न चात्मनो महाबुद्धे याचेत्य् आह शिवो द्विजम् एवं प्रोक्तः पुनर् विप्रो ध्यात्वा प्राह शिवं तथा
But Shiva said to the twice-born, 'You do not ask for yourself, O great-minded one.' Thus addressed, the sage, after meditating, spoke to Shiva accordingly.
विनीतवद् अदीनात्मा शिवभक्तिसमन्वितः सर्वलोकोपकाराय पुनर् याचितवान् इदम् शृण्वत्सु लोकपालेषु जगादेदं स गौतमः
Humble, undepressed in spirit, filled with devotion to Shiva, for the good of all beings, Gautama again made this request, speaking as the guardians of the worlds listened.
यावत् सागरगा देवी निसृष्टा ब्रह्मणो गिरेः सर्वत्र सर्वदा तस्यां स्थातव्यं वृषभध्वज
As long as the goddess, sent forth from Brahma's mountain, flows to the ocean, O Bull-bannered One, she must remain everywhere and always.
फलेप्सूनां फलं दाता त्वम् एव जगतः प्रभो तीर्थान्य् अन्यानि देवेश क्वापि क्वापि शुभानि च
O Lord of the world, you alone are the giver of fruits to those who desire results; other holy places, O Lord of gods, are auspicious only here and there.
यत्र ते संनिधिर् नित्यं तद् एव शुभदं विदुः यत्र गङ्गा त्वया दत्ता जटामुकुटसंस्थिता सर्वत्र तव सांनिध्यात् सर्वतीर्थानि शंकर
Wherever your presence abides always, that place is known as auspicious; wherever the Ganga, given by you, rests upon your matted crown, O Shankara, by your presence all holy places are found there.
तद् गौतमवचः श्रुत्वा पुनर् हर्षाच् छिवो ऽब्रवीत्
Hearing these words of Gautama, Shiva spoke again with joy.
यत्र क्वापि च यत् किंचिद् यो वा भवति भक्तितः यात्रां स्नानम् अथो दानं पितॄणां वापि तर्पणम्
Wherever, in whatever way, and by whomever, with devotion, pilgrimage, bathing, giving, or offerings to the ancestors are performed—
श्रवणं पठनं वापि स्मरणं वापि गौतम यः करोति नरो भक्त्या गोदावर्या यतव्रतः
Hearing, reciting, or remembering, O Gautama, whoever does so with devotion and self-control at the Godavari—
सप्तद्वीपवती पृथ्वी सशैलवनकानना सरत्ना सौषधी रम्या सार्णवा धर्मभूषिता
The earth with its seven continents, with mountains, forests, and groves, adorned with gems, herbs, and oceans, and graced by righteousness—
दत्त्वा भवति यो धर्मः स भवेद् गौतमीस्मृतेः एवंविधा इला विप्र गोदानाद् याभिधीयते
The merit that arises from giving, O Gautama, is attained by remembering the Godavari; such is declared, O Brahmin, as equal to the gift of cows.
चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे काले मत्सांनिध्ये यतव्रतः भूभृते विष्णवे भक्त्या सर्वकालं कृता सुधीः
At the time of lunar or solar eclipses, in my presence, with self-restraint, whoever, with devotion, always offers to Vishnu, the supporter of the earth, is wise.
गाः सुन्दराः सवत्साश् च संगमे लोकविश्रुते यो ददाति द्विजश्रेष्ठ तत्र यत् पुण्यम् आप्नुयात्
Whoever gives beautiful cows with calves at the renowned confluence, O best of twice-born, whatever merit is gained there—
तस्माद् वरं पुण्यम् एति स्नानदानादिना नरः गौतम्यां विश्ववन्द्यायां महानद्यां तु भक्तितः
Therefore, a person attains great merit through bathing, giving, and the like, with devotion, at the Godavari, the great river worshipped by the world.
तस्माद् गोदावरी गङ्गा त्वया नीता भविष्यति सर्वपापक्षयकरी सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायिनी
Therefore, the Godavari will become the Ganga, led by you, destroying all sins and granting all desires.
एतच् छ्रुतं मया मातर् वदतो गौतमं शिवात् एतस्मात् कारणाच् छंभुर् गङ्गायां नियतः स्थितः
This I have heard, O Mother, from Shiva as he spoke to Gautama; for this reason, Shambhu is ever established in the Ganga.
को निवर्तयितुं शक्तस् तम् अम्ब करुणोदधिम् अथापि मातर् एतत् स्यान् मानुषा विघ्नपाशकैः
Who is able to turn away that ocean of compassion, O Mother? Yet, Mother, this may happen to humans through the bonds of obstacles.
विनिबद्धा न गच्छन्ति गोदाम् अप्य् अन्तिकस्थिताम् न नमन्ति शिवं देवं न स्मरन्ति स्तुवन्ति न
Bound by them, they do not approach even the nearby Godavari, nor do they bow to the god Shiva, nor remember or praise him.
तथा मातः करिष्यामि तव संतोषहेतवे संनिरोद्धुम् अथो क्लेशस् तव वाक्यं क्षमस्व मे
Therefore, Mother, I shall act for your satisfaction; if there is hardship in restraining, forgive my words.
ततः प्रभृति विघ्नेशो मानुषान् प्रति किंचन विघ्नम् आचरते यस् तु तम् उपास्य प्रवर्तते
From then on, the Lord of obstacles creates some hindrance for humans; but whoever worships him proceeds without obstruction.
अथो विघ्नम् अनादृत्य गौतमीं याति भक्तितः स कृतार्थो भवेल् लोके न कृत्यम् अवशिष्यते
But disregarding obstacles, whoever approaches the Godavari with devotion becomes fulfilled in this world, with nothing left undone.
विघ्नान्य् अनेकानि भवन्ति गेहान् निर्गन्तुकामस्य नराधमस्य निधाय तन्मूर्ध्नि पदं प्रयाति गङ्गां न किं तेन फलं प्रलब्धम्
Many obstacles arise for the lowest of men wishing to leave their homes; but if one places his head at her feet and reaches the Ganga, what fruit does he not obtain?
अस्याः प्रभावं को ब्रूयाद् अपि साक्षात् सदाशिवः संक्षेपेण मया प्रोक्तम् इतिहासपदानुगम्
Who can describe her power, even Sadashiva himself? I have briefly spoken it, following the words of history.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां साधनं यच् चराचरे तद् अत्र विद्यते सर्वम् इतिहासे सविस्तरे
Whatever means exist, among all moving and unmoving beings, for dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa—all of that is found here, fully detailed, in this Itihāsa.
वेदोदितं श्रुतिसकलरहस्यम् उक्तं सत्कारणं समभिधानम् इदं सदैव सम्यक् च दृष्टं जगतां हिताय प्रोक्तं पुराणं बहुधर्मयुक्तम्
What is declared in the Vedas, the entire secret of the śruti, and the true cause—all this is named here; this Purāṇa, filled with many dharmas, has always been rightly seen and spoken for the welfare of the worlds.
अस्य श्लोकं पदं वापि भक्तितः शृणुयात् पठेत् गङ्गा गङ्गेति वा वाक्यं स तु पुण्यम् अवाप्नुयात्
Whoever listens to or recites even a verse or a line of this with devotion, or utters the words 'Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā,' that person attains merit.
कलिकलङ्कविनाशनदक्षम् इदं सकलसिद्धिकरं शुभदं शिवम् जगति पूज्यम् अभीष्टफलप्रदं गाङ्गम् एतद् उदीरितम् उत्तमम्
This Gaṅgā Purāṇa, excellent and supreme, is capable of destroying the stains of Kali, bestows all accomplishments, is auspicious and holy, worthy of worship in the world, and grants the desired fruits.
साधु गौतम भद्रं ते को ऽन्यो ऽस्ति सदृशस् त्वया य एनां गौतमीं गङ्गां दण्डकारण्यम् आप्नुयात्
Well done, Gautama! Blessings to you. Who else is equal to you, who has brought this Gautamī Gaṅgā to Daṇḍakāraṇya?
गङ्गा गङ्गेति यो ब्रूयाद् योजनानां शतैर् अपि मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever says 'Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to Viṣṇu's world.
तिस्रः कोट्यो ऽर्धकोटी च तीर्थानि भुवनत्रये तानि स्नातुं समायान्ति गङ्गायां सिंहगे गुरौ
Three crore and half a crore tīrthas in the three worlds come together to bathe in the Gaṅgā when the Sun is in Leo and Jupiter is the guru.
षष्टिर् वर्षसहस्राणि भागीरथ्यवगाहनम् सकृद् गोदावरीस्नानं सिंहयुक्ते बृहस्पतौ
Bathing in the Bhāgīrathī for sixty thousand years, or bathing once in the Godāvarī when the Sun is in Leo and Jupiter is exalted—