तत्करिष्यामि विच्छेदः कदाचित्स्यात्त्वया न मे । इन्द्र उवाच- भद्रे त्वया यदा नूनं कर्मेदं कर्तुमिच्छितम्
I shall do that; if separation ever occurs, it will not be by you. Indra said: O blessed one, whenever you truly wish to perform this action—
तदा गच्छ पुनः शीघ्रमागमिष्यसि सुंदरि । सह नेत्राद्धि विगलद्वाष्पसिक्ततनुस्ततः
Then go; you will return quickly, O beautiful one. With tears flowing from her eyes, her body wet—
दोर्भ्यामालिङ्ग्य तां शक्रो गच्छेत्याह प्रिये वदन् । तदादेशात्ततः साध्वी कर्मभूमिं समागता
Embracing her with his arms, Shakra said, 'Go, dear one.' By his command, the virtuous woman then went to the realm of action.
जाता च हस्तिनी योनौ भूत्वा जातिस्मरा द्विज । स्मरंती निजवृत्तांतं सा कियद्भिर्दिनैस्ततः
She was born in the womb of an elephant, and became a twice-born, remembering her previous story. Remembering her own past, after a few days—
जगाम जाह्नवीतीरं हस्तियोनिसु संभवा । गङ्गायां स्नानमासाद्य गङ्गाकर्दमभूषिता
She went to the bank of the Jahnavi, having been born among elephants. Having bathed in the Ganges, she was adorned with Ganges mud.
गंगागंगेति जल्पंती ह्रदं निम्नं विवेश सा । तस्मिन्गंगाह्रदे गत्वा हस्तिनी पर्वताकृतिः
Uttering 'Ganga, Ganga,' she entered the deep pool. In that Ganges pool, the elephant, mountain-shaped, entered.
निजां जातिं स्मरंती सा जगाम पंचतां पुनः । तस्याः साहसमालोक्य हस्तिनीं सर्वदेवताः
She, recalling her own birth, passed again into death; seeing the elephant's boldness, all the gods
ववर्षुः पारिजाताद्यैः कुसुमैरुत्तमैर्मुदा । तामानेतुं ततः शक्रः सर्वदेवगणैर्वृतः
joyfully showered her with excellent flowers such as pārijāta; then Śakra, surrounded by all the hosts of gods, brought her forth
वेगात्तच्चिरविच्छेदात्कृष्णांगीं सुमना ययौ । पुष्पकेतां समालोक्य दिव्यदेहां सुराधिपः
With speed, after a long separation, Sumana went to the dark-skinned Puṣpaketā; seeing her divine form, the lord of the gods
कथयन्निजदुःखानि निजावासं जगाम ह । पुलोमजा च रंभा च प्रम्लोचा चोर्वशी तथा
spoke of his own sorrows and returned to his abode; Pulomajā, Rambhā, Pramlocā, and Urvaśī likewise,
सुंदर्योऽन्याश्च युवतीस्तस्यास्त्यक्त्वा मुदा गताः । शक्रस्य हृदयोत्साहं तन्वंती सा वरांगना
and other beautiful young women, joyfully departed from her; that excellent woman inspired courage in Śakra's heart
पुरंदरपुरे तस्थौ सुभगा प्रीतिवल्लभा । यस्यास्तिष्ठंति गङ्गायां यावदस्थीनि जैमिने
She remained in Purandara's city, fortunate and beloved; as long as her bones rest in the Gaṅgā, O Jaimini,
कुलकोटिशतं तावत्तस्थावास सुरालये । राजानो दिविराज्येषु ये ये भूतास्तपोबलात्
for as many hundreds of millions of families, she stays in the abode of the gods; the kings who, by the power of austerity,
तेषांतेषां स्नेहभूमिर्भवत्यमरसुंदरी । गंगास्थिमज्जनादेव जैमिने फलमीदृशम्
have attained the realms of the gods, for each of them, the celestial maiden becomes a ground of affection; such is the fruit, O Jaimini, of immersing bones in the Gaṅgā
गंगायां त्यजतो देहं फलं वक्तुं न शक्यते । मृतं शरीरं गंगायां यावदस्थीनि जैमिने
The fruit of abandoning the body in the Gaṅgā cannot be described; as long as the bones remain in the Gaṅgā, O Jaimini,
कल्पकोटिशतं तावत्तस्या वासः सुरालये । मृतं शरीरं गंगायां स्रोतोभिश्चलितं द्विज
for as many hundreds of millions of aeons, that one dwells in the abode of the gods; O twice-born, when a dead body in the Gaṅgā is carried away by the currents,
दृश्यते देहिनस्तस्य तत्फलं शृणु जैमिने । स्वर्गे देवांगना त्रस्तचारुचामरवायुभिः
the result for that embodied soul, listen, O Jaimini: in heaven, celestial maidens, frightened, fan him with charming chowries
वीजितः स्वर्णपर्यंके सुप्तस्तिष्ठति कौतुकी । जाह्नवीसैकते यस्य शरीरं दृश्यते मृतम्
He lies asleep, delighted, on a golden couch, fanned; whose dead body is seen on the sandbank of the Jāhnavī,
दिवाकरकरैस्तप्तं कुलं तस्य वदाम्यहम् । सुगन्धैश्चंदनैर्दिव्यैर्लिप्तसर्वकलेवरः १०० 7.8.
I tell you, his family is purified by the rays of the sun; his entire body is anointed with divine fragrant sandalwood
दिव्याङ्गनाभिः सहितो दिवि क्रीडतिसर्वदा । काकैर्गृध्रैश्च कंकैश्च शकुंतैर्भीष्ममातरि
He always sports in heaven with divine maidens; but if his body is devoured by crows, vultures, jackals, and terrifying birds
वपुर्विदलितं यस्य दृश्यते तत्फलं शृणु । दिवि दिव्यांगनापीनप्रोत्तुङ्गरुचिरस्तनैः
whose body is seen torn apart, listen to that result: in heaven, with divine maidens whose full, beautiful breasts
श्लिष्टवक्षाश्च पर्यंके निद्राति नित्यमेव सः । पिपीलिकाभिः कीटैश्च मक्षिकाभिश्च वेष्टितः
he sleeps always embraced on a couch; though surrounded by ants, insects, and flies
गंगायां यस्य दृश्यंते अस्थीनि पतितानि च । तस्याक्षयं फलं विप्र वदतो मे निशामय
whose bones are seen fallen in the Gaṅgā, O Brahmin, listen to me as I speak of his inexhaustible fruit
प्रणमत्त्रिदशव्यूह शिरोमुकुटभूषणैः । हतपादरजाः स्वर्गे स च शक्रायते चिरम्
He is saluted by the hosts of gods, adorned with jeweled crowns; dust from his feet is scattered in heaven, and he becomes like Śakra for a long time
अनिच्छयापि गङ्गायां यद्देहपतनं भवेत् । स विमुक्तोऽखिलैः पापैर्नरो नारायणो भवेत्
Even if a person's body falls into the Ganga against their will, that person is freed from all sins and becomes one with Narayana.
यस्यांगाराश्च दृश्यंते गङ्गायां चलिता जलैः । अङ्गारसङ्ख्यया स्वर्गे तिष्ठेत्कल्पशताधिकम्
Wherever embers are seen in the Ganga, carried along by the waters, a person remains in heaven for hundreds of aeons equal to the number of those embers.
सर्वेषामेव पुण्यानां कदाचित्क्षयमीक्षते । गङ्गायां पतिते देहे भवेत्पुण्यक्षयो न हि
All merits may at times come to an end, but when a body falls into the Ganga, its merit is never exhausted.
बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन निश्चितं कथ्यतेऽधुना । गङ्गायां त्यक्तदेहस्य महिमा ज्ञायते नहि
What more need be said here? Now the settled truth is declared: the greatness of one who gives up the body in the Ganga cannot be fully known.
विषमदुरितराशीनाशि गाङ्गं नरो यः स्पृशति भुवि कदाचिद्भावुको भक्तिभावैः । जगदुदधिजलं विलंघ्य घोरं व्रजति स पारमपारतुष्टि नावा
Whoever, even once on earth, touches the waters of the Ganga with devotion and feeling, which destroy heaps of terrible sins, crosses over the dreadful ocean of worldly existence and reaches the far shore of supreme satisfaction, as if by a boat.
जैमिनिरुवाच- भूय एव गुरो ब्रूहि गङ्गामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । गङ्गाकथामृतं पातुं माधुर्यात्पुनरिष्यते
Jaimini said: Once again, O teacher, tell me of the supreme glory of the Ganga; the nectar of the Ganga's story is so sweet that I wish to drink it again.