As Rāma and his companions journeyed onward, they came upon the beautiful Śoṇa river. Its waters were pure and deep, and the sandbanks gleamed in the sunlight. Rāma, marveling at this sight, turned to the sage Viśvāmitra and asked, “O sage, by which path shall we cross this lovely river?” Viśvāmitra replied, “This is the very path I have indicated, the one by which the great sages themselves travel.” Guided by the wise Viśvāmitra, the company of sages proceeded, their eyes taking in the varied forests along the way. After traveling a great distance, and as half the day had passed, they came upon the Jāhnavī—the foremost of rivers, beloved by sages and holy men. Upon beholding that sacred river, where swans and cranes made their home, joy blossomed in the hearts of all, including Rāghava himself. There, on the river’s bank, they prepared their resting place for the night. According to custom, each bathed in the holy waters, then offered oblations to the ancestors and to the deities. After performing the sacred fire rituals and partaking of offerings as sweet as nectar, they entered the auspicious banks of the Jāhnavī, their minds uplifted and serene. Seated respectfully around the great sage Viśvāmitra, with Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa among them, Rāma—his heart filled with delight—addressed the sage. “Revered one,” he said, “I wish to hear about Gaṅgā, the river that traverses three paths. How did she, after conquering the three worlds, become the lord of rivers?” At Rāma’s gentle urging, the illustrious Viśvāmitra began to recount the story of Gaṅgā’s origin and birth. “O Rāma,” he said, “Himavat, the lord of mountains and source of precious minerals, had two daughters of incomparable beauty. Their mother was Menā, the lovely, slender-waisted daughter of Meru, and Himavat’s beloved wife. From Menā was born Gaṅgā, the eldest daughter, and her younger sister was Umā. “In time, the gods, wishing to accomplish their divine tasks, sought Gaṅgā—the river that flows in three paths—from Himavat, the mountain king. Himavat, acting righteously, gave his eldest daughter, Gaṅgā, purifier of the worlds, to flow by her own will for the welfare of the three worlds. The gods, their purpose fulfilled, departed joyfully with Gaṅgā, who would bring benefit to all the realms. “As for Umā, the other daughter of the mountain, she was steadfast in severe vows and practiced intense austerity. Himavat gave Umā, revered by all and unmatched in beauty, to Rudra, for she was adorned with fierce penance. Thus, O Rāghava, these are the two daughters of the king of mountains, honored throughout the world: Gaṅgā, the best of rivers, and Umā Devī. “All this, O best of the wise, is how the threefold-flowing Gaṅgā first ascended to the sky. The beautiful, divine river, daughter of the lord of mountains, rose up to the world of the gods, sinless and bearing her sacred waters.” After Viśvāmitra finished, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, eager to hear more, addressed the sage again. “O Brāhmaṇa, you have told us this supreme and righteous account. Please, describe in detail the birth of Gaṅgā, the eldest daughter of the king of mountains. You alone know the full story of her divine and human origins. By what cause does Gaṅgā, purifier of the worlds, flow in three paths? How did she come to be known as the threefold-flowing one? In the three worlds, by what deeds and with whose association did she act?” Viśvāmitra, rich in austerity, replied in the midst of the sages, narrating the tale in full: “Long ago, O Rāma, the great ascetic Śitikaṇṭha, newly wed, beheld the goddess and, filled with love, united with her. The great and wise Mahādeva, blue-throated and mighty, sported thus with his consort for a hundred divine years. Yet, O Rāma, no son was born to them. The gods, led by the Grandsire, grew deeply concerned. “They wondered, ‘If a being is born here, who will be able to withstand it?’ So, all the gods approached the Lord, bowed before him, and spoke: ‘O God of gods, great Lord, who delights in the welfare of the world, by our prostration, show us your favor. The worlds cannot bear your energy, O best of gods. Endowed with Brahma’s austerity, practice restraint together with the goddess. For the good of the three worlds, restrain your energy within itself; protect all these realms and do not render them uninhabitable.’ “Hearing these words, the great Lord of all worlds replied, ‘So be it,’ and said further, ‘I shall restrain my energy with energy itself, along with the goddess; let the gods and the earth attain peace. But this supreme energy of mine, which has been stirred—who will bear it? Let the best of the gods tell me this.’ “The gods answered, ‘The energy of yours that has been stirred today, the earth will bear it.’ Thus addressed, the mighty Lord released his great energy, which filled the earth with mountains and forests. “Then the gods spoke to Agni: ‘O you of great energy, fierce and swift as the wind, enter and contain this power.’ Thus, filled again by Agni, there arose the White Mountain and the divine Saravana, shining like fire and the sun.” And so, the story of Gaṅgā’s birth and her triple path began to unfold before Rāma and the assembled sages, as told by the great Viśvāmitra.