मर्त्या मर्त्यगताम् एव पश्यन्ति न तलं गताम् नैव स्वर्गगतां मर्त्याः पश्यन्त्य् अज्ञानबुद्धयः
Mortals see only that form of her which is on earth, not the one that has gone to the netherworld; nor do mortals of ignorant mind see her who has gone to heaven.
यावत् सागरगा देवी तावद् देवमयी स्मृता उत्सृष्टा गौतमेनैव प्रायात् पूर्वार्णवं प्रति
As long as the goddess flows to the ocean, she is regarded as divine; released by Gautama, she proceeded toward the eastern ocean.
ततो देवर्षिभिर् जुष्टां मातरं जगतः शुभाम् गौतमो मुनिशार्दूलः प्रदक्षिणम् अथाकरोत्
Then Gautama, tiger among sages, circumambulated the auspicious Mother of the world, who was honored by the divine sages.
त्रिलोचनं सुरेशानं प्रथमं पूज्य गौतमः उभयोस् तीरयोः स्नानं करोमीति दधे मतिम्
First worshipping the three-eyed lord of the gods, Gautama resolved, 'I will bathe at both banks.'
स्मृतमात्रस् तदा तत्राविरासीत् करुणार्णवः तत्र स्नानं कथं सिध्येद् इत्य् एवं शर्वम् अब्रवीत्
At that very moment, as soon as he remembered, the ocean of compassion appeared there. He asked Śarva how bathing could be accomplished there.
कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा भक्तिनम्रस् त्रिलोचनम्
With hands joined in reverence, devoted and bowed in faith, he addressed the three-eyed one.
देवदेव महेशान तीर्थस्नानविधिं मम ब्रूहि सम्यङ् महेशान लोकानां हितकाम्यया
O God of gods, great Lord, tell me in detail the procedure for bathing at the sacred fords, for the welfare of all worlds.
महर्षे शृणु सर्वं च विधिं गोदावरीभवम् पूर्वं नान्दीमुखं कृत्वा देहशुद्धिं विधाय च
O great sage, listen as I explain the entire procedure for the Godāvarī; first, one should perform the nāndīmukha rite and purify the body.
ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा च तेषाम् आज्ञां प्रगृह्य च ब्रह्मचर्येण गच्छन्ति पतितालापवर्जिताः
After feeding the Brāhmaṇas and receiving their permission, one should proceed in celibacy, avoiding contact with the fallen.
यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश् चैव सुसंयतम् विद्या तपश् च कीर्तिश् च स तीर्थफलम् अश्नुते
He whose hands, feet, and mind are well-controlled, who possesses knowledge, austerity, and fame, attains the full fruit of the sacred ford.
भावदुष्टिं परित्यज्य स्वधर्मपरिनिष्ठितः श्रान्तसंवाहनं कुर्वन् दद्याद् अन्नं यथोचितम्
Abandoning evil intent and established in one's own duty, one should offer proper food and massage the weary.
अकिंचनेभ्यः साधुभ्यो दद्याद् वस्त्राणि कम्बलान् शृण्वन् हरिकथां दिव्यां तथा गङ्गासमुद्भवाम् अनेन विधिना गच्छन् सम्यक् तीर्थफलं लभेत्
One should give clothes and blankets to the poor and virtuous, listen to divine tales of Hari and the origin of Gaṅgā; by proceeding in this way, one attains the full fruit of the sacred ford.
त्र्यम्बकश् च इति प्राह गौतमं मुनिभिर् वृतम्
Tryambaka thus spoke to Gautama, who was surrounded by sages.
द्विहस्तमात्रे तीर्थानि संभविष्यन्ति गौतम सर्वत्राहं संनिहितः सर्वकामप्रदस् तथा
O Gautama, sacred fords will arise at every two arm-lengths; I am present everywhere, granting all desires.
नर्मदा तु सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा पर्वते ऽमरकण्टके यमुना संगता तत्र प्रभासे तु सरस्वती
The Narmadā, best of rivers, is on the Amarakantaka mountain; the Yamunā joins there, and at Prabhāsa, the Sarasvatī.
कृष्णा भीमरथी चैव तुङ्गभद्रा तु नारद तिसृणां संगमो यत्र तत् तीर्थं मुक्तिदं नृणाम्
The Kṛṣṇā, Bhīmarathī, and also the Tuṅgabhadrā, O Nārada—where these three meet, that ford grants liberation to men.
पयोउष्णी संगता यत्र तत्रत्या तच् च मुक्तिदम् इयं तु गौतमी वत्स यत्र क्वापि ममाज्ञया
Where the Payoṣṇī joins, that place too grants liberation; but this Gautamī, dear child, is wherever I command.
सर्वेषां सर्वदा नॄणां स्नानान् मुक्तिं प्रदास्यति किंचित्काले पुण्यतमं किंचित्तीर्थं सुरागमे
For all people at all times, bathing here will grant liberation; at certain times, some fords are most holy, some during the coming of the gods.
सर्वेषां सर्वदा तीर्थं गौतमी नात्र संशयः तिस्रः कोट्यो ऽर्धकोटी च योजनानां शतद्वये
For all people at all times, Gautamī is the sacred ford—there is no doubt; it extends three crores and half a crore, two hundred yojanas.
तीर्थानि मुनिशार्दूल संभविष्यन्ति गौतम इयं माहेश्वरी गङ्गा गौतमी वैष्णवीति च
O best of sages, sacred fords will arise here, O Gautama; this is the Maheśvarī Gaṅgā, also called Gautamī and Vaiṣṇavī.
ब्राह्मी गोदावरी नन्दा सुनन्दा कामदायिनी ब्रह्मतेजःसमानीता सर्वपापप्रणाशनी
Brāhmī, Godāvarī, Nandā, Sunandā, the wish-granting river—brought forth by Brahma's energy, destroyer of all sins.
स्मरणाद् एव पापौघहन्त्री मम सदा प्रिया पञ्चानाम् अपि भूतानाम् आपः श्रेष्ठत्वम् आगताः
By mere remembrance she destroys heaps of sin, and is always dear to me; among the five elements, water has attained supremacy.
तत्रापि तीर्थभूतास् तु तस्माद् आपः पराः स्मृताः तासां भागीरथी श्रेष्ठा ताभ्यो ऽपि गौतमी तथा
Among these, those waters that are sacred fords are considered supreme; among them, Bhāgīrathī is the best, and Gautamī is equal to her.
आनीता सजटा गङ्गा अस्या नान्यच् छुभावहम् स्वर्गे भुवि तले वापि तीर्थं सर्वार्थदं मुने
The Gaṅgā was brought with matted locks; nothing else brings such auspiciousness. Whether in heaven, on earth, or below, the sacred ford grants all aims, O sage.
इत्य् एतत् कथितं पुत्र गौतमाय महात्मने साक्षाद् धरेण तुष्टेन मया तव निवेदितम्
Thus, O son, this has been told to the great-souled Gautama, directly by Hari, who was pleased, and I have conveyed it to you.
एवं सा गौतमी गङ्गा सर्वेभ्यो ऽप्य् अधिका मता तत्स्वरूपं च कथितं कुतो ऽन्या श्रवणस्पृहा
In this way, that Gautamī Ganga is considered superior to all; her true nature has been described—what desire could there be to hear of any other?
द्विविधा सैव गदिता एकापि सुरसत्तम एको भेदस् तु कथितो ब्राह्मणेनाहृतो यतः
She has been described as twofold, though she is one, O best of the gods; one division has been told, brought by a Brahmin.
क्षत्रियेणापरो ऽप्य् अंशो जटास्व् एव व्यवस्थितः भवस्य देवदेवस्य आहृतस् तद् वदस्व मे
Another portion was brought by a Kshatriya and remained in the matted locks of the god of gods, Bhava; tell me about that.
वैवस्वतान्वये जात इक्ष्वाकुकुलसंभवः पुरा वै सगरो नाम राजासीद् अतिधार्मिकः
In the lineage of Vaivasvata, originating from the Ikshvaku dynasty, there was once a king named Sagara, exceedingly righteous.
यज्वा दानपरो नित्यं धर्माचारविचारवान् तस्य भार्याद्वयं चासीत् पतिभक्तिपरायणम्
He was devoted to sacrifice and giving, always engaged in the practice and reflection on dharma; he had two wives, both devoted to their husband.