भगीरथस्तस्य पुत्रो महाभागवतः सुधीः
His son was Bhagīratha, a great devotee and wise.
तपः कृत्वा लक्षवर्षं गङ्गानयनकारणात्
He performed austerities for a hundred thousand years to bring Gaṅgā.
द्विभुजं मुरलीहस्तं किशोरं गोपवेषकम्
He saw a two-armed youth, holding a flute, dressed as a cowherd.
स्वेच्छामयं परं ब्रह्म परिपूर्णतमं विभुम्
He was the supreme Brahman, self-willed, all-pervading, and utterly complete.
निर्लिप्तं साक्षिरूपं च निर्गुणं प्रकृतेः परम्
Unattached, of the nature of the witness, without qualities, beyond Prakriti.
वह्निशुद्धां शुकाधानं रत्नभूषणभूषितम् 2.10.
Pure as fire, the receptacle of semen, adorned with jeweled ornaments.
लीलया च वरं प्राप्य वाञ्छितं वंशतारकम्
By play, having obtained the desired boon, the savior of the lineage.
तं प्रणम्य प्रतस्थौ च तत्पुरः संपुटाञ्जलिः कुर्वतीं स्तवनं दिव्यं पुलकाञ्चितविग्रहाम्
Having bowed to him, she proceeded, with hands joined before him, offering divine praise, her body thrilled with joy.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Śrī Krishna said:
सगरस्य सुतान्सर्वान्पूतान्कुरु ममाज्ञया
By my command, purify all the sons of Sagara.
बिभ्रतो दिव्यमूर्त्तिं ते दिव्यस्यन्दनगामिनः
They, bearing a divine form, will travel in a celestial chariot.
कर्मभोगं समुच्छिद्य कृतं जन्मनि जन्मनि
Having cut off the enjoyment of karma accumulated through many births.
गंगायाः स्पर्शवातेन नश्यतीति श्रुतौ श्रुतम्
It is heard in the scriptures that by the touch and breeze of the Ganga, sins are destroyed.
मौसलस्नानमात्रेण सामान्यदिवसे नृणाम्
By merely bathing on an ordinary day in the Mausala period, for people—
यानि कानि च पापानि ब्रह्महत्यादिकानि च
Whatever sins there are, including the killing of a Brahmin and others,
तानि सर्वाणि नश्यन्ति मौसलस्नानतो नृणाम् 2.10.
All those are destroyed for people by bathing in the Mausala period.
केचिद्वदन्ति ते देवि फलमेव यथागमम्
Some say, O Devi, that the result is as stated in the scriptures.
सामान्यदिवसस्नानसङ्कल्पं शृणु सुन्दरि
Hear, O beautiful one, the resolve for bathing on an ordinary day.
ततस्त्रिंशद्गुणं पुण्यं रविसंक्रमणे दिने
Then, on the day of the sun's transition, the merit is thirtyfold.
ततो दशगुणं पुण्यं नराणामुत्तरायणे
Then, for people during Uttarayana, the merit is tenfold.
अक्षयायां च तत्तुल्यं नैतद्वेदे निरूपितम्
On Akshaya Tritiya, it is equal; this is not described in the Vedas.
सामान्यदिवसे स्नानं ध्यानाच्छतगुणं फलम्
On an ordinary day, the fruit of bathing is a hundred times greater through meditation.
माघस्य सितसप्तम्यां भीष्माष्टम्यांतथैव च
On the bright seventh day of Māgha, and likewise on Bhīṣma's eighth day,
ततोऽपि द्विगुणं पुण्यं नन्दायां तव दुर्लभम्
Even twice as much merit, rare for you, is gained on Nandā's day.
नन्दासमं च वारुण्यां महत्पूर्वं चतुर्गुणम्
On Vāruṇī, the merit equals that of Nandā, and on Mahatpūrvā, it is fourfold.
पुण्यं कोटिगुणं चैव सामान्यस्नानतो भवेत् 2.10.
Indeed, the merit becomes ten million times greater than that of an ordinary bath.
पुण्येऽप्यर्द्धोदये काले ततः शतगुणं फलम्
At the time of the half-rising of merit, the result is a hundredfold.
फलसन्धानरहिता जीवन्मुक्ताश्च वैष्णवाः
Those Vaiṣṇavas who are liberated while living are without desire for the fruit of actions.
गुरुवक्त्राद्विष्णुमन्त्रो यस्य कर्णे विशेत्परः
He into whose ear the supreme Viṣṇu mantra enters from the mouth of the guru,
पुरुषाणां शतं पूर्वं पैतृकं च परं शतम्
A hundred ancestors before and a hundred descendants after,