मित्रावज्ञा मनुष्याणां नरकक्लेशदायिनी । ममैव पृथिवीपाल दृष्टा केवलमेवतत्
Disregard of friends among men brings the torment of hell; O ruler of the earth, I have seen this myself, only this.
पित्रभक्तिर्द्विजश्रेष्ठ इहामुत्र च दुःखदा । इह संपद्विनाशाय परत्र नरकाय च
Devotion to one's father, O best of twice-born, brings suffering here and hereafter; here it leads to loss of wealth, and beyond, to hell.
वरं मन्ये महीपाल ब्रह्महत्यादि पातकम् । कदाचिन्निष्कृतिस्तस्मादियं भवति शाश्वती
I consider, O king, that even the sin of killing a Brahmin and others is preferable; for sometimes atonement is possible for that, but this remains eternal.
दुःखार्जितं पुण्यवृक्षं सर्वक्लेशविनाशनम् । पित्रवज्ञाकुठारेण च्छिंदंति भुवि मानवाः
The tree of merit, painfully acquired and destroying all afflictions, is cut down on earth by men with the axe of disregard for fathers.
यत्किञ्चिद्दीयते राजन्पित्र्ये वक्त्रे परंतप । तदश्नाति स्वयं विष्णुः पितृरूपो हरिर्यतः
Whatever is given, O king, into the mouth of one's ancestors, O scorcher of foes, that is eaten by Vishnu himself, for Hari takes the form of the ancestors.
प्रत्यक्षदेवौ पितरौ सेवंते येत्वहर्निशम् । सर्वसिद्धिर्भवेत्तेषां प्रसादाज्जगतीपतेः
Those who serve their parents, who are visible gods, day and night, attain all accomplishments by the grace of the Lord of the world.
पितृभक्तिविहीना ये दिनं तिष्ठंति मानवाः । तावत्कल्पसहस्रं तु तिष्ठंति नरके जनाः
Those men who live without devotion to their fathers remain in hell for a thousand ages.
तस्मादिदं महादुःखं बभूव मम सांप्रतम् । मोक्षं कदा गमिष्यामि सदारोऽहं न वेद्मि तत्
Therefore, this great suffering has come upon me now; when will I attain liberation with my wife? I do not know that.
व्यासउवाच- एतत्तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रगृह्य द्विजसत्तम । बभूव हर्षितो राजा विस्मितश्च पुनः पुनः
Vyasa said: Hearing these words of his, and embracing him, O best of twice-born, the king became delighted and repeatedly astonished.
राजोवाच- आश्चर्यं हि वचो गृध्र श्रुतमेतन्मुखात्तव । मम चैषां च हृदये प्रतीतिर्न हि जायते
The king said: Truly wonderful are these words, O vulture, heard from your mouth; neither I nor these others find conviction in our hearts.
अथांतरिक्षे वागुच्चैरिति जाता नृपोत्तम । सत्यं सत्यं सत्यमिदं संदेहोनात्र विद्यते
Then, in the sky, a voice loudly spoke, O best of kings: 'True, true, true is this; there is no doubt here.'
ततः स पक्षी विप्रर्षे सहसा भार्यया सह । गङ्गा माहात्म्यकथनात्पूर्वस्थित इवाभवत्
Then that bird, O sage among Brahmins, together with his wife, became as he was before, due to the narration of the greatness of the Ganges.
दिवि दुंदुभयो नेदुर्जगुर्गन्धर्वसत्तमाः । ननृतुश्चाप्सरोवर्गा ह्यपतत्पुष्पवर्षणम्
Drums resounded in the heavens, the best of Gandharvas sang, the groups of Apsaras danced, and a shower of flowers fell.
विमानमागतं दिव्यं सर्वभोगसमन्वितम् । समायाता दूतगणाः प्रेषिताः कैटभद्विषा
A divine chariot arrived, endowed with every enjoyment; groups of messengers sent by the enemy of Kaitabha came.
अथासौ सर्वगो विप्र प्रियया सह भार्यया । सद्यो विमानमारुह्य जगाम भवनं हरेः
Then he, all-pervading, O Brahmin, together with his beloved wife, immediately ascended the chariot and went to the abode of Hari.
एतच्छ्रुत्वाद्भुतं कर्म स राजा द्विजसत्तम । सपुत्रदारः सेवायां गङ्गायास्तत्परोऽभवत्
Hearing of this wondrous deed, the king, O best of twice-born, together with his sons and wife, became devoted to service of the Ganges.
भागीरथ्या समं तीर्थं नास्ति वै भुवनत्रये । यन्नामोच्चारणादेव सर्वगो मोक्षमाप्नुयात्
There is truly no holy place in the three worlds equal to Bhagirathi; by merely uttering her name, anyone attains liberation.
गङ्गाद्वारस्य माहात्म्यं कथितं ते द्विजोत्तम । समस्तपापविध्वंसि किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि
The greatness of Gangadvara, destroyer of all sins, has been told to you, best of twice-born; what else do you wish to hear?
अध्यायमेतत्परमादरेण पठंति ये देवगृहे मनुष्याः । शृण्वंति ये च द्विजवर्गभक्ता नश्यंति तेषां दुरितानि सद्यः
Those people who recite this chapter with utmost reverence in a temple, and those devoted twice-born who listen, their sins are destroyed at once.
व्यास उवाच- पुनर्वक्ष्यामि विप्रेन्द्र गङ्गामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । गङ्गाकथासुधापानं कुरु मुक्तिं यदीच्छसि
Vyasa said: Once again, O foremost of Brahmins, I will declare to you the supreme glory of Ganga; drink the nectar of Ganga's stories if you desire liberation.
दानं दत्तं तेन सर्वं तेन सर्वे मखाः कृताः । तेन प्रपूजितो विष्णुर्यद्भक्तिर्भीष्म मातरि
By her, all charity is given, all sacrifices are performed; by her, Vishnu is worshipped, O Bhishma, as by devotion to the mother.
गङ्गायां धर्मकर्माणि क्रियंते यानि कानि च । अक्षयानि भवंत्यस्य तानि सर्वाणि जैमिने
Whatever righteous acts are performed in Ganga—of any kind, O Jaimini—all those become inexhaustible for that person.
वहंतं जलमालोक्य गाङ्गेयानि जलानि यः । भक्त्या गच्छेत्समुत्थाय सोऽश्वमेधसहस्रकृत्
Whoever, seeing the flowing waters of Ganga, rises and approaches her waters with devotion, is as if he has performed a thousand horse sacrifices.
गङ्गाजलेष्वागतेषु यो नो तिष्ठति भक्तितः । पशुता शाश्वती तस्य जन्मजन्मनि जैमिने
Whoever does not stand with devotion in the waters of Ganga, when they are present, O Jaimini, for him there is perpetual animal birth, life after life.
गाङ्गेयं जलमासाद्य यो न गृह्णाति भक्तितः । जन्मकोट्यर्जितं पुण्यं क्षणादेव तु नश्यति
Whoever, having reached Ganga's water, does not take it with devotion, his merit accumulated over ten million births is instantly destroyed.
गङ्गातीरं जिगमिषुं यस्तु वारयते द्विज । स कोटिकुलसंयुक्तो रौरवं नरकं व्रजेत्
A Brahmin who prevents someone wishing to go to the bank of Ganga, he, though born in a noble family, goes to the hell called Raurava.
मूत्रं वाथ पुरीषं वा गंगातीरे करोति यः । न दृष्टा निष्कृतिस्तस्य कल्पकोटिशतैरपि
Whoever passes urine or feces on the bank of Ganga, for him there is no expiation, even in a hundred million aeons.
श्लेष्माणं वापि निष्ठीवं दूषिकां वाश्रु वा मलम् । गंगातीरे त्यजेद्यस्तु स नूनं नारकी भवेत्
Whoever spits phlegm, saliva, or throws filth, tears, or excrement on the bank of Ganga, he certainly becomes a denizen of hell.
उच्छिष्टं कफकं चैव गङ्गागर्भे च यस्त्यजेत् । स याति नरकं घोरं ब्रह्महत्यां च विंदति
Whoever discards leftovers or phlegm in the body of Ganga, he goes to terrible hell and incurs the sin of killing a Brahmin.
गङ्गारोधसि यः पापं कुरुते मूढधीर्नरः । तदक्षय भवेन्नूनं नान्यतीर्थेषु शाम्यति
A foolish man who commits sin on the bank of Ganga—such sin is surely inexhaustible and is not pacified at any other holy place.