संप्रति प्रेषयामास कार्येस्मिन्मां स्वयं हरिः । युवां ससर्ज यो देवो यश्च रक्षति वां सदा
Now Hari himself has sent me for this task; the god who created you both also always protects you.
कालरूपी स एवाद्य हंति हेतुं विधाय माम् । व्यास उवाच-। ततस्तेन भुजंगेन भक्षितौ तौ च दंपती
That same one, now in the form of time, kills, appointing me as the cause; Vyāsa said: Then, by the serpent, those two spouses were eaten.
गङ्गा गंगेति जल्पंतौ महत्या क्षुधया पथि । जाह्नवीतीरयात्रायां पादेपादे जनाविमौ
Crying 'Gaṅgā! Gaṅgā!' they wandered, afflicted by great hunger on the path; in the pilgrimage to the banks of Jāhnavī, these two people—
अश्वमेधाख्य यज्ञानां प्राप्तवंतौ महाफलम् । तस्मादेनौ महात्मानौ बह्वश्वमेधधारिणौ
They attained the great fruit of the sacrifice called Aśvamedha; therefore, these two great souls performed many Aśvamedha sacrifices.
एतयोः सदृशो नास्ति शतक्रतुरहं यतः । निजाधिकारेणैवान्यमवलंब्य पुरंदरः
There is none equal to these two, for I am Indra; Indra himself, by his own authority, relied on another.
अर्घ्यहस्तः पादचारी वृतो देवैः समाययौ । अथ रम्भोर्वशी चैव सुंदर्योऽन्याश्च हर्षिताः
With hands offering arghya, walking on foot, surrounded by the gods, he arrived; then Rambhā, Urvaśī, and other beautiful, joyful women—
अन्योन्यं कथयामासुर्निजयौवनगर्विताः । अयं पुण्यात्मनां श्रेष्ठो रसज्ञोऽत्यंतसुन्दरः
They began to speak to each other, proud of their own youth; 'This one is the best among the virtuous, a connoisseur of pleasure, exceedingly handsome.'
आयातोऽमुं करिष्यामि स्ववशं सेवितैः स्वकैः । काचित्कांचिद्वदत्येतज्जानामि सकलां कलाम्
'He has come; I will make him mine with my own arts and attendants.' One says to another, 'I know every skill completely.'
अतएव भविष्यामि कांताहमस्य भूपतेः । काचित्कांचिदिति ब्रूयात्ते शक्रोपि वशो मम
Therefore, I shall become the beloved of this king; let him say, 'This one or that one,' even Indra is under my control.
किमत्र चित्रं वशगो भूपालोऽयं भविष्यति
What is remarkable in this, that the king will become subject to my will?
भर्त्ता ममायं च पतिर्ममायं स्वामी ममायं मम नाथ एषः । इतीव सर्वाः परमप्रमोदैर्वदंति नार्योखिलसद्गुणज्ञाः
This is my husband, this is my lord, this is my master, this is my protector—thus, all the women who know all the highest virtues speak with great joy.
उच्चावचं विप्र निशम्य तासां जगाद काचिद्गुणिनी रसज्ञा । सौदास्यकांतां नृपतिः स्वयं यां भजत्ययं किं कलहेन नार्यः
Hearing their varied words, O Brahmin, one virtuous and discerning woman said: 'The king himself favors Saudāsyā, so why should the women quarrel?'
सुन्दर्य्यस्तास्ततः सर्वाः संत्यज्य कलहं द्विज । आजग्मुर्हृदयोत्साहैः सर्वाभरणभूषिताः
Then all those beautiful women, abandoning quarrel, O Brahmin, came with uplifted hearts, adorned with all their ornaments.
अथ तं नृपतिश्रेष्ठ सदारं गतकल्मषम् । पाद्याद्यैः पूजयामासुः प्राहेति च पुरंदरः
Thereafter, they worshipped that best of kings, free from sin and with his wives, with offerings of water and other honors; and then Purandara spoke.
रथे निवेशयामास पुष्पके स्त्रीसमन्वितम् । भेरीमृदंगमधुरी डिंडिमानकनिःस्वनैः
He seated him, accompanied by women, in the celestial chariot Puṣpaka, with the sweet sounds of drums, kettledrums, and ḍiṇḍimas resounding.
करकं कणनादैश्च करतालस्वनैस्तथा । जयशब्दैश्च देवानां नाकः शब्दमयोऽभवत्
With the clanging of cymbals and the sounds of hand-clapping, and with the victorious cries of the gods, the heavens became filled with sound.
देवाङ्गना चारुहस्त श्वेतचामरमारुतैः । वीजितः सरथारूढः सदारस्त्रिदिवं ययौ
Fanned by the lovely hands of divine women with white chowries, he, mounted on the chariot with his wives, went to heaven.
ततः शक्रः स्वयं तस्मै सत्यधर्माय भूभुजे । दत्तवान्निजासनार्द्धं शुभो वै क्षयशंकया
Then Indra himself, fearing for his own position, gave half of his own seat to that king who was true to righteousness.
शक्रेण सह भूपोऽसौ वसन्नेकासने सदा । शक्रत्वमकरोत्स्वर्गे केशवस्यानुकंपया १५० 7.9.
Dwelling always on the same seat with Indra in heaven, that king attained the status of Indra by the compassion of Keśava.
युगकोटिसहस्राणि दिवि भुक्त्वाखिलं सुखम् । रथमारुह्यवैकुंठं ययौ भगवदाज्ञया
Having enjoyed all pleasures in heaven for thousands of millions of ages, he ascended the chariot and went to Vaikuṇṭha by the command of the Lord.
तत्र मन्वंतरं भुक्त्वा सर्वभोगमनोरमम् । परमं ज्ञानमासाद्या सदारो मोक्षमाप्तवान्
There, having enjoyed the delightful pleasures of a Manvantara, he attained supreme knowledge and, with his wives, obtained liberation.
जाह्नवीतीरयात्रायां शरीरं त्यजतः पथि । फलमेवंविधं विप्र मया सर्वं प्रकीर्तितम्
O Brahmin, I have thus described in full the fruit that arises for one who gives up the body on the journey to the bank of the Jāhnavī.
जाह्नवीतीरगमने मुनिभिस्तत्वदर्शिभिः । न कालनियमः प्रोक्तो नारदाद्यैर्महर्षिभिः
In the journey to the bank of the Gaṅgā, no fixed time is prescribed by the sages who see the truth, such as Nārada and others.
यदायदा द्विजश्रेष्ठ गङ्गायां स्नानमाचरेत् । तदातदाऽक्षयं पुण्यं लभते मानवो ध्रुवम्
Whenever a person, O best of Brahmins, bathes in the Gaṅgā, at that very time he certainly obtains inexhaustible merit.
गंगा सर्वाणि पापानि नाशयंतीति निश्चयः । कुर्यात्पुनःपुनः पापं न च गंगा पुनाति तम्
It is certain that the Gaṅgā destroys all sins; but if one repeatedly commits sin, the Gaṅgā does not purify him.
पापबुद्धिं परित्यज्य गंगायां लोकमातरि । स्नानं कुरुत हे लोका यदि सद्गतिमिच्छथ
Abandoning sinful intent, bathe in the Gaṅgā, the mother of the world, O people, if you desire the highest good.
यत्पुण्यं गंगास्नानात्तु मानवानां भवेद्दिवज । तत्पुण्यं प्राप्यते विप्र कर्मभिः कैः सुदुस्तरैः
The merit that humans gain from bathing in the Ganga, O twice-born, is obtained only through actions that are extremely difficult to perform.
आसाराणां भूमिरेणोः संख्यां कर्तुं तु शक्यते । भागीरथीगुणास्ते न शक्या वक्तुं न च द्विज
It is possible to count the raindrops or the dust particles of the earth, but, O twice-born, the virtues of Bhagirathi cannot be described or enumerated.
विचार्य सर्वशास्त्राणि त्वदीयानि मयोच्यते । गंगांभसि सकृत्स्नात्वा मोक्षमाप्नोति मानवः
Having considered all the scriptures, I declare this to you: by bathing even once in the waters of the Ganga, a person attains liberation.
स्नानं कूपजलेऽपि यस्तु कुरुते गंगां विचिंत्य प्रभुं देवानां सकलार्त्तशोकदुरितत्रासौघविध्वंसिनीम् । मुक्तः सोऽपि समस्तपातकचयैर्गोविप्रहत्यादिभिर्गच्छेद्विष्णुपुरं समस्तसुखदं गंगाप्रसादाद्दिवज
Even one who bathes in well-water, while meditating on the Ganga—the sovereign of the gods, destroyer of all suffering, sorrow, and fear—becomes freed from all heaps of sins, including the killing of cows or Brahmins, and, by the grace of the Ganga, attains Vishnu's abode, the giver of all happiness, O twice-born.