Himavat, the noble lord of mountains, righteously gave his daughter Gaṅgā—she who purifies all the worlds and flows by her own divine will—for the benefit of the three realms. Having received Gaṅgā for the sake of all beings, those who sought the welfare of the worlds departed, their purpose fulfilled and their hearts at peace. The other daughter of Himavat, steadfast and resolute in severe vows, practiced intense austerity. Thus, the lord of mountains bestowed Umā, revered by all and unmatched in beauty, upon Rudra—she who was radiant with her fierce asceticism. O Rāghava, these two daughters of the king of mountains, Gaṅgā, the holiest of rivers, and Umā Devī, are honored by the world. O best of the wise, all this has now been recounted to you: how Gaṅgā, the threefold-flowing one, first ascended to the heavens. That beautiful, divine river, sinless and bearing pure waters, rose up to the world of the gods as the daughter of Himavat. When Viśvāmitra, the great sage, had finished his tale, the heroic Rāghava and Lakṣmaṇa received his words with joy and reverence. They addressed the eminent sage, saying, “O Brāhmaṇa, you have told us this supreme and righteous account. Now, please describe in detail the birth of the eldest daughter of the king of mountains, for you alone know the full story of her divine and earthly origins. By what cause does Gaṅgā, purifier of the worlds, flow in three paths? How did she become renowned as the threefold-flowing one? In the three worlds, by what deeds and with whose association did she act?” Thus questioned, Viśvāmitra, rich in austerity, began to narrate the entire story among the gathered sages. “Long ago, O Rāma,” he said, “the great ascetic Śitikaṇṭha, Mahādeva, was newly wed. Beholding the goddess, the blessed Lord united with her, and as the wise and blue-throated god thus sported, a hundred divine years passed. Yet, O Rāma, no son was born to her. Seeing this, all the gods, led by the Grandsire, became deeply concerned, wondering, ‘If a being is born here, who will be able to withstand it?’ So, all the gods approached Mahādeva, bowed down, and spoke: ‘O God of gods, great Lord who delights in the welfare of the world, by our prostration, please show us your favor. The worlds will not be able to bear your energy, O best of gods. Endowed with Brahma’s austerity, practice penance together with the goddess. For the good of the three worlds, restrain your energy within energy itself. Protect all these worlds—you must not render them uninhabitable.’ Hearing the words of the gods, the great Lord of all replied, ‘So be it,’ and then continued, ‘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 its mountains and forests. Once more, the gods spoke, this time to Agni: ‘Enter, you of great energy, fierce and accompanied by wind.’ Thus, filled again by Agni, there arose the White Mountain and the divine Saravana, shining like fire and the sun. There, from Agni, was born the greatly radiant Kartikeya. In that moment, the gods and hosts of sages worshipped Umā and Śiva with great devotion, their minds exceedingly pleased. But the daughter of the mountain, Umā, spoke to the gods, her eyes red with anger. She cursed them all: ‘Because I was restrained, though I had joined for the sake of a child, you shall not beget offspring in your own wives; from this day forth, may your wives be childless.’ Having thus cursed the gods, she also cursed the earth: ‘O earth, you shall not have a single form; you shall become one with many wives. And you, whose mind is so clouded, will not obtain the joy that comes from a son, for you do not desire my son and have angered me.’ Seeing all the gods afflicted, the lord of the gods set out toward the region guarded by Varuṇa. There, on the northern slope of a peak born of Himavat, the great Śiva undertook austerities together with the goddess. O Rāma, this account has been related to you by the daughter of the mountain. Now, listen as I tell of the origin of Gaṅgā. While the god was engaged in austerities, the gods, with Indra and Agni at their head, approached the Grandfather Brahmā, seeking a commander for their army. They bowed to the blessed Grandfather and said, ‘O god, the commander of the army whom you once appointed is now engaged in severe austerities with his wife. Whatever must now be done for the welfare of the worlds, arrange it, O knower of order, for you are our supreme refuge.’ Thus, the tale of the divine daughters of Himavat, the birth of Gaṅgā, and the wondrous events that shaped the three worlds was revealed by the sage, faithfully recounting the sacred story to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.