Desiring to witness the wondrous event, hosts of gods—immeasurably powerful—gathered in great numbers. As they soared through the heavens, their ornaments gleamed brightly, illuminating the sky. The firmament itself, filled with clouds and radiant like a hundred suns, was adorned with dolphins, serpents, and restless fish, creating a marvelous spectacle. Lightning scattered across the sky, and pale, surging waters spread in thousands of streams, shimmering with their own brilliance. Flocks of swans, like autumn clouds, drifted through the air, while the river below moved sometimes swiftly, sometimes crookedly, and at other times broadened in its course. In some places, the waters surged upward; elsewhere, they flowed gently and slowly, and at times, the waters collided and mingled with one another. Again and again, the river’s waters rose toward the heavens, only to fall back to earth. Those drops that descended from Śaṅkara’s (Śiva’s) head returned to the ground, completing their celestial journey. The water, now pure and cleansed of all impurity, shone brilliantly. The hosts of sages and Gandharvas dwelling on earth touched the water fallen from Bhava’s (Śiva’s) body, declaring it sacred. Those beings who had been cast down from the sky to earth by a curse performed ablutions in the holy water. Their sins were washed away, and they became endowed with auspiciousness. Ascending once more into the sky, they regained their own worlds, rejoicing with delight in the radiant water. The people, too, were filled with joy, purified by their ablutions in the Gaṅgā. Bhagiratha, the royal sage, mounted his divine chariot, and the great king proceeded ahead, with Gaṅgā following behind him. All the gods, sages, Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas, along with the foremost Gandharvas and Yakṣas, Kinnaras, great serpents, and all the Apsarases, followed Bhagiratha’s chariot. The water-dwellers, pleased, accompanied Gaṅgā, and wherever King Bhagiratha went, the glorious river followed. The best of rivers, the destroyer of all sins, advanced on her path. When she reached the sacrificial ground of Jahnu, the great performer of rites, Gaṅgā flooded the area. Perceiving her insolence, Jahnu became angry and performed an extraordinary feat—he drank up all the water of Gaṅgā. The gods, Gandharvas, and sages were astonished by this act. They honored the great-souled Jahnu, the best of men, and entreated him to accept Gaṅgā as his daughter. Pleased, the radiant sage released the river from his ears. Thus, Gaṅgā became known as the daughter of Jahnu, and is also called Jāhnavī. Once again, Gaṅgā followed Bhagiratha’s chariot, and the foremost of rivers reached the ocean. She entered the netherworld to fulfill the purpose of Bhagiratha’s deed, and the royal sage carefully guided her. There, Bhagiratha saw his ancestors, reduced to ashes and devoid of consciousness. He washed the heap of ashes with the excellent water of Gaṅgā, and their sins were purified; they attained heaven, O best of the Raghu line. Following the course of Gaṅgā, the king reached the ocean and entered the earth’s depths where the ashes of his ancestors lay. When these ashes were immersed in the waters of Gaṅgā, Brahma, lord of all worlds, spoke to the king, saying: “O tiger among men, the sixty thousand sons of the great Sagara have been delivered and have ascended to heaven like the gods. As long as the ocean’s water exists in the world, O king, all the sons of Sagara will remain in heaven.” Brahma continued, “This Gaṅgā will be your eldest daughter; she will be renowned in the world by your name, through your deed. The divine Gaṅgā is called Tripathaga and also Bhagirathi; since she traverses three paths, she is remembered as Tripathaga. You are the ancestor of all the forefathers here, O king of men; perform the water-rite and fulfill your vow. “Previously, O king, this wish was not attained by your illustrious and righteous predecessor. Likewise, Aṃśumān, whose brilliance was unmatched, sought to bring Gaṅgā but could not fulfill his vow. The royal sage Dilipa, virtuous and equal to great sages in brilliance, whose asceticism matched mine and who upheld the warrior’s duty—Dilipa, your father, whose radiance surpassed yours, was also unable to bring Gaṅgā, though he desired it. “But you, O best of men, have surpassed that vow; you have attained the highest and most esteemed fame in the world. This descent of Gaṅgā has been accomplished by you; through this, you have reached the great abode of righteousness. Immerse yourself, O best among men, in the water as is proper; be pure and obtain the fruit of merit. Perform the water-rite for all your forefathers; may you fare well. I shall depart to my own realm; you may go, O king.” Having spoken thus, the lord of the gods, the grandsire of all worlds, departed as he had come, returning to the realm of the gods. Then Bhagiratha, the royal sage, performed the excellent water-rite for the Sagaras, renowned, according to proper order and custom.