The Glory of Ganga

Verse 1 (skanda.7.229.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि गंगां त्रिपथगामिनीम्। अनरकेशतो देवि ऐशान्यां दिशि संस्थिताम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi gaṁgāṁ tripathagāminīm| anarakeśato devi aiśānyāṁ diśi saṁsthitām

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to the Ganga, the Goer of the Triple Path, situated, O goddess, in the north-eastern direction from Anarakesha.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.229.2)

स्वयंभूतां धरामध्यादानीतां विष्णुना पुरा। यादवानां तु मुक्त्यर्थं सर्वपापोपशान्तये

svayaṁbhūtāṁ dharāmadhyādānītāṁ viṣṇunā purā| yādavānāṁ tu muktyarthaṁ sarvapāpopaśāntaye

This Ganga is self-manifest, brought forth by Vishnu in ancient times from within the earth, for the liberation of the Yadavas and for the appeasement of all sin.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.229.3)

यस्तत्र कुरुते स्नानं कथंचित्पुण्यसंचयात्। श्राद्धं चैव विधानेन न स शोचेत्कृताकृते

yastatra kurute snānaṁ kathaṁcitpuṇyasaṁcayāt| śrāddhaṁ caiva vidhānena na sa śocetkṛtākṛte

He who, through whatever store of merit, bathes there and duly performs shraddha need not grieve over duties done or undone.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.229.4)

ब्रह्माण्डं सकलं दत्त्वा यत्पुण्यफलमाप्नुयात्। तत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयाद्देवि कार्तिक्यां जाह्नवीजले

brahmāṇḍaṁ sakalaṁ dattvā yatpuṇyaphalamāpnuyāt| tatpuṇyaṁ prāpnuyāddevi kārtikyāṁ jāhnavījale

Whatever meritorious fruit one obtains by giving the entire universe in gift, that same merit, O goddess, is obtained at Kartika by bathing in the water of the Jahnavi.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.229.5)

कलौ युगे तु संप्राप्ते दुर्ल्लभं तत्र दर्शनम्। किं पुनः स्नानदानं तु प्रभासे जाह्नवीजले

kalau yuge tu saṁprāpte durllabhaṁ tatra darśanam| kiṁ punaḥ snānadānaṁ tu prabhāse jāhnavījale

But now that the Kali age has arrived, even the mere sight of it there has become hard to obtain—how much more so bathing and giving gifts in the water of the Jahnavi at Prabhasa!