The Origin of the Ganga and the Glory of Haridwar

Verse 1 (padma.6.21.1)

नारद उवाच ।सगरस्यात्मजा वीराः कथं जाता महाबलाः । विक्रांताः षष्टिसाहस्रा विज्ञानेश्वर तद्वद

nārada uvāca sagarasyātmajā vīrāḥ kathaṁ jātā mahābalāḥ vikrāṁtāḥ ṣaṣṭisāhasrā vijñāneśvara tadvada

Narada said: How were Sagara's heroic, mighty sons, sixty thousand valiant ones, born? Tell me that, O Lord of knowledge.

Verse 2 (padma.6.21.2)

श्रीपार्वतीपतिरुवाच ।द्वे पत्न्यौ सगरस्यास्तां तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषे । और्वस्ताभ्यां वरं प्रादात्तोषितो मुनिसत्तमः

śrīpārvatīpatiruvāca dve patnyau sagarasyāstāṁ tapasā dagdhakilbiṣe aurvastābhyāṁ varaṁ prādāttoṣito munisattamaḥ

Shri Parvatipati said: Sagara had two wives, whose sins had been burned away by austerity; pleased, Aurva, foremost of sages, granted them a boon.

Verse 3 (padma.6.21.3)

षष्टिंपुत्रसहस्राणि एका वव्रे तरस्विनाम् । एका वंशधरं त्वेकं यथेष्टं वरशालिनी

ṣaṣṭiṁputrasahasrāṇi ekā vavre tarasvinām ekā vaṁśadharaṁ tvekaṁ yatheṣṭaṁ varaśālinī

One chose sixty thousand powerful sons; the other, blessed with her boon, chose, as she wished, just one lineage-bearing son.

Verse 4 (padma.6.21.4)

तत्रैका सुषुवे तुंब्यां पुत्रान्शूरान्बहूनथ । ते तु सर्वेऽपि धात्रीभिर्वर्द्धितास्तु यथाक्रमम्

tatraikā suṣuve tuṁbyāṁ putrānśūrānbahūnatha te tu sarve'pi dhātrībhirvarddhitāstu yathākramam

One of them gave birth, within a gourd, to many heroic sons; all of them were raised in due order by nurses,

Verse 5 (padma.6.21.5)

कपिलानां तु दुग्धानां तेषां तत्र महात्मनाम्

kapilānāṁ tu dugdhānāṁ teṣāṁ tatra mahātmanām

those great souls being nourished there with the milk of ascetic cows.

Verse 6 (padma.6.21.6)

तेनैव दुग्धयोगेन ववृधुस्ते महात्मनः । एकः पंचजनो नाम पुत्रो राजा बभूव ह

tenaiva dugdhayogena vavṛdhuste mahātmanaḥ ekaḥ paṁcajano nāma putro rājā babhūva ha

By that very milk those great souls grew; and the son named Panchajana became king.

Verse 7 (padma.6.21.7)

ततः पंचजनस्यासीदंशुमान्नाम वीर्यवान् । दिलीपस्तनयस्तस्य पुत्रो यस्य भगीरथः

tataḥ paṁcajanasyāsīdaṁśumānnāma vīryavān dilīpastanayastasya putro yasya bhagīrathaḥ

Then Panchajana's son was Amshuman, mighty in valor; his son was Dilipa, whose son was Bhagiratha,

Verse 8 (padma.6.21.8)

यस्तु गंगासरिच्छ्रेष्ठामानयामास सुव्रतः । समुद्र मानयित्वैनां दुहितृत्वमकल्पयत्

yastu gaṁgāsaricchreṣṭhāmānayāmāsa suvrataḥ samudra mānayitvaināṁ duhitṛtvamakalpayat

who, that man of good vows, brought down the Ganga, finest among rivers; having brought her, he arranged for her to become the ocean's daughter.

Verse 9 (padma.6.21.9)

नारद उवाच ।कथं गंगा समानीता किं तपस्तेन वै कृतम् । तत्सर्वं मे समाचक्ष्व सुव्रतोऽसि दयानिधे

nārada uvāca kathaṁ gaṁgā samānītā kiṁ tapastena vai kṛtam tatsarvaṁ me samācakṣva suvrato'si dayānidhe

Narada said: How was the Ganga brought down, and what austerity did he perform for it? Tell me all of that, O ocean of compassion, you of good vows.

Verse 10 (padma.6.21.10)

महादेव उवाच ।पूर्वजानां हितार्थाय गतोऽसौ हैमके गिरौ । तत्र गत्वा तपस्तप्तं वर्षाणामयुतं तदा

mahādeva uvāca pūrvajānāṁ hitārthāya gato'sau haimake girau tatra gatvā tapastaptaṁ varṣāṇāmayutaṁ tadā

Mahadeva said: For the welfare of his ancestors, he went to the Himalaya mountain; going there, he performed austerity for ten thousand years.

Verse 11 (padma.6.21.11)

आदिदेवः प्रसन्नोऽभूद्योऽसौ देवो निरंजनः । तेन दत्ता इयं गंगा आकाशात्समुपस्थिता

ādidevaḥ prasanno'bhūdyo'sau devo niraṁjanaḥ tena dattā iyaṁ gaṁgā ākāśātsamupasthitā

That primal god himself, the stainless deity, became pleased; he it was who gave this Ganga, coming down from the sky.

Verse 12 (padma.6.21.12)

तत्र विश्वेश्वरो देवो यत्र तिष्ठति नित्यशः । गंगां दृष्ट्वाऽगतां तेन गृहीता जाह्नवी तदा

tatra viśveśvaro devo yatra tiṣṭhati nityaśaḥ gaṁgāṁ dṛṣṭvā'gatāṁ tena gṛhītā jāhnavī tadā

There, where the god Vishveshvara ever dwells, seeing the Ganga arriving, he then seized Jahnavi,

Verse 13 (padma.6.21.13)

जटाजूटे च संधार्य वर्षाणामयुतं स्थितम् । न निःसृता तदा गंगा ईशस्यैव प्रभावतः

jaṭājūṭe ca saṁdhārya varṣāṇāmayutaṁ sthitam na niḥsṛtā tadā gaṁgā īśasyaiva prabhāvataḥ

and, holding her fast within his matted locks, remained so for ten thousand years; by Ishvara's very power, the Ganga did not emerge.

Verse 14 (padma.6.21.14)

विचारितं तदा तेन क्व गता मम मातृका । स ध्यानेन विचार्यैवं गृहीता चेश्वरेण तु

vicāritaṁ tadā tena kva gatā mama mātṛkā sa dhyānena vicāryaivaṁ gṛhītā ceśvareṇa tu

Then he wondered: 'Where has my mother-river gone?' Reflecting on this through meditation, he learned that she had been seized by Ishvara.

Verse 15 (padma.6.21.15)

ततः कैलासमगमत्स तु भगीरथो नृपः । तत्र गत्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ ह्यकरोदुल्बणं तपः

tataḥ kailāsamagamatsa tu bhagīratho nṛpaḥ tatra gatvā muniśreṣṭha hyakarodulbaṇaṁ tapaḥ

Then King Bhagiratha went to Kailasa; going there, O best of sages, he performed a most intense austerity.

Verse 16 (padma.6.21.16)

आराधितस्तदा तेन दत्तवानहमापगाम् । एकं केशं परित्यज्य दत्ता त्रिपथगा तदा

ārādhitastadā tena dattavānahamāpagām ekaṁ keśaṁ parityajya dattā tripathagā tadā

Being thus worshipped by him, I myself then gave him this river; releasing just one lock of hair, the triple-pathed Ganga was then set free.

Verse 17 (padma.6.21.17)

स गृहीत्वा गतो गंगां पाताले यत्र पूर्वजाः । अलकनंदा तदा नाम गंगायाः प्रथमं स्मृतम्

sa gṛhītvā gato gaṁgāṁ pātāle yatra pūrvajāḥ alakanaṁdā tadā nāma gaṁgāyāḥ prathamaṁ smṛtam

Taking her, he brought the Ganga to where his ancestors lay in the netherworld; the first name of the Ganga was then remembered as 'Alakananda.'

Verse 18 (padma.6.21.18)

हरिद्वारे यदायाता विष्णुपादोदकी तदा । तदेव तीर्थं प्रवरं देवानामपि दुर्ल्लभम्

haridvāre yadāyātā viṣṇupādodakī tadā tadeva tīrthaṁ pravaraṁ devānāmapi durllabham

When she came to Haridwar, she then became 'Vishnupadodaki'; that very supreme tirtha is rare even for the gods.

Verse 19 (padma.6.21.19)

तत्तीर्थे च नरः स्नात्वा हरिं दृष्ट्वा विशेषतः । प्रदक्षिणं ये कुर्वंति न चैते दुःखभागिनः

tattīrthe ca naraḥ snātvā hariṁ dṛṣṭvā viśeṣataḥ pradakṣiṇaṁ ye kurvaṁti na caite duḥkhabhāginaḥ

Bathing at that tirtha, and especially beholding Hari, those who perform circumambulation there never share in sorrow.

Verse 20 (padma.6.21.20)

ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानां राशयः संत्यनेकशः । विलयं यांति ते सर्वे हरेर्दर्शनतः सदा

brahmahatyādi pāpānāṁ rāśayaḥ saṁtyanekaśaḥ vilayaṁ yāṁti te sarve harerdarśanataḥ sadā

Heaps of many sins, such as the killing of a brahmin, all dissolve away forever, through the very sight of Hari.

Verse 21 (padma.6.21.21)

एकदा केशवस्थाने हरिद्वारे ह्यहं गतः । तस्मात्तीर्थप्रभावाच्च जातोऽहं विष्णुरूपवान्

ekadā keśavasthāne haridvāre hyahaṁ gataḥ tasmāttīrthaprabhāvācca jāto'haṁ viṣṇurūpavān

Once I myself went to Keshava's place at Haridwar; by the power of that tirtha, I too took on the form of Vishnu.

Verse 22 (padma.6.21.22)

ये गच्छंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते वै यांति ह्यनामयम् । चतुर्भुजास्तु ते लोकाः नरा नार्यश्च सर्वशः

ye gacchaṁti naraśreṣṭhāste vai yāṁti hyanāmayam caturbhujāstu te lokāḥ narā nāryaśca sarvaśaḥ

Those excellent men who go there become free from disease; those beings, both men and women, all become four-armed —

Verse 23 (padma.6.21.23)

वैकुंठं यांति ते सर्वे हरेर्दर्शनमात्रतः । ममाप्यधिक तीर्थं तु हरिद्वारं सुशोभनम्

vaikuṁṭhaṁ yāṁti te sarve harerdarśanamātrataḥ mamāpyadhika tīrthaṁ tu haridvāraṁ suśobhanam

they all go to Vaikuntha by the mere sight of Hari. For me too, there is no more excellent, lovely tirtha than Haridwar.

Verse 24 (padma.6.21.24)

तीर्थानां प्रवरं तीर्थं चतुर्वर्गप्रदायकम् । कलौ धर्मकरं पुंसां मोक्षदं चार्थदं तथा

tīrthānāṁ pravaraṁ tīrthaṁ caturvargapradāyakam kalau dharmakaraṁ puṁsāṁ mokṣadaṁ cārthadaṁ tathā

It is the finest among tirthas, bestower of all four goals of life; in the Kali age it is a maker of dharma for men, a giver of liberation, and a giver of wealth as well.

Verse 25 (padma.6.21.25)

यत्र गंगा महारम्या नित्यं वहति निर्मला । एतत्कथानकं पुण्यं हरिद्वाराख्यमुत्तमम्

yatra gaṁgā mahāramyā nityaṁ vahati nirmalā etatkathānakaṁ puṇyaṁ haridvārākhyamuttamam

Where the great, lovely Ganga ever flows pure — this is the sacred, excellent tale called 'Haridwar.'

Verse 26 (padma.6.21.26)

उक्तं च शृण्वतां पुंसां फलं भवति शाश्वतम् । अश्वमेधे कृते यागे गोसहस्रे तथैव च

uktaṁ ca śṛṇvatāṁ puṁsāṁ phalaṁ bhavati śāśvatam aśvamedhe kṛte yāge gosahasre tathaiva ca

As it has been declared, for those who hear it, its fruit becomes eternal. Whatever merit is gained by performing a horse-sacrifice, or by giving a thousand cows,

Verse 27 (padma.6.21.27)

तत्पुण्यं लभते विद्वान्हरेर्दर्शनमात्रतः । गोहंता ब्रह्महा चैव ये चान्ये पितृघातकाः

tatpuṇyaṁ labhate vidvānharerdarśanamātrataḥ gohaṁtā brahmahā caiva ye cānye pitṛghātakāḥ

that same merit the learned man obtains there by the mere sight of Hari. The slayer of cows, the slayer of a brahmin, and other killers even of their own fathers,

Verse 28 (padma.6.21.28)

एवंविधानि पापानि बहून्यपि च वै द्विज । विलयं यांति सर्वाणि हरेर्दर्शनमात्रतः

evaṁvidhāni pāpāni bahūnyapi ca vai dvija vilayaṁ yāṁti sarvāṇi harerdarśanamātrataḥ

O twice-born, sins of this kind, and many others too, all dissolve away by the mere sight of Hari.