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.
उपवीतादिकं सर्वं क्षत्रियस्य तदा कृतम् । शस्त्राणां च तथाभ्यासो वेदानां तु तथैव च
At that time, all the rites such as the investiture with the sacred thread were performed for the Kṣatriya, as well as the practice of weapons and the study of the Vedas.
आग्नेयास्त्रं ततो लब्ध्वा भार्गवात्सगरो नृपः । जघान पृथिवीं गत्वा तालजंघान्सहैहयान्
Then, having obtained the missile of Agni from Bhārgava, King Sagara went forth and struck down the Tāla-jaṅghas along with the Haihayas, traversing the earth.
सशकान् पारदांश्चैव जघान स महातपाः । नारद उवाच- माहात्म्यं सगरस्याथ वद शंकर विस्तरात्
That great ascetic also struck down the Śakas and the Pāradas; Nārada said: 'Now, O Śaṅkara, tell in detail the greatness of Sagara.'
महादेव उवाच- सूर्यवंशी महाराजो विख्यातः स महाबली । गरस्य व्यसने तात हृतं राज्यमभूत्किल
Mahādeva said: 'He was a great king of the solar dynasty, renowned and exceedingly powerful. O dear one, when calamity befell his family, his kingdom was indeed taken away.'
हैहयैस्तालजंघाद्यैः शकैः सार्द्धं च नारद । यवनाः पारदाश्चैव कांबोजाः पह्लवास्तथा
By the Haihayas, Tāla-jaṅghas, and Śakas together, O Nārada, as well as the Yavanas, Pāradas, Kāmbojas, and also the Pahlavas.
एते पंचगणा ब्रह्मन्हैहयार्थे पराक्रमान् । हृतराज्यस्ततो राजा सगरोऽथ वनं ययौ
These five groups, O Brāhmaṇa, exerted their power for the sake of the Haihayas; thus deprived of his kingdom, King Sagara then went to the forest.
पत्न्याचानुगतो दुःखी स वै प्राणानवासृजत् । तस्य पत्नी तु कल्याणी सगर्भा च व्रतान्विता
Followed by his wife, afflicted with sorrow, he did not give up his life; but his virtuous wife, who was pregnant and devoted to vows—
सपत्न्या भार्गवस्तस्य वृतः पूर्वं सुतेप्सया । सा तु भर्तृचितां कृत्वा वने तं प्ररुरोद ह
Previously, Bhārgava had been chosen by his co-wife with the desire for a son; but she, having performed the funeral rites for her husband in the forest, lamented for him.
और्वस्तां वारयित्वा च गरपत्नीं तु नारद । न्यवेदयत तत्पुत्रं धर्मिष्ठं सात्विकं प्रियम्
Aurva, restraining her—the pregnant wife, O Nārada—announced to her that her son would be righteous, virtuous, and dear.
निवेदिते ततो बाले मरणात्सा न्यवर्त्तत । ततो मासद्वये जाते ववर्द्धौर्वस्य चाश्रमे
When this was announced to her, she refrained from dying; then, after two months had passed, the child grew in Aurva's hermitage.