The Birth of the Ganga

Shloka 1 (bala.35.1)

उपास्य रात्रिशेषं तु शोणाकूले महर्षिभिः । निशायां सुप्रभातायां विश्वामित्रोऽभ्यभाषत ।। ३५.१ ।।

upāsya rātriśeṣaṃ tu śoṇākūle maharṣibhiḥ | niśāyāṃ suprabhātāyāṃ viśvāmitro'bhyabhāṣata || 35.1 ||

Having spent the rest of the night together with the great sages on the bank of the Sona, when that night turned into a bright dawn, Vishwamitra spoke.

Shloka 2 (bala.35.2)

सुप्रभाता निशा राम पूर्वा संध्या प्रवर्तते । उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते गमनायाभिरोचय ।। ३५.२ ।।

suprabhātā niśā rāma pūrvā saṃdhyā pravartate | uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhadraṃ te gamanāyābhirocaya || 35.2 ||

"The night has turned into a fair dawn, O Rama, and the morning twilight has set in. Arise, arise! May you be blessed -- make ready for our journey."

Shloka 3 (bala.35.3)

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकक्रियः । गमनं रोचयामास वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह ।। ३५.३ ।।

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya kṛtvā paurvāhṇikakriyaḥ | gamanaṃ rocayāmāsa vākyaṃ cedamuvāca ha || 35.3 ||

Hearing his words, Rama, after performing his morning observances, resolved to set out, and then spoke these words.

Shloka 4 (bala.35.4)

अयं शोणः शुभजलोऽगाधः पुलिनमण्डितः । कतरेण पथा ब्रह्मन् संतरिष्यामहे वयम् ।। ३५.४ ।।

ayaṃ śoṇaḥ śubhajalo'gādhaḥ pulinamaṇḍitaḥ | katareṇa pathā brahman saṃtariṣyāmahe vayam || 35.4 ||

"This river Sona, with its auspicious waters, unfathomably deep and adorned with sandbanks -- by which way, O Brahmin, shall we cross it?"

Shloka 5 (bala.35.5)

एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीदिदम् । एष पंथा मयोद्दिष्टो येन यान्ति महर्षयः ।। ३५.५ ।।

evamuktastu rāmeṇa viśvāmitro'bravīdidam | eṣa paṃthā mayoddiṣṭo yena yānti maharṣayaḥ || 35.5 ||

Thus addressed by Rama, Vishwamitra replied: "This is the path I have marked out, the very one by which the great sages are travelling."

Shloka 6 (bala.35.6)

एवमुक्त्वा महर्षयो विश्वमित्रेण धीमता । पश्यन्तस्ते प्रयाता वै वनानि विविधानि च ।। ३५.६ ।।

evamuktvā maharṣayo viśvamitreṇa dhīmatā | paśyantaste prayātā vai vanāni vividhāni ca || 35.6 ||

Having been thus addressed by the wise Vishwamitra, the great sages travelled on, beholding as they went the many different forests.

Shloka 7 (bala.35.7)

ते गत्वा दूरमध्वानं गतेऽर्धदिवसे तदा । जाह्नवीं सरितां श्रेष्ठां ददृशुर्मुनिसेविताम् ।। ३५.७ ।।

te gatvā dūramadhvānaṃ gate'rdhadivase tadā | jāhnavīṃ saritāṃ śreṣṭhāṃ dadṛśurmunisevitām || 35.7 ||

Having travelled a long way, when half the day had passed, they then beheld the Ganga, foremost among rivers, revered by sages.

Shloka 8 (bala.35.8)

तां दृष्ट्वा पुण्यसलिलां हंससारससेविताम् । बभूवुर्मुनयः सर्वे मुदिताः सहराघवाः ।। ३५.८ ।।

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā puṇyasalilāṃ haṃsasārasasevitām | babhūvurmunayaḥ sarve muditāḥ saharāghavāḥ || 35.8 ||

Seeing her, with her sacred waters, frequented by swans and cranes, all the sages, together with the two sons of Raghu, were filled with delight.

Shloka 9 (bala.35.9)

तस्यास्तीरे तदा सर्वे चक्रुर्वासपरिग्रहम् । ततः स्नात्वा यथान्यायं संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः ।। ३५.९ ।।

tasyāstīre tadā sarve cakrurvāsaparigraham | tataḥ snātvā yathānyāyaṃ saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ || 35.9 ||

Then all of them made their camp on her bank; after bathing according to custom, they offered libations to the ancestral spirits and the gods.

Shloka 10 (bala.35.10)

हुत्वा चैवाग्निहोत्राणि प्राश्य चामृतवद्धविः । विविशुर्जाह्नवीतीरे शुभा मुदितमानसाः ।। ३५.१० ।।

hutvā caivāgnihotrāṇi prāśya cāmṛtavaddhaviḥ | viviśurjāhnavītīre śubhā muditamānasāḥ || 35.10 ||

Having performed the fire offerings and partaken of the oblation, ambrosial in taste, they settled, with joyful hearts, upon the auspicious bank of the Ganga.

Shloka 11 (bala.35.11)

विश्वामित्रं महात्मानं परिवार्य समंततः । विष्टिताश्च यथान्यायं राघवौ च यथा अर्हम् । संप्रहृष्टमना रामो विश्वामित्रमथाब्रवीत् ।। ३५.११ ।।

viśvāmitraṃ mahātmānaṃ parivārya samaṃtataḥ | viṣṭitāśca yathānyāyaṃ rāghavau ca yathā arham | saṃprahṛṣṭamanā rāmo viśvāmitramathābravīt || 35.11 ||

Surrounding the great-souled Vishwamitra on every side, and seated properly as was fitting, the two Raghavas took their places; then Rama, his heart filled with joy, spoke to Vishwamitra.

Shloka 12 (bala.35.12)

भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामि गङ्गां त्रिपथगां नदीम् । त्रैलोक्यं कथमाक्रम्य गता नदनदीपतिम् ।। ३५.१२ ।।

bhagavan śrotumicchāmi gaṅgāṃ tripathagāṃ nadīm | trailokyaṃ kathamākramya gatā nadanadīpatim || 35.12 ||

"O revered one, I wish to hear about the river Ganga, who courses through the three worlds -- how, having pervaded all three realms, she reached the lord of rivers, the ocean."

Shloka 13 (bala.35.13)

चोदितो रामवाक्येन विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । वृद्धिं जन्म च गंगाया वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ।। ३५.१३ ।।

codito rāmavākyena viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ | vṛddhiṃ janma ca gaṃgāyā vaktumevopacakrame || 35.13 ||

Thus urged by Rama's words, the great sage Vishwamitra began to relate the birth and the growth of the Ganga.

Shloka 14 (bala.35.14)

शैलेन्द्रो हिमवान् राम धातूनामाकरो महान् । तस्य कन्याद्वयं राम रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि ।। ३५.१४ ।।

śailendro himavān rāma dhātūnāmākaro mahān | tasya kanyādvayaṃ rāma rūpeṇāpratimaṃ bhuvi || 35.14 ||

"O Rama, the lord of mountains, Himavan, is the great treasury of minerals; and he has, O Rama, two daughters unrivalled on earth in beauty."

Shloka 15 (bala.35.15)

या मेरुदुहिता राम तयोर्माता सुमध्यमा । नाम्ना मेना मनोज्ञा वै पत्नी हिमवतः प्रिया ।। ३५.१५ ।।

yā meruduhitā rāma tayormātā sumadhyamā | nāmnā menā manojñā vai patnī himavataḥ priyā || 35.15 ||

"Their mother, O Rama, is the slender-waisted and enchanting daughter of Meru, named Mena, the beloved wife of Himavan."

Shloka 16 (bala.35.16)

तस्यां गंगेयमभवज्ज्येष्ठा हिमवतः सुता । उमा नाम द्वितीयाभूत्कन्या तस्यैव राघव ।। ३५.१६ ।।

tasyāṃ gaṃgeyamabhavajjyeṣṭhā himavataḥ sutā | umā nāma dvitīyābhūtkanyā tasyaiva rāghava || 35.16 ||

"Through her, O Raghava, this Ganga was born as the elder daughter of Himavan, and Uma became his second daughter."

Shloka 17 (bala.35.17)

अथ ज्येष्ठां सुराः सर्वे देवकार्यचिकीर्षया । शैलेन्द्रं वरयामासुर्गंगां त्रिपथगां नदीम् ।। ३५.१७ ।।

atha jyeṣṭhāṃ surāḥ sarve devakāryacikīrṣayā | śailendraṃ varayāmāsurgaṃgāṃ tripathagāṃ nadīm || 35.17 ||

"Then, wishing to accomplish a purpose of the gods, all the deities sought from the lord of mountains his elder daughter, Ganga, destined to flow through the three worlds."

Shloka 18 (bala.35.18)

ददौ धर्मेण हिमवांस्तनयां लोकपावनीम् । स्वच्छंदपथगां गंगां त्रैलोक्यहितकाम्यया ।। ३५.१८ ।।

dadau dharmeṇa himavāṃstanayāṃ lokapāvanīm | svacchaṃdapathagāṃ gaṃgāṃ trailokyahitakāmyayā || 35.18 ||

"With righteous mind, and desiring the welfare of the three worlds, Himavan gave up his daughter Ganga, the purifier of the world, who moves at her own will."

Shloka 19 (bala.35.19)

प्रतिगृह्य त्रिलोकार्थं त्रिलोकहितकांक्षिणः । गंगामादाय तेऽगच्छन् कृतार्थेनान्तरात्मना ।। ३५.१९ ।।

pratigṛhya trilokārthaṃ trilokahitakāṃkṣiṇaḥ | gaṃgāmādāya te'gacchan kṛtārthenāntarātmanā || 35.19 ||

The gods, desiring the good of the three worlds, received her for the sake of the three worlds, and departed, taking Ganga with them, their hearts fulfilled.

Shloka 20 (bala.35.20)

या चान्या शैलदुहिता कन्यासीद्रघुनंदन । उग्रं सा व्रतमास्थाय तपस्तेपे तपोधना ।। ३५.२० ।।

yā cānyā śailaduhitā kanyāsīdraghunaṃdana | ugraṃ sā vratamāsthāya tapastepe tapodhanā || 35.20 ||

"As for the other daughter of the mountain, O delight of the Raghus, that maiden, taking up a rigorous vow, practised austerity, her wealth being her asceticism."

Shloka 21 (bala.35.21)

उग्रेण तपसा युक्तां ददौ शैलवरः सुताम् । रुद्रायाप्रतिरूपाय उमां लोकनमस्कृताम् ।। ३५.२१ ।।

ugreṇa tapasā yuktāṃ dadau śailavaraḥ sutām | rudrāyāpratirūpāya umāṃ lokanamaskṛtām || 35.21 ||

The best of mountains gave his daughter Uma, endowed with such rigorous austerity and revered by the whole world, to Rudra, who is without equal.

Shloka 22 (bala.35.22)

एते ते शैलराजस्य सुते लोकनमस्कृते । गंगा च सरितां श्रेष्ठा उमादेवी च राघव ।। ३५.२२ ।।

ete te śailarājasya sute lokanamaskṛte | gaṃgā ca saritāṃ śreṣṭhā umādevī ca rāghava || 35.22 ||

"These, O Raghava, are the two daughters of the king of mountains, revered by the whole world -- Ganga, foremost among rivers, and the goddess Uma."

Shloka 23 (bala.35.23)

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा त्रिपथगामिनी । खं गता प्रथमं तात गतिं गतिमतां वर ।। ३५.२३ ।।

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ yathā tripathagāminī | khaṃ gatā prathamaṃ tāta gatiṃ gatimatāṃ vara || 35.23 ||

"Thus, my dear one, best among those who move, I have related to you the whole account of how she who courses through the three paths first went into the sky."

Shloka 24 (bala.35.24)

सैषा सुरनदी रम्या शैलेन्द्रतनया तदा । सुरलोकं समारूढा विपापा जलवाहिनी ।। ३५.२४ ।।

saiṣā suranadī ramyā śailendratanayā tadā | suralokaṃ samārūḍhā vipāpā jalavāhinī || 35.24 ||

That lovely daughter of the lord of mountains, that sinless river of flowing waters, thus ascended to the world of the gods and became the celestial river.