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.
व्यास उवाच- तदप्यहं ब्रवीमि त्वां गङ्गाभक्तो यतो भवान् । तौ पादौ सफलौ नॄणां जाह्नवीतटगामिनौ
Vyasa said: Therefore I will tell you again, since you are devoted to the Ganga; the feet of those who walk along the banks of Jahnavi are truly blessed among people.
गङ्गाकल्लोलनिनदश्राविणौ श्रवणौ च तौ । सा जिह्वा या च जानाति स्वादुभेदं तदंभसः
Those ears that hear the roar of the Ganga's waves, that tongue which knows the sweet taste of her water—these are truly blessed.
ते नेत्रे जाह्नवी चारुतरंगदर्शने च ते । तल्ललाटमिति प्रोक्तं गङ्गामृत्पुण्ड्रधारि यत्
Those eyes that behold the beautiful waves of Jahnavi, that forehead which bears the mark of Ganga's sacred water—these are praised.
तौ हस्तौ जाह्नवी तीरे हरि पूजापरायणौ । शरीरं सफलं तच्च विमले जाह्नवी जले
Those hands which are engaged in worshipping Hari on the banks of Jahnavi, that body which is purified in her clear waters—these are truly fruitful.
पतितं तद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ चतुर्वर्गफलप्रदम् । स्वर्गस्थाः पितरः सर्वे गच्छंतो जाह्नवीतटे
O best of twice-born, the body that falls there grants the fruits of the four aims of life; all ancestors dwelling in heaven come to the bank of Jahnavi.
संदृश्य हृष्टाः शंसंति वदंत इति जैमिने । तत्पुण्यं कृतमस्माभिः सद्गतिप्राप्तये पुरा
Seeing this, they rejoice and say, 'We performed this merit in the past to attain a good destination.'
भविष्यत्यक्षयं तच्च यतः पुत्रोऽयमीदृशः । अनेन गाङ्गैः सलिलैर्वयं संप्रति तर्पिताः
'This will become inexhaustible, for our son is such as this; by these Ganga waters we are now satisfied.'
यास्यामः परमं धाम दुर्ल्लभं यत्सुरैरपि । गङ्गायां यानि द्रव्याणि दास्यत्यस्माकमात्मजः
'We shall attain the supreme abode, which even the gods find hard to reach, by whatever offerings our son gives us in the Ganga.'
अस्मभ्यं तानि सर्वाणि भविष्यंत्यक्षयाणि वै । नरकस्थाश्च पितरः सर्वदुःखसमन्विताः
'All those offerings will become inexhaustible for us; and the ancestors who are in hell, afflicted by all sufferings—'
वदंतीति सुतं दृष्ट्वा गच्छंतं जाह्नवीतटम् । कृतानि यानि पापानि नरकक्लेशदानि वै
They say this when they see their son going to the bank of Jahnavi: 'Whatever sins we committed that cause the torments of hell—'