एते जीवन्ति गोलोके कालचक्रविवर्जिते । जलाप्लुते सर्वविश्वं जातं कल्पक्षयोऽधुना
These live in Goloka, where the wheel of time does not operate; now, at the end of the kalpa, the entire universe has become submerged in water.
ब्रह्माद्या येऽन्यविश्वस्थास्ते विलीनाधुना मयि । वैकुण्ठं च विना सर्वं जलमग्नं च पद्मज
Those headed by Brahmā, who are in other universes, are now dissolved in me; except for Vaikuṇṭha, everything, O Padmaja, is submerged in water.
गत्वा सृष्टिं कुरु पुनर्ब्रह्मलोकादिकं भवम् । स्वं ब्रह्माण्डं विरचय पश्चाद् गङ्गा प्रयास्यति
Go, create again the world beginning with Brahmaloka; fashion your own universe, and afterward Gaṅgā will proceed.
एवमन्येषु विश्वेषु सृष्टौ ब्रह्मादिकं पुनः । करोम्यहं पुनः सृष्टिं गच्छ शीघ्रं सुरैः सह
Thus, in other universes also, I create again the world beginning with Brahmā; go quickly with the gods and make the creation anew.
गतो बहुतरः कालो युष्माकं च चतुर्मुखाः । गताः कतिविधास्ते च भविष्यन्ति च वेधसः
Much time has passed for you, O Four-faced one; many like you have come and gone, and will be, O Vedhasa.
इत्युक्त्वा राधिकानाथो जगामान्तःपुरे मुने । देवा गत्वा पुनः सृष्टिं चक्रुरेव प्रयत्नतः
Having spoken thus, the Lord of Rādhikā entered the inner chambers, O sage; the gods went and diligently performed creation again.
गोलोके च स्थिता गङ्गा वैकुण्ठे शिवलोकके । ब्रह्मलोके स्थितान्यत्र यत्र यत्र पुरः स्थिता
Gaṅgā remained in Goloka, in Vaikuṇṭha, in Śivaloka, in Brahmaloka, and wherever else she had previously been established.
तत्रैव सा गता गङ्गा चाज्ञया परमात्मनः । निर्गता विष्णुपादाब्जात्तेन विष्णुपदी स्मृता
There, by the command of the Supreme Self, Gaṅgā went forth; emerging from Viṣṇu’s lotus feet, she is known as Viṣṇupadī.
इत्येवं कथितं ब्रह्मन् गङ्गोपाख्यानमुत्तमम् । सुखदं मोक्षदं सारं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Thus, O Brahman, the excellent story of Gaṅgā has been told—bestowing happiness, granting liberation, and containing the essence. What more do you wish to hear?
गङ्गायाः कृष्णपत्नीत्ववर्णनम् नारद उवाच लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती गङ्गा तुलसी विश्वपावनी । एता नारायणस्यैव चतस्रश्च प्रिया इति
The narration of Gaṅgā as Kṛṣṇa’s wife.
गङ्गा जगाम वैकुण्ठमिदमेव श्रुतं मया । कथं सा तस्य पत्नी च बभूवेति च न श्रुतम्
I have heard that Gaṅgā went to Vaikuṇṭha, but I have not heard how she became his wife.
श्रीनारायण उवाच गङ्गा जगाम वैकुण्ठं तत्पश्चाज्जगतां विधिः । गत्वोवाच तया सार्धं प्रणम्य जगदीश्वरम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Gaṅgā went to Vaikuṇṭha, and afterwards the creator of the worlds, having gone there, bowed to the Lord of the universe together with her.
ब्रह्मोवाच राधाकृष्णाङ्गसम्भूता या देवी द्रवरूपिणी । नवयौवनसम्पन्ना सुशीला सुन्दरी वरा
Brahmā said: The goddess who arose from the bodies of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, fluid in form, endowed with fresh youth, virtuous, beautiful, and excellent—
शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपा च क्रोधाहङ्कारवर्जिता । तदङ्गसम्भवा नान्यं वृणोतीयं च तं विना
Of pure sattva nature, free from anger and ego, born from their bodies, she chooses no one else but him.
तत्रातिमानिनी राधा सा च तेजस्विनी वरा । समुद्युक्ता पातुमिमां भीतेयं बुद्धिपूर्वकम्
There, proud Rādhā, radiant and excellent, was intent on drinking her up; this one, out of fear, acted with forethought.
विवेश चरणाम्भोजे कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः । सर्वत्र गोलकं शुष्कं दृष्ट्वाहमगमं तदा
She entered the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Self; seeing the whole Goloka dry, I then arrived there.
गोलोके यत्र कृष्णश्च सर्ववृत्तान्तप्राप्तये । सर्वान्तरात्मा सर्वेषां ज्ञात्वाभिप्रायमेव च
In Goloka, where Kṛṣṇa was, to learn all that had happened, the inner self of all, knowing everyone's intention—
बहिश्चकार गङ्गा च पादाङ्गुष्ठनखाग्रतः । दत्त्वास्यै राधिकामन्त्रं पूरयित्वा च गोलकम्
He brought Gaṅgā forth from the tip of his big toe, gave her the Rādhā-mantra, and filled Goloka with her.
प्रणम्य तां च राधेशं गृहीत्वात्रागमं प्रभो । गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन गृहाणेमां सुरेश्वरीम्
Bowing to her and to the Lord of Rādhā, having received the command, O Lord, marry this queen of the gods with the Gandharva rite.
सुरेश्वरेषु रसिको रसिकेयं समागता । त्वं रत्नं पुंसु देवेश स्त्रीरत्नं स्त्रीष्वियं सती
Among the lords of the gods, you are the connoisseur of rasa, and she is also a connoisseur, come together; you are the jewel among men, O Lord of gods, and she is the jewel among women, chaste.
विदग्धया विदग्धेन सङ्गमो गुणवान् भवेत् । उपस्थितां स्वयं कन्यां न गृह्णातीह यः पुमान्
A union between a clever woman and a clever man is truly virtuous; but in this world, a man who does not accept a maiden who comes to him of her own accord—
तं विहाय महालक्ष्मी रुष्टा याति न संशयः । यो भवेत्पण्डितः सो ऽपि प्रकृतिं नावमन्यते
Then Mahālakṣmī, angered, departs from him, without doubt; even a learned man does not disregard nature.
सर्वे प्राकृतिकाः पुंसः कामिन्यः प्रकृतेः कलाः । त्वमेव भगवान्नाथो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः
All women are natural manifestations of desire for men; but you alone, O Lord, are the master, beyond qualities, transcending nature.
अर्धाङ्गं द्विभुजः कृष्णो योऽर्धाङ्गेन चतुर्भुजः । कृष्णवामाङ्गसम्भूता बभूव राधिका पुरा
Kṛṣṇa, with two arms, is half-bodied; with the other half, he is four-armed; from Kṛṣṇa’s left side, Rādhā was formerly born.
दक्षिणांशः स्वयं सा च वामांशः कमला तथा । तेनेयं त्वां वृणोत्येव यतस्त्वद्देहसम्भवा
The right portion is himself, and the left portion is Kamalā; therefore, she chooses you, for she is born from your body.
एकाङ्गं चैव स्त्रीपुंसोर्यथा प्रकृतिपूरुषौ । इत्येवमुक्त्वा धाता तां तं समर्प्य जगाम सः
Just as man and woman are one body, as nature and spirit; thus, having said this, the creator, offering her to him, departed.
गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन तां जग्राह हरिः स्वयम् । नारायणः करं धृत्वा पुष्पचन्दनचर्चितम्
With the Gandharva rite, Hari himself took her hand, adorned with flowers and sandal paste, O Nārāyaṇa.
रेमे रमापतिस्तत्र गङ्गया सहितो मुदा । गङ्गा पृथ्वीं गता या सा स्वस्थानं पुनरागता
There, the Lord of Lakṣmī rejoiced with Gaṅgā in delight; Gaṅgā, who had gone to earth, returned again to her own place.
निर्गता विष्णुपादाब्जात्तेन विष्णुपदीति च । मूर्च्छां सम्प्राप सा देवी नवसङ्गमलीलया
She emerged from the lotus feet of Vishnu, and thus is called Vishnupadi; by the play of their new union, that goddess fell into a swoon.
रसिका सुखसम्भोगाद्रसिकेश्वरसंयुता । तां दृष्ट्वा दुःखिता वाणी पद्मया वर्जितापि च
Fond of enjoyment and united with the Lord of the connoisseurs, seeing her, Vani became sorrowful, even though she was already abandoned by Padma.