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.
प्रोक्षितं तद् धयं नीत्वा ते रसातलम् आगमन् राक्षसान् मायया युक्तान् नैवापश्यन्त सागराः
Taking the consecrated horse, they went to the netherworld; but the Sagaras did not see the demons, who were endowed with illusion.
न दृष्ट्वा ते हयं पुत्राः सगरस्य बलीयसः इतश् चेतश् चरन्तस् ते नैवापश्यन् हयं तदा
Not finding the horse, the mighty Sagara's sons wandered here and there, but still did not see the horse at that time.
देवलोकं तदा जग्मुः पर्वतांश् च सरांसि च वनानि च विचिन्वन्तो नैवापश्यन् हयं तदा
At that time, they went to the world of the gods, and searched the mountains, lakes, and forests, but they did not find the horse.
कृतस्वस्त्ययनो राजा ऋत्विग्भिः कृतमङ्गलः अदृष्ट्वा तु पशुं रम्यं राजा चिन्ताम् उपेयिवान्
The king, having completed the auspicious rites and received blessings from the priests, became anxious because he did not see the beautiful sacrificial animal.
अटन्तः सागराः सर्वे देवलोकम् उपागमन् हयं तम् अनुचिन्वन्तस् तत्रापि न हयो ऽभवत्
All the oceans wandered and reached the world of the gods, searching for that horse, but even there the horse was not found.
ततो महीं समाजग्मुः पर्वतांश् च वनानि च तत्रापि च हयं नैव दृष्टवन्तो नृपात्मजाः
Then they returned to the earth, to the mountains and forests, but even there the sons of the king did not see the horse.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र दैवी वाग् अभवत् तदा रसातले हयो बद्ध आस्ते नान्यत्र सागराः
At that moment, a divine voice spoke: 'The horse is bound in the netherworld, not elsewhere, O Oceans.'
इति श्रुत्वा ततो वाक्यं गन्तुकामा रसातलम् अखनन् पृथिवीं सर्वां परितः सागरास् ततः
Hearing this statement, the Oceans, desiring to go to the netherworld, dug up the entire earth all around.
ते क्षुधार्ता मृदं शुष्कां भक्षयन्तस् त्व् अहर्निशम् न्यखनंश् चापि जग्मुश् च सत्वरास् ते रसातलम्
Hungry, they ate dry earth day and night, and digging, they quickly reached the netherworld.
तान् आगतान् भूपसुतान् सागरान् बलिनः कृतीन् श्रुत्वा रक्षांसि संत्रस्ता व्यगमन् कपिलान्तिकम्
Hearing that the mighty and accomplished sons of the king, the Oceans, had arrived, the terrified demons fled to Kapila.