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.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राज्ञो गङ्गा लोकनमस्कृता। भगीरथमिदं वाक्यं सुप्रीता समभाषत
Hearing these words of the king, Ganga, revered by all worlds, spoke to Bhagiratha with great delight.
करिष्यामि माहाराज वचस्ते नात्र संशयः। वेगं तु मम दुर्धार्यं पतन्त्या गगनाच्च्युतम्
I will do as you ask, O great king; there is no doubt about it. Yet my torrent, falling from the sky, is difficult to restrain.
न शक्तस्त्रिषु लोकेषु कश्चिद्धारयितुं नृप। अन्यत्र विबुधश्रेष्ठान्नीलकण्ठान्महेश्वरात्
No one in the three worlds is able to bear me, O king, except for the foremost of the gods, the blue-throated Maheshvara.
तं तोषय रमहाबाहो तपसा वरदं हरम्। स तु मां प्रच्युतां देवः शिरसा धारयिष्यति
Please the boon-giving Hara, O mighty-armed one, through austerity; that god will bear me upon his head when I descend.
स करिष्यति ते रकामं पितॄणां हितकाम्यया। `तपसाऽऽराधितः शंभुर्भगर्वाँल्लोकभावनः
He will fulfill your desire, wishing for the welfare of your ancestors; Shambhu, creator of the worlds, will be propitiated by your austerity.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो राजन्महाराजो भगीरथः। कैलासं पर्वतं गत्वा तोषयामास शंकरम्
Hearing this, King Bhagiratha went to Mount Kailasa and began to please Shankara.
ततस्तेन समागम्य कालयोगेन केनचित्। `गह्गावतरणं राजन्नयाचत महीपतिः
Then, after meeting him at an appointed time, the king requested the descent of Ganga.
अगृह्णाच्च वरं तस्माद्गङ्गाया धारणे नृप। स्वर्गे वासं समुद्दिश् पितॄणां स नरोत्तमः
He obtained the boon from him for the bearing of Ganga, O king, and for the residence in heaven of his ancestors, that noble one.
एषा देवनदी पुण्या कौशिकी भरतर्षभ। विश्वामित्राश्रमो रम्य एष चात्र प्रकाशते
This is the sacred river of the gods, the Kausiki, O best of Bharatas; here shines the delightful hermitage of Visvamitra.
आश्रमश्चैव पुण्याख्यः काश्यपस्य महात्मनः। ऋश्यशृङ्गः सुतो यस् तपस्वी संयतेन्द्रियः
And here too is the holy hermitage of the great-souled Kasyapa, whose son, Rishyasringa, was an ascetic with controlled senses.
तपसो यः प्रभावेन वर्षयामास वासवम्। अनावृष्ठ्यां भयाद्यस्य ववर्ष बलवृत्रहा
By the power of his austerity, he caused Indra to bring rain; out of fear of drought, the mighty slayer of Vritra poured down rain.
मृग्यां जातः स तेजस्वी काश्यपस्य सुतः प्रभुः। विषये लोमपादस्य यश्चकाराद्भुतं महत्
Born among deer, that radiant son of Kasyapa, the lord, performed a great wonder in the realm of Lomapada.
निर्वर्तितेषु सस्येषु यस्मै शान्तां ददौ नृपः। लोमपादो दुहितरं सावित्रीं सविता यथा
When the crops were produced, King Lomapada gave him Shanta, his daughter, just as Savita gave Savitri.
ऋश्यशृङ्गः कथं मृग्यामुत्पन्नः काश्यपात्मजः। विरुद्धयोनिसंसर्गः कथं च तपसा युतः
How was Rishyasringa, son of Kasyapa, born among deer? How did he, though of contrary birth, become endowed with austerity?
किमर्थं च भयाच्छक्रस्तस्य बालस्य धीमतः। अनावृष्ट्यां प्रवृत्तायां ववर्ष बलवृत्रहा
For what reason did Indra, out of fear, cause rain during the drought for that wise child, the mighty slayer of Vritra?
कथंरूपा च सा शान्ता राजपुत्री पतिव्रता। लोभयामास या चेतो मृगभूस्य तस्य वै
What was the nature of Shanta, the royal daughter and devoted wife, who enticed the mind of one born among deer?
लोमपादश्च राजर्षिर्यदाऽश्रूयत धार्मिकः। कथं वै विषये तस्य नावर्षत्पाकशासनः
And how did Lomapada, the righteous royal sage, come to hear that in his realm the lord of heaven withheld rain?
एतन्मे भगवन्सर्वं विस्तरेण यथातथम्। वक्तुमर्हसि शुश्रूषोर्ऋश्यशृङ्गस् चेष्टितम्
O venerable one, please tell me all this in detail and truthfully, for I am eager to hear of the deeds of Rishyasringa.
विभाण्डकस्य ब्रह्मर्षेस्तपसा भावितात्मनः। अमोघवीर्यस्य सतः प्रजापतिसमद्युतेः
Of Vibhāṇḍaka, the Brahmin sage, whose soul was purified by austerity, whose power was unfailing, and who shone with the brilliance of Prajāpati—
शृणु पुत्रो यथा जात ऋश्यशृङ्गः प्रतापवान्। महाह्रदे महातेजा बालः स्थविरसंभतः
Hear, O son, how Ṛśyaśṛṅga, endowed with great energy, was born in a great lake, radiant in power, a child raised by an elder.