With a heart full of devotion, Bhagiratha stood before the Blessed One, his voice steady with hope and reverence. He prayed, “If you are pleased with me, if my austerities have truly borne fruit, may all the sons of Sagara at last receive water through my efforts. May the ashes of those great souls, when moistened by the sacred waters of the Ganga, grant them the highest heaven together with their ancestors. O Lord, I ask this not for myself alone, but for the sake of my lineage, so that the line of Ikshvaku does not perish. Grant me this supreme boon, O Grandsire.” Hearing Bhagiratha’s earnest plea, the Grandsire of all worlds—Brahma—spoke to the king in auspicious and gentle tones. “Great indeed is your desire, O Bhagiratha, mighty chariot-warrior. So let it be; welfare be upon you, enhancer of the Ikshvaku line. Yet know this: Ganga, the eldest daughter of the Himalaya, must be sustained. Let Hara—Shiva—be appointed to bear her descent. For, O king, the earth cannot endure the force of Ganga’s fall; I see no one but the trident-bearing Shiva who is fit to sustain her.” Having thus spoken to Bhagiratha and addressing Ganga herself, Brahma, the creator of the worlds, departed for heaven with all the gods and the hosts of Maruts. After the gods had departed, Bhagiratha, steadfast in his resolve, pressed his thumb upon the earth and entered into deep worship for a full year. When that year had passed, the revered Lord of all beings—Shiva, the beloved of Uma, the Lord of creatures—appeared before the king and spoke graciously, “I am pleased with you, best of men. I shall do as you desire. I will bear the daughter of the mountain-king upon my head.” At Shiva’s word, Ganga, the eldest and most honored daughter of Himavat, assumed a vast and tumultuous form, her speed and force beyond measure. From the heavens, she descended with great might, aiming to land upon Shiva’s head. The goddess Ganga, difficult to restrain, considered her path as she fell. But, recognizing her pride and the ferocity of her descent, the blessed Lord Hara became angry. The three-eyed one resolved to contain her, and so, as Ganga crashed down, she was caught in the dense matted locks of Shiva. There, in the cavernous coils of his hair, vast as the Himalayas themselves, Ganga struggled but could not find a way to the earth. For many years, the goddess wandered, unable to escape the net of Shiva’s matted hair. At last, moved by Bhagiratha’s continuing austerity and devotion, Shiva was pleased once more. He released Ganga from his hair, directing her toward the sacred lake of Bindusaras. As she was set free, the celestial river split into seven streams. Three—Hladini, Pavani, and Nalini—flowed eastward, while Suchakshu, Sita, and the mighty Sindhu streamed to the west. The seventh and principal stream followed closely behind Bhagiratha’s chariot. Bhagiratha, the royal sage, mounted his divine vehicle, and led the mighty Ganga as she surged ahead. From the sky, from Shiva’s very head, Ganga descended to the earth with a roar, her waters teeming with fish, turtles, and dolphins. As the sacred river fell and spread across the land, the earth shone with new brilliance. Hosts of divine sages, Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Siddhas gathered to witness this wondrous descent. From the sky, celestial palaces shaped like cities, horses, and noble elephants floated, as the gods moved about in boats, marveling at the supreme descent of Ganga to the mortal world. The gods, their ornaments gleaming, crowded the heavens, eager to behold the river’s fall. The sky itself was transformed—filled with clouds and shining like a hundred suns, alive with dolphins, serpents, and restless fish. Lightning-like flashes danced amidst the surging, pale waters, which spread in thousands of streams. Flocks of swans drifted like autumn clouds, while Ganga’s course shifted—sometimes swift, sometimes crooked, sometimes broad, sometimes gentle. At moments, her waters leapt upwards, then fell back to earth; again and again, the river tumbled from Shiva’s head to the ground below. Wherever her waters landed, pure and cleansed of all impurity, the sages and Gandharvas dwelling on earth hastened to touch them, declaring them sacred. Those who had fallen from heaven to earth by a curse, upon bathing in those holy waters, were freed from their impurities and sins, endowed with auspiciousness. Ascending once more to the sky, they regained their own worlds, while the people of earth rejoiced, delighting in the radiant stream. Thus, ablution in the Ganga brought purification to all, and Bhagiratha, the royal sage, mounted his divine chariot once more, leading the sacred river onward to fulfill his vow.