जटाजूटे च संधार्य वर्षाणामयुतं स्थितम् । न निःसृता तदा गंगा ईशस्यैव प्रभावतः
Held in the matted locks for ten thousand years, Ganga did not flow forth then, by the power of the Lord alone.
विचारितं तदा तेन क्व गता मम मातृका । स ध्यानेन विचार्यैवं गृहीता चेश्वरेण तु
He wondered then, 'Where has my mother gone?' Reflecting in meditation, he realized she had been taken by the Lord.
ततः कैलासमगमत्स तु भगीरथो नृपः । तत्र गत्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ ह्यकरोदुल्बणं तपः
Then King Bhagiratha went to Kailasa; arriving there, O best of sages, he performed severe austerity.
आराधितस्तदा तेन दत्तवानहमापगाम् । एकं केशं परित्यज्य दत्ता त्रिपथगा तदा
Pleased by him, I granted the river; releasing a single hair, I then gave the threefold-flowing Ganga.
स गृहीत्वा गतो गंगां पाताले यत्र पूर्वजाः । अलकनंदा तदा नाम गंगायाः प्रथमं स्मृतम्
He took her and went to the subterranean region, where the ancestors dwell; at that time, the Ganga was first known by the name Alakananda.
हरिद्वारे यदायाता विष्णुपादोदकी तदा । तदेव तीर्थं प्रवरं देवानामपि दुर्ल्लभम्
When she arrived at Haridwar, she became the water from Vishnu’s feet; that very place is the foremost holy site, rare even for the gods.
तत्तीर्थे च नरः स्नात्वा हरिं दृष्ट्वा विशेषतः । प्रदक्षिणं ये कुर्वंति न चैते दुःखभागिनः
A person who bathes at that holy site and especially beholds Hari, and those who perform circumambulation there, do not partake of suffering.
ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानां राशयः संत्यनेकशः । विलयं यांति ते सर्वे हरेर्दर्शनतः सदा
The heaps of sins such as the killing of a Brahmin and others, however many there may be, all are dissolved always by the sight of Hari.
एकदा केशवस्थाने हरिद्वारे ह्यहं गतः । तस्मात्तीर्थप्रभावाच्च जातोऽहं विष्णुरूपवान्
Once, I went to the place of Kesava at Haridwar; by the power of that holy site, I was born in the form of Vishnu.
ये गच्छंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते वै यांति ह्यनामयम् । चतुर्भुजास्तु ते लोकाः नरा नार्यश्च सर्वशः
Those best among men who go there indeed attain freedom from affliction; their worlds are four-armed, both men and women entirely.
वैकुंठं यांति ते सर्वे हरेर्दर्शनमात्रतः । ममाप्यधिक तीर्थं तु हरिद्वारं सुशोभनम्
All of them go to Vaikuntha merely by seeing Hari; for me also, Haridwar is the most excellent and beautiful holy place.
तीर्थानां प्रवरं तीर्थं चतुर्वर्गप्रदायकम् । कलौ धर्मकरं पुंसां मोक्षदं चार्थदं तथा
Among holy places, it is the foremost, bestowing the four aims of life; in the Kali age, it brings righteousness to people, and grants liberation and wealth as well.
यत्र गंगा महारम्या नित्यं वहति निर्मला । एतत्कथानकं पुण्यं हरिद्वाराख्यमुत्तमम्
There, the delightful and ever-pure Ganga always flows; this is the supreme and sacred story called Haridwar.
उक्तं च शृण्वतां पुंसां फलं भवति शाश्वतम् । अश्वमेधे कृते यागे गोसहस्रे तथैव च
And for those who listen, the fruit is eternal; it is as if one had performed an Ashvamedha sacrifice or given a thousand cows.
तत्पुण्यं लभते विद्वान्हरेर्दर्शनमात्रतः । गोहंता ब्रह्महा चैव ये चान्ये पितृघातकाः
The wise person attains that merit merely by seeing Hari; even a killer of cows, a Brahmin-slayer, or those who have slain their fathers.
एवंविधानि पापानि बहून्यपि च वै द्विज । विलयं यांति सर्वाणि हरेर्दर्शनमात्रतः
O twice-born, however many such sins there may be, all of them are dissolved merely by seeing Hari.
महादेव उवाच-। गांगं वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं यथोक्तं मुनिसत्तम । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण अघं नश्यति तत्क्षणात्
Mahadeva said: I will speak of the greatness of the Ganga as declared, O best of sages; by merely hearing it, sin is destroyed at that very moment.
गंगागंगेति योब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever utters 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Vishnu.
चरणाब्जसमुद्भूता गंगा नामेति विश्रुता । पापानां स्थूलराशीनां नाशिनी चेति नारद
She is renowned as Ganga, born from the lotus feet; O Narada, she is also the destroyer of great heaps of sins.
नर्मदा सरयूश्चैव तथा वेत्रवती नदी । तापी पयोष्णी चंद्रा च विपाशा कर्मनाशिनीम्
The Narmada, Sarayu, and likewise the river Vetravati; the Tapti, Payoshni, Chandra, and Vipasha are destroyers of karma.
पुष्या पूर्णा तथा दीपा विदीपा सूर्यतेजसा । सहस्रवृषदानात्तु यत्फलं लभते ध्रुवम्
Pushya, Purna, Dipa, and Vidipa, shining with the radiance of the sun; the certain fruit gained by giving a thousand bulls—
तत्फलं समवाप्नोति गंगादर्शनतः क्षणात् । इयं गंगा महापुण्या ब्रह्मघ्नानां विशेषतः
That very fruit is instantly obtained by the sight of the Ganga; this Ganga is supremely holy, especially for those who have slain a Brahmin.
तेषां निरययुक्तानां गंगा पापप्रहारिणी । चंद्र सूर्योपरागे च यत्फलं विद्यतेऽनघ
For those bound to hell, the Ganga, destroyer of sin, grants the fruit that is obtained during lunar and solar eclipses, O sinless one.
तत्फलं समवाप्नोति गंगादर्शनमात्रतः । यथा सूर्योदये तात तमो गच्छति दूरतः
That same fruit is attained merely by seeing the Ganga; just as, O dear one, darkness recedes far away at sunrise.
तथा गंगाप्रभावेन विलयं याति पातकम् । मान्येयं सर्वदा लोके पवित्रा पापनाशिनी
In the same way, by the power of the Ganga, sin is dissolved; she should always be honored in the world, pure and destroyer of sin.
कल्याणरूपा सततं विष्णुना निर्मिता पुरा । दिव्यरूपा तु जननी दीनानां पावनी स्मृता
Ever auspicious in form, she was created long ago by Vishnu; divine in appearance, she is remembered as the mother who purifies the afflicted.
देवानां च यथा विष्णुस्तथा गंगोत्तमा नदी । ये कुर्वंति नराः स्नानं माघमासे निरंतरम्
Just as Vishnu is among the gods, so is the Ganga the supreme river; those men who bathe continuously in the month of Magha—
न तेषां विद्यते दुःखं कल्पानां च शतत्रयम् । यत्र गंगा च यमुना यत्र चैव सरस्वती । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च मुक्तिभागी न संशयः
For them, there is no suffering for three hundred kalpas; where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati meet, bathing and drinking there surely grants liberation.
महादेव उवाच-। त्वद्वार्तां प्रियतो ब्रवीमि यदहं सा स्तुस्तुतिस्ते प्रभो यद्भुंजे तव तन्निवेदनमथो यद्यामि सा प्रेष्यता । यच्छांतः स्वपिमि त्वदंघ्रियुगले दंडप्रणामोऽस्तु नः। स्वामिन्यच्च करोमि तेन स भवान्विश्वेश्वरः प्रीयताम्
Mahadeva said: I speak of your story with affection; whatever I praise is your praise, O Lord, whatever I enjoy is your offering, and wherever I go, it is your sending. When I sleep, may my salutation be at your feet; whatever I do, may you, Lord of all, be pleased by it.
दृष्टेन वंदितेनापि स्पृष्टेन च धृतेन के
By seeing, praising, touching, or holding—