वायुना प्रेर्यमाणा च अनेकाभोगगामिनी। परिवर्त्तत्यहरहर्यथा सूर्यस्तथैव सा ।। ४२.
Driven by the wind, she moves along many courses, revolving day after day just as the sun does.
चत्वार्यशीतिः प्रतता योजनानां समन्ततः। वेगेन कुर्वती मेरुं सा प्रयाता प्रदक्षिणम् ।। ४२.
Extending eighty-four yojanas on all sides, she swiftly circles Mount Meru to the right.
विभिद्यमाना सलिलैस्तैजसेनानिलेन च। मेरोरुत्तरकूटेषु पतिताथ चतुर्ष्वपि ।। ४२.
Split by the waters and by the fiery wind, she fell upon the four northern peaks of Meru.
मेरुकूटतटान्तेभ्य उत्कृष्टेभ्यो निवर्तिता। विकीर्यमाण सलिला चतुर्द्धासंसृतोदका ।। ४२.
From the lofty edges of Meru's peaks, she turned back, her waters scattered and divided into four streams.
षष्टियोजनसाहस्रं निरालम्बनमम्बरम्। निपपात महाभाग मेरोस्तस्य चतुर्द्दिशम् ।। ४२.
Falling through the unsupported sky for sixty thousand yojanas, she descended to the four directions of mighty Meru.
सा चतुर्ष्वभितश्चैव महापादेषु शोभना। पुण्या मन्दरपूर्वेण पतिता हि महानदी ।। ४२.
That splendid and meritorious great river fell to the four beautiful bases, east of Mandara.
पूर्वेणांशेन देवानां सर्वसिद्धगणालयम्। सुवर्णचित्रकटकं नैकनिर्झरकन्दरम् ।। ४२.
To the east, she reached the abode of all the gods and hosts of Siddhas, adorned with golden peaks and many cascading caves.
प्लावयन्ती सशैलेन्द्रं मन्दरञ्चारुकन्दरम्। वप्रप्रतापशमनैरनेकैः स्फाटिकोदकैः ।। ४२.
Flooding Mandara with its lovely caves and the lord of mountains, she soothes the slopes with her many crystal-clear waters.
तथा चैत्ररथं रम्यं प्लावयन्ती प्रदक्षिणम्। प्रविष्टा ह्यम्बरनदी ह्यरुणोदसरोवरम् ।। ४२.
Thus, encircling the delightful Caitraratha, the river of the sky entered the beautiful lake Aruṇoda.
अरुणोदान्निवृत्ताऽथ शीतान्ते रम्यनिर्झरे। शैले सिद्धगणावासे निपपात सुगामिनी ।। ४२.
Departing from Aruṇoda, at the end of the cool region, in a lovely waterfall, she descended on the mountain, the abode of Siddhas, flowing smoothly.
सीता नाम महा पुण्या नदीनां प्रवरा नदी। सा निकुञ्जनिरुद्धा तु अनेकाभोगगामिनी ।। ४२.
Named Sītā, the most meritorious and foremost among rivers, she is obstructed by groves and flows along many courses.
शीतान्ताशिखराद्भ्रष्टा सुकुञ्जे वरपर्वते। निपपात महाभागा तस्मादपि सुमञ्जसम् ।। ४२.
Falling from the peak of Śītānta, in a beautiful grove on the excellent mountain, the blessed river descended, and from there to Sumañjasa.
तस्मान्माल्यवतं शैलं भावयन्ती वरापगा। वैकङ्कं समनुप्राप्ता वैकङ्कान्मणिपर्वतम्। मणिपर्वतान्महाशैलं ऋषभं नैककन्दरम् ।। ४२.
From there, the excellent river, nourishing the Mālyavat mountain, reached Vaikaṅka, then Maṇiparvata, and from Maṇiparvata to the great mountain Ṛṣabha, with its many caves.
एवं शैलसहस्राणि दारयन्ती महानदी। पतिताऽथ महाशैले जठरे सिद्धसेविते ।। ४२.
Thus, splitting thousands of mountains, the great river fell into the great mountain's hollow, frequented by Siddhas.
तस्मादपि महाशैलं देवकूटं तरङ्गिणी। तस्य कुक्षिसमुद्रान्ता क्रमेण पृथिवीं गता ।। ४२.
Therefore, from that great mountain, Devakūṭa, the river flowed; its waters gradually reached the earth from the depths of its belly.
सैवं स्थलीसहस्राणि शैलराजशतानि च। वनानि च विचित्राणि सरांसि विविधानि च ।। ४२.
Thus, thousands of plains, hundreds of kingly mountains, wondrous forests, and various lakes were traversed.
स्रावयन्ती महाभागा विस्फारेष्ववलीकदा। नदी सहस्रानुगता प्रवृत्ता च महानदी ।। ४२.
The blessed river, accompanied by thousands of streams, poured forth, swelling in its course, and became the great river.
भद्राश्वं सुमहाद्वीपं प्लावयन्ती वरापगा। प्रविष्टा ह्यर्णवं पूर्वं पूर्वे द्वीपे महानदी ।। ४२.
Flooding the vast Bhadrāśva island, the excellent river entered the eastern ocean, having first flowed through the eastern continent.
दक्षिणेऽपि प्रपन्ना या शैलेन्द्रे गन्धमादने। चित्रैः प्रपातैर्विधैर्नैकविस्फालितोदका ।। ४२.
She also reached the southern side, to the lordly mountain Gandhamādana, with many wondrous and diverse waterfalls, her waters bursting forth in many places.
तद्घन्धमादनवनं नन्दनं देवनन्दनम्। प्लावयन्ती महाभागा प्रयाता सा प्रदक्षिणम् ।। ४२.
That Gandhamādana forest, Nandana, the delight of the gods, was flooded by the blessed river, which then proceeded in a clockwise direction.
नाम्ना ह्यलकनन्देति सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुता। प्रविशत्युत्तरसरो मानसं देवमानसम् ।। ४२.
Known everywhere by the name Alakanandā, she entered the northern lake Mānasā, the divine lake of the gods.
मानसाच्छैलराजानं रम्यं त्रिशिखरं गता। त्रिकूटाच्छैलशिखरात् कलिङ्गशिखरं गता ।। ४२.
From Mānasā, she reached the beautiful three-peaked mountain; from Trikūṭa, she went to the peak of Kaliṅga.
कलिङ्गशिखराद्भ्रष्टा रुचके निपपात सा। रुचकान्निषधं प्राप्ता ताम्राभं निषधादपि ।। ४२.
Falling from the peak of Kaliṅga, she descended to Rucaka; from Rucaka, she reached Niṣadha, and from Niṣadha, Tāmrābha.
ताम्राभशिखरार्द्भ्रष्टा गता श्वेतोदरं गिरिम् । तस्मात्सुमूलं शैलेन्द्रं वसुधारञ्च पर्वतम् ।। ४२.
Falling from the peak of Tāmrābha, she went to the mountain Śvetodara; from there, to the root of the lordly mountain, and then to the Vasudhāra mountain.
हेमकूटं गता तस्माद्देवश्रृङ्गे ततो गता। तस्माद्गता महाशैलं ततश्चापि पिशाचकम् ।। ४२.
From there, she reached Hemakūṭa, then Devashṛṅga; from there, the great mountain, and then Piśācaka.
पिशाचकाच्छैलवरात् पञ्चकूटङ्गता पुनः। पञ्चकूटात्तु कैलासं देवावासं शिलोच्चयम् ।। ४२.
From Piśācaka, she went to the mountain called Pañcakūṭa; from Pañcakūṭa, she reached Kailāsa, the abode of the gods, the lofty peak.
तस्य कुक्षिषु विभ्रान्ता नैककन्दरसानुषु। हिमवत्युत्तमनदी निपपाताचलोत्तमे ।। ४२.
Wandering through its hollows and many caves, the excellent river descended upon the highest peak of Himavat.
सैवं शैलसहस्राणि दारयन्ती महानदी। स्थलीशतान्यनेकानि प्लावयन्त्याशुगाणिनी ।। ४२.
Thus, the great river split thousands of mountains, flooded countless plains, and swiftly flowed onward.
वनानाञ्च सहस्राणि कन्दराणां शतानि च । स्रावयन्ती महाभागा प्रयाता दक्षिणोदधिम् ।। ४२.
She flooded thousands of forests and hundreds of caves, the blessed river, and proceeded to the southern ocean.
रम्या योजनविस्तीर्णा शैलकुक्षिषु संवृता। याधृता देवदेवेन शङ्करेण महात्मना ।। ४२.
Beautiful and wide as a yojana, enclosed within mountain hollows, she was held by the great-souled god Śaṅkara.