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.
जातकर्मादियोगश्च और्वेण च तथा कृतः । उपवीतादिकं सर्वं जातं तत्र महामुनेः
All the rites beginning with the birth ceremony were performed by Aurva; and all the sacred thread rituals were accomplished there by the great sage.
तत्र वेदादिकं सर्वं पठितं चौर्वयोगतः । अध्याप्य वेदशास्त्राणि ततोऽस्त्रं प्रत्यपादयत्
There, all the Vedas and related knowledge were recited through Aurva's instruction; after teaching the Vedas and sciences, he then imparted the knowledge of weapons.
आग्नेयं तं महाभाग अमरैरपि दुःसहम् । स तेनासुबलेनाजौ बलेन च समन्वितः
He gave him the missile of Agni, which is difficult even for the gods to withstand; with that and his own strength, he became powerful in battle.
हैहयान्वै जघानाशु संक्रुद्धः स्वबलेन च । आजहार च लोकेषु स च कीर्तिमवाप सः
In his wrath, he swiftly struck down the Haihayas with his own might; and thus he attained fame among the people.
ततः शकाः सयवनाः कांबोजाः पल्लवास्तथा । हन्यमानास्तदा ते तु वसिष्ठं शरणं ययुः
Then the Śakas, along with the Yavanas, Kāmbojas, and also the Pallavas, being struck down at that time, sought refuge with Vasiṣṭha.
वसिष्ठोऽपि च तान्कृत्वा समयेन महाद्युतिः । सगरं वारयामास तेषां दत्त्वाऽभयं नृपः
Vasiṣṭha, of great brilliance, having made an agreement with them, restrained Sagara, granting them protection, O king.
सगरः स्वां प्रतिज्ञांतु गुरोर्वाक्यं निशम्य च । धर्मैर्जघान तांश्चैषां विकृतत्वं चकार ह
Sagara, having heard his teacher's words and recalling his own vow, subdued them by righteous means and caused them to be transformed.
अर्द्धंशकनांशिरसो मुंडं कृत्वा विसर्जयत् । यवनानां शिरः सर्वं कांबोजानां तथैव च
He shaved half the heads of the Śakas and released them; as for the Yavanas and Kāmbojas, he shaved all their heads in the same way.
पारदा मुंडकेशाश्च पल्ल्वाः श्मश्रुरक्षकाः । एवं विजित्य सर्वान्वै कृतवान्धर्मसंग्रहम्
He subdued the Pāradas, the shaven-headed, the Pallavas, and the bearded protectors; thus, having conquered all, he established the collection of righteous duties.
सर्वधर्मजयी राजा विजित्येमां वसुंधराम् । आशु संस्कारयामास वाजिमेधाय पार्थिवः
The king, victorious over all duties and having conquered this earth, quickly prepared for the horse sacrifice, O ruler.