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.
तस्य वै संततिर् नाभूद् इति चिन्तापरो ऽभवत् वसिष्ठं गृहम् आहूय संपूज्य विधिवत् ततः
Since he had no progeny, he became anxious; he invited Vasishta to his house, honored him properly, and then—
उवाच वचनं राजा संततेः कारणं प्रति इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ध्यात्वा राजानम् अब्रवीत्
The king spoke to him regarding the reason for offspring; hearing those words, the sage, after contemplation, addressed the king.
सपत्नीकः सदा राजन्न् ऋषिपूजापरो भव
O king, always, together with your wives, be devoted to honoring the sages.
इत्य् उक्त्वा स मुनिर् विप्र यथास्थानं जगाम ह एकदा तस्य राजर्षेर् गृहम् आगात् तपोनिधिः
Having thus spoken, the sage departed to his proper place; once, that treasury of austerity came to the royal sage's house.
तस्यर्षेः पूजनं चक्रे स संतुष्टो ऽब्रवीद् वचम् वरं ब्रूहि महाभागेत्य् उक्ते पुत्रान् स चावृणोत्
He performed worship for that sage, who, being satisfied, spoke: 'Ask for a boon, O highly fortunate one.' Thus addressed, he requested sons.
स मुनिः प्राह राजानम् एकस्यां वंशधारकः पुत्रो भूयात् तथान्यस्यां षष्टिसाहस्रकं सुताः
The sage said to the king: 'May one wife bear a son who continues the lineage, and may the other have sixty thousand sons.'
वरं दत्त्वा मुनौ याते पुत्रा जाताः सहस्रशः स यज्ञान् सुबहूंश् चक्रे हयमेधान् सुदक्षिणान्
After granting the boon, when the sage had departed, sons were born by the thousands; he performed many sacrifices, horse-sacrifices with great gifts.
एकस्मिन् हयमेधे वै दीक्षितो विधिवन् नृपः पुत्रान् न्ययोजयद् राजा ससैन्यान् हयरक्षणे
In one such horse-sacrifice, the king was duly initiated; the king assigned his sons, along with their armies, to guard the horse.
क्वचिद् अन्तरम् आसाद्य हयं जह्रे शतक्रतुः मार्गमाणाश् च ते पुत्रा नैवापश्यन् हयं तदा
At one point, Indra seized the horse; though the sons searched, they could not find the horse at that time.
सहस्राणां तथा षष्टिर् नानायुद्धविशारदाः तेषु पश्यत्सु रक्षांसि पुत्रेषु सगरस्य हि
Those sixty thousand sons, skilled in various forms of warfare, as they watched, saw demons among Sagara's sons.