मनोरथानां विषयमभून्मे प्रियदर्शनम् । प्राह निःश्वस्य चैवोष्णं राज्ञी वृंदातिदुःखिता
The sight of my beloved was only the fulfillment of my desires; sighing hotly, Queen Vṛndā, overwhelmed by grief, spoke.
मम प्राप्तं हि मरणं त्वया हि स्मरदूतिके । इत्युक्ता सा तया प्राह मम त्वं प्राणरूपिणी
'For me, death has come, messenger of love, because of you.' Thus addressed, her friend replied, 'You are my very life.'
तस्यास्तथोक्तमाकर्ण्य इतिकर्त्तव्यतां ततः । वने निश्चित्य सा वृंदा गत्वा तत्र महत्सरः
Hearing her speak thus, Vṛndā, uncertain what to do, resolved in the forest and went to a great lake.
विहाय दुःखमकरोद्गात्रक्षालनमंबुना । तीरे पद्मासनं बद्ध्वा कृत्वा निर्विषयं मनः
Abandoning sorrow, she washed her body with water; sitting in the lotus posture on the bank, she made her mind free from all objects.
शोषयामास देहं स्वं विष्णुसंगेन दूषितम् । तपश्चचारसात्युग्रं निराहारा सखीसमम्
She began to dry up her body, polluted by union with Viṣṇu, and undertook severe austerity, fasting, together with her friend.
गंधर्वलोकतो वृंदामथागत्याप्सरोगणः । प्राह याहीति कल्याणि स्वर्गं मा त्यज विग्रहम्
Then, from the world of the Gandharvas, a host of apsarases approached Vṛndā and said, 'O blessed one, go to heaven—do not abandon your body.'
गांधर्वं शस्त्रमेतत्त्रिभुवनविजयं श्रीपतिस्तोषमग्र्यं। नीतो येनेह वृंदे त्यजसि कथमिदं तद्वपुः प्राप्तकामम् । कांतं ते विद्धि शूलिप्रवरशरहतं पुण्यलाभस्य भूषास्वर्गस्य त्वं। भवाद्य द्रुतममरवनं चंडिभद्रे भज त्वम्
'This Gandharva weapon, which brings victory over the three worlds and the highest favor of Śrīpati, was obtained here, O Vṛndā. How can you abandon this body, which has fulfilled its desire? Know that your beloved was struck down by the foremost of trident-bearers; the reward of merit is the ornaments of heaven. Now, O brave and blessed one, quickly go to the abode of the immortals.'
श्रुत्वा शास्त्रं वधूनां जलधिजदयिता वाक्यमाह प्रहस्य । स्वर्गादाहृत्य मुक्तात्रिदशपति वधूश्चातिवीरेण पत्या । आदौ पात्रं सुखानामहममरजिता प्रेयसा तद्वियुक्तानिर्दुष्टा तद्य। तिष्ये प्रियममृतगतं प्राप्नुयां येन चैव
Hearing the scripture and the words of the ocean-born beloved, she laughed and said: 'Brought from heaven, the pearl among the wives of the gods, I was first the vessel of happiness for my unconquered beloved, but now, separated from him, I am blameless. May I attain my beloved, who has gone to immortality, in the next life.'
इत्युक्त्वा ससखी वृंदा विससर्जाप्सरोगणान् । तत्प्रीतिपाशबद्धास्ता नित्यमायांति यांति च
Having spoken thus, Vṛndā, with her friend, dismissed the host of apsarases; bound by her love, they come and go eternally.
योगाभ्यासेन वृंदाथ दग्ध्वा ज्ञानाग्निना गुणान् । विषयेभ्यः समाहृत्य मनः प्राप ततः परम्
Then Vṛndā, through the practice of yoga, burned away the qualities with the fire of knowledge; withdrawing her mind from the senses, she attained the supreme state.
दृष्ट्वा वृंदारिकां तत्र महांतश्चाप्सरोगणाः । तुष्टुवुर्नभसस्तुष्टा ववृषुः पुष्पवृष्टिभिः
Seeing Vṛndā in that state, the great host of apsarases praised her from the sky, delighted, and showered her with a rain of flowers.
शुष्ककाष्ठचयं कृत्वा तत्र वृंदाकलेवरम् । निधायाग्निं च प्रज्वाल्य स्मरदूती विवेश तम्
Gathering dry wood there, they placed Vṛndā's body upon it; lighting the fire, the messenger of love entered into it.
दग्धं वृंदांगरजसां बिंबं तद्गोलकात्मकम् । कृत्वा तद्भस्मनः शेषं मंदाकिन्यां विचिक्षिपुः
They burned the orb made of the dust from Vṛndā's body, and after reducing it to ashes, they cast the remains into the Mandākinī river.
यत्र वृंदा परित्यज्य देहं ब्रह्मपथं गता । आसीद्वृंदावनं तत्र गोवर्द्धनसमीपतः
There, where Vṛndā abandoned her body and attained the path of Brahman, Vṛndāvana arose near Govardhana.
देव्योऽथ स्वर्गमेत्य त्रिदशपतिवधूसत्त्वसंपत्तिमाहुर्देवीभ्यस्तन्निशम्य प्रमुदितमनसो निर्जराद्याश्च सर्वे । शत्रोर्दैत्यस्य हित्वा प्रबलतरभयं भीमभेर्यो निजघ्नुः श्रुत्वा तत्रासनस्थः । परिजननिवहोवापशोभां शुभस्य
Then the goddesses, having reached heaven, spoke of the virtues of the wives of the lords of the gods; hearing this, all the celestials and others, joyful in mind, destroyed the dreadful fear caused by the powerful enemy demon, and those seated there heard the sound of mighty drums, as the retinue of attendants brought forth the splendor of auspiciousness.
श्रीमहादेवउवाच- हरिद्वारं महापुण्यं शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । यत्र गंगा वहत्येव तत्रोक्तं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Śrī Mahādeva said: Hear, O foremost sage among the gods, of Haridvāra, the place of great merit, where the Ganges flows; there is declared the supreme holy site.
यत्र देवा वसंतीह ऋषयो मनवस्तथा । यत्र देवः स्वयं साक्षात्केशवो नित्यमाश्रितः
There, the gods dwell, as do sages and Manus; and there, the god Keśava himself is eternally present.
पुरा पूर्वं तु भो वत्स तीर्थं जातं महत्तदा । यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण दूरतो याति पातकम्
Long ago, O child, that great holy site came into being; merely seeing it from afar removes sin.
यत्र गंगा महारम्या जाता पुण्य विशेषतः । विष्णुपादोदकी जाता तच्चरणस्पर्शनात्ततः
There, the Ganges, exceedingly beautiful, arose, especially sacred; the water from Viṣṇu's feet was born there, from the touch of his feet.
भगीरथेन भो विद्वन्नानीता तत्र मार्गतः । उद्धारः पूर्वजानां तु कृतस्तेन महात्मना
O learned one, Bhagiratha brought it there by his efforts; by that great soul, the ancestors were uplifted.
नारदउवाच- कोऽयं देव समाख्यातो भगीरथ महातपाः । येन तीर्थं समानीतं लोकानां हितकारणात्
Nārada said: Who is this Bhagiratha, of great austerity, O god, whom you have described, by whom the holy site was brought for the benefit of the worlds?
गंगातीर्थं महत्पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । लोकाः सर्वे वदंत्येवमेतत्तीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्
The holy site of the Ganges, of great merit, destroys all sins; all people declare this to be the highest of holy places.
गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever says 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and attains the world of Viṣṇu.
कथं तेन समानीता किं कार्यं वद सुव्रत । महादेव उवाच- येन गंगा यथानीता गंगाद्वारेऽतिशोभने
How was it brought, and for what purpose? Tell me, O virtuous one. Mahādeva said: How the Ganges was brought to the exceedingly splendid Haridvāra.
तत्सर्वं संप्रवक्ष्यामि क्रमानुक्रमयोगतः । पूर्वमासीद्धरिश्चंद्रस्त्रैलोक्ये सत्यपालकः
I will tell you everything in order, step by step. First, there was Hariśchandra, the protector of truth in the three worlds.
रोहितस्तस्यपुत्रोऽभूदेको विष्णुपरायणः । तस्यापि च वृकः पुत्रो धर्मिष्ठः सत्पथिस्थितः
His son was Rohita, devoted to Viṣṇu; and his son was Vṛka, righteous and steadfast in the path of virtue.
तस्य पुत्रः सुबाहुश्च जातोस्मिन्वै कुले तदा । तस्य पुत्रो गरो नाम नात्यंतं धार्मिकोऽभवत्
His son was Subāhu, born in that lineage; and Subāhu's son, named Gara, was not exceedingly righteous.
कदाचित्कालयोगेन दुःखी जातोऽत्र कारणात् । राजा तु तत्र देशेन तर्जितो धर्मकारणात्
Once, by the force of time, he became sorrowful for some reason; the king was threatened in that land for the sake of righteousness.
स्वकुटुंबं गृहीत्वा तु गतोऽसौ भार्गवाश्रमे । रक्षितो भार्गवेणाथ कृपया तत्र वै तदा
Taking his family, he went to the Bhārgava hermitage; there, he was protected by Bhārgava's compassion.
तत्र पुत्रो ह्यभूत्तस्य सगरो नाम वै द्विज । ववृधे चाश्रमे पुण्ये भार्गवेणाभिरक्षितः
There, his son was born, named Sagara, O twice-born; he grew up in the holy hermitage, protected by Bhārgava.