेषा मया गङ्गां कथिता ते द्विजर्षभ । जम्बुद्वीपनिवेशश्च वर्षाणि च यथातथम् ॥ 56.19 ॥

evameṣā mayā gaṅgāṁ kathitā te dvijarṣabha jambudvīpaniveśaśca varṣāṇi ca yathātatham

Thus, O best of brahmanas, I have told you of this Ganga, and of the arrangement of Jambudvipa and its regions exactly as they are.

Verse 20 (markandeya.56.20)

वसन्ति तेषु सर्वेषु प्रजाः किंपुरुषादिषु । सुखप्राया निरातङ्का न्यूनतोत्कर्षवर्जिताः ॥ 56.20 ॥

vasanti teṣu sarveṣu prajāḥ kiṁpuruṣādiṣu sukhaprāyā nirātaṅkā nyūnatotkarṣavarjitāḥ

In all those regions beginning with Kimpurusha dwell people who are mostly happy, free from affliction, and untouched by distinctions of low and high estate.

Verse 21 (markandeya.56.21)

नवस्वपि च वर्षेषु सप्त सप्त कुलाचलाः । एकैकस्मिंस्तथा देशे नद्यश्चाद्रिविनिः सृताः ॥ 56.21 ॥

navasvapi ca varṣeṣu sapta sapta kulācalāḥ ekaikasmiṁstathā deśe nadyaścādriviniḥ sṛtāḥ

In each of the nine regions there are seven principal mountain ranges, and in every such land rivers issue from those mountains.

Verse 22 (markandeya.56.22)

यानि किंपुरुषाद्यानि वर्षाण्यष्टौ द्विजोत्तम । तेषूद्भिज्जानि तोयानि मेघवार्यत्र भारते ॥ 56.22 ॥

yāni kiṁpuruṣādyāni varṣāṇyaṣṭau dvijottama teṣūdbhijjāni toyāni meghavāryatra bhārate

In those eight regions beginning with Kimpurusha, O best of brahmanas, the waters spring up from the earth itself; only here in Bharata does the water come from rain.

Verse 23 (markandeya.56.23)

वार्क्षो स्वाभाविकी देश्या तोयोत्था मानसी तथा । कर्मजा च नृणां सिद्धर्वर्षेष्वेतेषु चाष्टसु ॥ 56.23 ॥

vārkṣo svābhāvikī deśyā toyotthā mānasī tathā karmajā ca nṛṇāṁ siddharvarṣeṣveteṣu cāṣṭasu

In these eight regions, the accomplishments people attain are of six kinds: born of trees, born of one's own nature, born of the land, born of water, born of the mind, and born of action.

Verse 24 (markandeya.56.24)

कामप्रदेभ्यो वृक्षेभ्यो वार्क्षो सिद्धिः स्वभावजा । स्वाभाविकी समाख्याता तृप्तिर्देश्या च दैशिकी ॥ 56.24 ॥

kāmapradebhyo vṛkṣebhyo vārkṣo siddhiḥ svabhāvajā svābhāvikī samākhyātā tṛptirdeśyā ca daiśikī

The tree-born accomplishment comes from wish-fulfilling trees; that called natural arises from innate disposition; and the contentment born of the land is called daishiki.

Verse 25 (markandeya.56.25)

अपां शौक्ष्म्याच्च तोयोत्था ध्यानोपेता च मानसी । उपासनादिकार्यात्तु धर्मजा साप्युदाहृता ॥ 56.25 ॥

apāṁ śaukṣmyācca toyotthā dhyānopetā ca mānasī upāsanādikāryāttu dharmajā sāpyudāhṛtā

The water-born accomplishment arises from the subtle purity of the waters; the mind-born comes joined with meditation; and that which is called dharma-born is said to arise from worship and similar observances.

Verse 26 (markandeya.56.26)

न चैतेषु युगावस्था नाध्यो व्याधयो न च । पुण्यापुण्यसमारम्भो नैव तेषु द्विजोत्तम ॥ 56.26 ॥

na caiteṣu yugāvasthā nādhyo vyādhayo na ca puṇyāpuṇyasamārambho naiva teṣu dvijottama

In these lands, O best of brahmanas, there is no succession of ages, no mental anguish, no bodily disease, and no undertaking of merit or sin at all.