तच्छ्रुत्वा सगरो राजा पुत्रजं दुःखमत्यजत्। अंशुमन्तं च संपूज्यसमापयत तं क्रतुम्
Hearing this, King Sagara let go of the sorrow for his sons and, honoring Aṃśumān, completed that sacrifice.
समाप्तयज्ञः सगरो देवैः सर्वैः सभाजितः। पुत्रत्वे कल्पयामास समुद्रं वरुणालयम्
When the sacrifice was completed, Sagara, honored by all the gods, appointed the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa, as his son.
प्रशास्य सुचिरं कालं राज्यं राजीवलोचनः। पौत्रे भारं समवेश्य जगाम त्रिदिवं तदा
Having ruled the kingdom for a long time, the lotus-eyed king entrusted the burden to his grandson and then went to heaven.
अंशुमानपि धर्मात्मा महीं सागरमेखलाम्। प्रशशास महाराज यथैवास् पितामहः
And Aṃśumān, righteous-souled, ruled the earth girdled by the ocean, O great king, just as his grandfather had done.
तस्य पुत्रः समभवद्दिलीपो नाम धर्मवित्। तस्मिन्राज्यं समाधाय अंशुमानपि संस्थितः
His son was born, named Dilīpa, a knower of dharma; and Aṃśumān, having established him in the kingdom, departed.
दिलीपस्तु ततः श्रुत्वा पितॄणां निधनं महत्। पर्यतप्यत दुःखेन तेषां गतिमचिन्तयत्
Then Dilīpa, hearing of the great destruction of his ancestors, was tormented by grief and pondered their fate.
गङ्गावतरणए यत्नं सुमहच्चाकरोन्नृपः। न चावतारयामास चेष्टमानो यथाबलम्
The king made great effort to bring down the Ganga, but, though he strove with all his might, he could not bring her down.
तस् पुत्र समभवच्छ्रीमान्धर्मपराणः। भगीरथ इति ख्यातः सत्यवागनसूयकः
His son was born, glorious and devoted to dharma, known as Bhagiratha, truthful and famed for his vows.
अभिषिच्य तु तं राज्येदिलीपो वनमाश्रितः
Having installed him in the kingdom, Dilīpa withdrew to the forest.
तपः सिद्धिसमायोगात्स राजा भरतर्षभ। वनाज्जगाम त्रिदिवं कालयोगेन भारत
Through the union of asceticism and accomplishment, that king, O bull among the Bharatas, left the forest and went to heaven in due course.
स तु राजा महेष्वासश्चक्रवर्ती महारथः। बभूव सर्वलोकस् मनोनयननन्दनः
That king, mighty-armed, wielder of the great bow, universal sovereign, became a delight to the minds and eyes of all people.
स शुश्राव महाबाहुः कपिलेन महात्मना। पितॄणआं निधनं घोरमप्राप्तिं त्रिदिवस्य च
That mighty-armed one heard from the great-souled Kapila of the terrible destruction of his ancestors and their failure to attain heaven.
स राज्यं सचिवे न्यस्य हृदयेन विदूयता। जगाम हिमवत्पार्श्वं तपस्तप्तुं नरेश्वरः
He entrusted the kingdom to his ministers, his heart afflicted, and the lord of men went to the side of the Himalayas to perform austerities.
आरिराधयिषुर्गङ्गां तपसा दग्धकिल्विषः। सोऽपश्यत नर्रेष्ठ हिमवन्तं नगोत्तमम्
Desiring to propitiate Ganga by asceticism, his sins consumed, he, best of men, beheld the Himalaya, the foremost of mountains.
शृङ्गैर्बहुविधाकारैर्धातुमद्भिरलंकृतम्। पवनालम्बिभिर्मेघैः परिपिक्तं समन्ततः
Adorned with peaks of many shapes, rich in minerals, and enveloped on all sides by clouds clinging to the wind,
नदीकुञ्जनितम्बैश्च सोदकैरुपशोभितम्। गुहाकन्दरसंलीनसिंहव्याघ्रनिषेवितम्
Graced by the banks of rivers and groves, with waters shining, and frequented by lions and tigers hidden in caves and caverns,
शकुनैश्च विचित्राङ्गैः कूजद्भिर्विविधा गिरः। भृङ्गराजैस्तथा हंसैर्दात्यूहैर्जलकुक्कुटैः
With birds of varied forms singing diverse songs—king crows, swans, waterfowl, and water-cocks,
मयूरैः शतपत्रैश्च जीवंजीवककोकिलैः। चकोरैरसितापाङ्गैस्तथा पुत्रप्रियैरपि
Peacocks with a hundred eyes, jivanjivaka cuckoos, chakoras with dark eyes, and birds fond of their young,
जलस्थानेषु रम्येषु पद्मिनीभिश्च संकुलम्। सारसानां च मधुरैर्व्याहृतैः समलंकृतम्
Crowded with lotuses in delightful waters, and adorned by the sweet calls of cranes,
किन्नरैरप्सरोभिश्च निषेवितशिलातलम्। दिग्वारणविषाणाग्रैः समन्ताद्धृष्टपादपम्
Its rocky plateaus frequented by kinnaras and apsaras, and trees struck all around by the tusks of guardian elephants of the quarters,
विद्याधरानुचरितं नानारत्नसमाकुलम्। विषोल्वणैर्भुजङ्गैश्च दीप्ताजिह्वैर्निषेवितम्
Haunted by vidyadharas, filled with various gems, and inhabited by venomous serpents with blazing tongues,
क्वचित्कनकसंकाशं क्वचिद्रजतसंनिभम्। क्वचिदञ्जनपुञ्जाभं हिमवनतमुपागमत्
In some places shining like gold, in others resembling silver, and elsewhere dark as collyrium—thus he approached the Himalayan mountain.
स तु तत्रनरश्रेष्ठस्तपो घोरं समाश्रितः। फलमूलाम्बुसंभक्षः सहस्रपरिवत्सरान्
There, the best of men undertook severe austerities, subsisting on fruits, roots, and water, for a thousand years.
संवत्सरसहस्रे तु गते दिव्ये महानदी। दर्शयामास तं गङ्गा तदा मूर्तिमती स्वयम्
When a thousand divine years had passed, the great river Ganga herself appeared to him in embodied form.
किमिच्छसि महाराज म्तः किंच ददानि ते। तद्ब्रवीहि नरश्रेष्ठ करिष्यामि वचस्तव
"What do you desire, great king? What shall I grant you? Speak, best of men, I will fulfill your word."
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच राजा हैमवतीं नदीम्। `तदा भगीरथो राजन्प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलिः'। पितामहा मे वरदे कपिलेन महानदि
Thus addressed, the king replied to the golden river: 'Then Bhagiratha, O king, with joined palms, bowed and said: O great river, my ancestors, the sons of Sagara, were destroyed by Kapila.'
अन्वेषमाणास्तुरगं नीता वैवस्वतक्षयम्। षष्टिस्तानि सहस्राणि सागराणां महात्मनाम्
While searching for the horse, sixty thousand of the great-souled sons of Sagara were led to destruction by Vaivasvata.
कपिलं देवमासाद्य क्षणेन निधनं गताः। तेषामेवं विनष्टानां स्वर्गे वासो न विद्यते
Having encountered the god Kapila, they perished in an instant; for those thus destroyed, there is no dwelling in heaven.
यावत्तानि शरीराणि त्वं जलैर्नाभिषिञ्चसि। तावत्तेषां गतिर्नास्ति सागराणां महानदि
Until you sprinkle their bodies with your waters, O great river, there is no passage for the sons of Sagara.
स्वर्गं नय महाभागे मत्पितॄन्सगरात्मजान्। तेषामर्थेऽभियाचामि त्वामहं वै महानदि
O greatly fortunate one, lead my ancestors, the sons of Sagara, to heaven; for their sake, O great river, I beseech you.