ससागरां च सद्वीपां सदेवासुरमानुषाम् । पादेनैकेन वपुषो व्यक्रांत मधुसूदनः
With its seas, islands, and all beings—gods, asuras, and humans—Madhusūdana covered it all with a single stride of his form.
उवाच दैत्यराजेंद्र किं करोमीति शाश्वतः । तद्वै त्रिविक्रमं रूपमीश्वरस्य महौजसम्
The eternal one said to the king of the Daityas, 'What shall I do now?' That Trivikrama form of the Lord, of immense power,
हितार्थमपि देवानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम् । न दृष्टमपि शक्यं स्याद्ब्रह्मणः शंकरस्य च
Even for the benefit of the gods and the great sages, could not be seen, not even by Brahmā or Śaṅkara.
तत्पदं पृथिवीं सर्वामाक्रम्य गिरिजे शुभे । अतिरिक्तं समभवच्छतयोजनमायतम्
O beautiful Girijā, when that foot spanned the whole earth, it extended a hundred yojanas beyond.
दिव्यचक्षुर्ददौ तस्मै दैत्यराज्ञे सनातनः । तस्मै संदर्शयामास स्वकं रूपं जनार्दनम्
The eternal one gave divine sight to the king of the Daityas, and Janārdana revealed his own form to him.
तद्विश्वरूपं देवस्य दृष्ट्वा दैत्येश्वरो बलि । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे सानंदाश्रु परिप्लुतः
Seeing that universal form of the Lord, Bali, king of the Daityas, was filled with incomparable joy, his eyes brimming with tears of happiness.
दृष्ट्वा देवं नमस्कृत्य स्तुत्वा स्तुतिभिरेव च । प्राह गद्गदया वाचा प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना
Having seen the Lord, he bowed and praised him with hymns; with a voice choked with emotion and a heart full of joy, he spoke.
बलिरुवाच- धन्योस्मि कृतकृत्योस्मि त्वां दृष्ट्वा परमेश्वरम् । लोकत्रयं त्वमेवैतद्गृहाण परमेश्वर
Bali said: 'I am blessed, I have fulfilled my purpose, having seen you, O Supreme Lord. O Supreme Lord, you alone should take possession of these three worlds.'
श्रीशंकर उवाच- अथ सर्वेश्वरो विष्णुर्द्वितीयं पदमव्ययम् । ऊर्ध्वं प्रसारयामास ब्रह्मलोकांतमच्युतः
Śaṅkara said: Then Viṣṇu, Lord of all, extended his second, imperishable step upwards, reaching to the world of Brahmā, O faultless one.
सनक्षत्रग्रहोपेतं सर्वदेवसमावृतम् । पदेन परिपूर्णोऽभूदच्युतस्य शुभानने
Accompanied by stars, planets, and all the gods, that step of Acyuta filled everything completely, O beautiful one.
ततः पितामहो ब्रह्मचक्रपद्मादिचिह्नितम् । पादं तद्देवदेवस्य हर्षसंकुलचेतसा
Then the Grandfather, Brahmā, with a heart overwhelmed by joy, saw the foot of the Lord of gods, marked with the wheel and lotus.
धन्योस्मीति वदन्ब्रह्मा गृहीत्वा स्वकमंडलुम् । भक्त्या प्रक्षालयामास तत्रसंस्थित वारिणा
Saying 'I am blessed,' Brahmā took his own water pot and, with devotion, washed that foot with the water kept there.
अक्षय्यमभवत्तोयं तस्य विष्णोः प्रभावतः । तत्तीर्थं मेरुशिखरे पपात विमलं जलम्
By Viṣṇu's power, that water became inexhaustible; that pure water fell on the summit of Meru as a sacred stream.
जगतः पावनार्थं वै चतुर्दिक्षु प्रवाहितम् । सिता चालकनन्दा च चक्षुर्भद्रा यथाक्रमम्
For the purification of the world, it flowed in all directions: first as Sitā, then Ālakanandā, and then Cakṣurbhadrā, in order.
ततश्चालकनन्दा च मेरोर्दक्षिणतः स्मृता । त्रिधा नाम्ना त्रिपथगा त्रिस्रोता लोकपावनी
Then, to the south of Meru, the blissful river is known as Alakanandā; she is called by three names—Tripathagā, Trisrotā, the purifier of the worlds.
स्वर्गे मंदाकिनी प्रोक्ता त्वधो भोगवती तथा । मध्ये वेगवती गंगा पावनार्थं नृणां शिवा
In heaven she is called Mandākinī, below she is known as Bhogavatī, and in the middle, the swift-flowing Gaṅgā, auspicious for purifying people.
तां दृष्ट्वा मेरुमध्ये तु प्रस्रवंतीं शुभानने । आत्मनः पावनार्थाय शिरसाहमधारयम्
Seeing her spring forth in the midst of Meru, O beautiful-faced one, for the sake of my own purification, I bore her upon my head.
दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु धृत्वा गंगाजलं शुभम् । शिवत्वमगमं देवि सर्वलोकेषु पूजितः
Having held the pure water of Gaṅgā for a divine thousand years, O goddess, I attained auspiciousness and was worshipped in all the worlds.
यो वहेच्छिरसा गंगातोयं विष्णुपदोद्भवम् । प्राशयेद्वा जगत्पूज्यो भविष्यति न संशयः
Whoever bears on his head the water of Gaṅgā, which arose from Viṣṇu's feet, or drinks it, will surely be revered throughout the world—there is no doubt.
गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever utters 'Gaṅgā! Gaṅgā!' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to Viṣṇu's realm.
ततो भगीरथो राजा गौतमश्च महातपाः । तपसा पूजयित्वा मां गंगार्थं समयाचत
Then King Bhagīratha and the great ascetic Gautama, having worshipped me through austerities, requested Gaṅgā from me.
सर्वलोकहितार्थाय तां गंगां वैष्णवीं शिवाम् । तयोरहं तामददां प्रीत्या देवि सरिद्वराम्
For the welfare of all the worlds, O goddess, I gladly gave them that most excellent river, Gaṅgā, who is Viṣṇu's and auspicious.
गौतमेन समानीता गौतमी तेन कीर्त्तिता । भागीरथीति विख्याता तेन राज्ञा वृता यतः
Brought by Gautama, she became known as Gautamī; and because she was chosen by King Bhagīratha, she became famous as Bhāgīrathī.
प्रसंगात्ते समाख्यातं गंगाजन्मात्यनुत्तमम् । ततो नारायणः श्रीमान्बलिं दैत्यपतिं प्रभुः
Thus, in context, the matchless origin of Gaṅgā has been described; then the glorious Nārāyaṇa, the lord, granted Bali, king of the Daityas—
रसातलं शुभं लोकं प्रददौ भक्तवत्सलः । सर्वेषां दानवानां तु नागानां यादसामपि
—the splendid realm of Rasātala, out of affection for his devotees, to all the Dānavas, Nāgas, and Yādavas as well.
राजानं तु बलिं चक्रे यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । प्रतिगृह्य बलेर्लोकान्बटुवेषेण दैत्यहा
He made Bali their king until the great dissolution, having accepted the worlds from Bali while in the form of a dwarf, the slayer of Daityas.
महेंद्राय ददौ प्रीत्या काश्यपो विष्णुरव्ययः । ततो देवाः सगंधर्वा ऋषयश्च महौजसः
Then Viṣṇu, the imperishable, gladly gave the worlds to Mahendra, son of Kaśyapa; then the gods, Gandharvas, and mighty sages—
तुष्टुवुः स्तुतिभिर्द्दिव्यैः पूजयामासुरच्युतम् । संक्षिप्य तन्महद्रूपं तेषां संदर्शनाय वै
—praised the Lord with divine hymns and worshipped him; he then condensed his great form for their vision.
संपूज्यमानास्त्रिदशैरंतर्द्धानं ययौ हरिः । इत्थं सुरक्षितः शक्रो विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
Honored by the gods, Hari vanished from sight; thus Indra was protected by the mighty Viṣṇu.
त्रैलोक्यं महदैश्वर्य्यमवाप त्रिदिवेश्वरः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं वामनं वैभवं शुभम् । शेषं यद्वैभवं देवि तद्वक्ष्यामि यथाक्रमात्
The lord of the three worlds attained great sovereignty; all this glorious story of Vāmana has been told to you. Whatever remains of his glory, O goddess, I will recount in due order.