कपिलेनाप्रमेयेण दग्धा हीमे महाबलाः । सलिलं नार्हसि प्राज्ञ दातुमेषां हि लौकिकम् ॥१-४१-
'These mighty ones were burned by the immeasurable Kapila; you should not, O wise one, offer them ordinary water.'
गङ्गा हिमवतो ज्येष्ठा दुहिता पुरुषर्षभ । तस्यां कुरु महाबाहो पितॄणां तु जल क्रियाम् ॥१-४१-
'Gaṅgā, eldest daughter of Himavat, O best of men, in her you must perform the water-rite for your ancestors, O mighty-armed.'
भस्मराशीकृतानेतान् प्लावयेल्लोकपावनी । तया क्लिन्नमिदं भस्म गङ्गया लोककान्तया । षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोकं गमिष्यति ॥१-४१-
'The purifier of worlds, Gaṅgā, will wash over these who have become heaps of ashes; when this ash is moistened by beloved Gaṅgā, sixty thousand sons will attain the heavenly realm.'
निर्गच्छाश्वं महाभाग संगृह्य पुरुषर्षभ। यज्ञं पैतामहं वीर निर्वर्तयितुमर्हसि॥१-४१-
'Go forth, O fortunate one, gather the horse, O best of men; you must complete the ancestral sacrifice, O hero.'
सुपर्णवचनं श्रुत्वा सोंऽशुमानतिवीर्यवान् । त्वरितं हयमादाय पुनरायान्महातपाः ॥१-४१-
Hearing Suparṇa's words, the radiant and exceedingly powerful one quickly took the horse and returned, the great ascetic.
ततो राजानमासाद्य दीक्षितं रघुनन्दन । न्यवेदयद् यथावृत्तं सुपर्णवचनं तथा ॥१-४१-
Then, approaching the consecrated king, O descendant of Raghu, he reported all that had happened, including the words spoken by Suparṇa.
तच्छ्रुत्वा घोरसंकाशं वाक्यमंशुमतो नृपः । यज्ञं निर्वर्तयामास यथाकल्पं यथाविधि ॥१-४१-
Hearing those dreadful words from Aṃśumat, the king completed the sacrifice according to the prescribed rites and procedures.
स्वपुरं त्वगमच्छ्रीमानिष्टयज्ञो महीपतिः । गङ्गायाश्चागमे राजा निश्चयं नाध्यगच्छत ॥१-४१-
The illustrious king, having performed the desired sacrifice, returned to his own city; yet, regarding the descent of the Ganga, he found no resolution.
अगत्वा निश्चयं राजा कालेन महता महान् । त्रिंशद्वर्षसहस्राणि राज्यं कृत्वा दिवं गतः ॥१-४१-
Without achieving a resolution, the great king, after ruling for thirty thousand years, departed to heaven in due course of time.
thumb|द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ॥१-
Listen now to the forty-second chapter.
कालधर्मं गते राम सगरे प्रकृतीजनाः । राजानं रोचयामासुरंशुमन्तं सुधार्मिकम् ॥१-४२-
When Sagara passed away according to the law of time, the people chose Aṃśumān, who was supremely righteous, as king.
स राजा सुमहानासीदंशुमान् रघुनन्दन । तस्य पुत्रो महानासीद् दिलीप इति विश्रुतः ॥१-४२-
That king Aṃśumān was exceedingly great, O descendant of Raghu; his renowned son was the illustrious Dilīpa.
तस्मै राज्यं समादिश्य दिलीपे रघुनन्दन । हिमवच्छिखरे रम्ये तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् ॥१-४२-
Having entrusted the kingdom to Dilīpa, O descendant of Raghu, Aṃśumān performed severe austerities on the beautiful peak of the Himalaya.
द्वात्रिंशच्छतसाहस्रं वर्षाणि सुमहायशाः । तपोवनगतो राजा स्वर्गं लेभे तपोधनः ॥१-४२-
The king of great fame, dwelling in the forest of ascetics for thirty-two thousand years, attained heaven, enriched by his austerities.
दिलीपस्तु महातेजाः श्रुत्वा पैतामहं वधम् । दुःखोपहतया बुद्ध्या निश्चयं नाध्यगच्छत ॥१-४२-
But Dilīpa, endowed with great energy, upon hearing of his ancestors' destruction, was overcome by grief and could not reach a decision.
कथं गङ्गावतरणं कथं तेषां जलक्रिया । तारयेयं कथं चैतानिति चिन्तापरोऽभवत् ॥१-४२-
How might the descent of the Ganga be accomplished? How could the funeral rites with water be performed for them? How might I deliver them? Thus he was absorbed in thought.
तस्य चिन्तयतो नित्यं धर्मेण विदितात्मनः । पुत्रो भगीरथो नाम जज्ञे परमधार्मिकः ॥१-४२-
While he was constantly pondering this, being self-controlled and devoted to righteousness, a son named Bhagīratha, supremely virtuous, was born to him.
दिलीपस्तु महातेजा यज्ञैर्बहुभिरिष्टवान् । त्रिंशद्वर्षसहस्राणि राजा राज्यमकारयत् ॥१-४२-
Dilīpa, of great splendor, performed many sacrifices; for thirty thousand years the king ruled the kingdom.
अगत्वा निश्चयं राजा तेषामुद्धरणं प्रति । व्याधिना नरशार्दूल कालधर्ममुपेयिवान् ॥१-४२-
Without achieving a resolution regarding their deliverance, the king, O tiger among men, was overtaken by disease and met his end according to the law of time.
इन्द्रलोकं गतो राजा स्वार्जितेनैव कर्मणा । राज्ये भगीरथं पुत्रमभिषिच्य नरर्षभः ॥१-४२-
The king, by his own accumulated merit, went to the world of Indra, having anointed his son Bhagīratha as king.
भगीरथस्तु राजर्षिर्धार्मिको रघुनन्दन । अनपत्यो महाराजः प्रजाकामः स च प्रजाः ॥१-४२-
Bhagīratha, the royal sage and righteous one, O descendant of Raghu, was a great king without offspring, yet desirous of progeny and subjects.
मन्त्रिष्वाधाय तद् राज्यं गङ्गावतरणे रतः । तपो दीर्घं समातिष्ठद् गोकर्णे रघुनन्दन ॥१-४२-
Entrusting the kingdom to his ministers, intent on bringing down the Ganga, he undertook long austerities at Gokarna, O descendant of Raghu.
ऊर्ध्वबाहुः पञ्चतपा मासाहारो जितेन्द्रियः । तस्य वर्षसहस्राणि घोरे तपसि तिष्ठतः ॥१-४२-
With arms raised, practicing the fivefold austerity, subsisting on monthly food, and having mastered his senses, he stood in terrible penance for a thousand years.
अतीतानि महाबाहो तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः । सुप्रीतो भगवान् ब्रह्मा प्रजानां प्रभुरीश्वरः ॥१-४२-
O mighty-armed one, when that great-souled king's austerities had passed, the blessed Lord Brahmā, the master and ruler of beings, was greatly pleased.
भगीरथ महाराज प्रीतस्तेऽहं जनाधिप । तपसा च सुतप्तेन वरं वरय सुव्रत ॥१-४२-
O King Bhagiratha, I am pleased with you, lord of men; by your well-performed austerity, choose a boon, O steadfast one.
तमुवाच महातेजाः सर्वलोकपितामहम् । भगीरथो महाबाहुः कृताञ्जलिपुटः स्थितः ॥१-४२-
Standing with joined palms, the radiant Bhagiratha, mighty-armed, addressed the Grandsire of all worlds.
यदि मे भगवान् प्रीतो यद्यस्ति तपसः फलम् । सगरस्यात्मजाः सर्वे मत्तः सलिलमाप्नुयुः ॥१-४२-
If the Blessed One is pleased with me, if my austerity has borne fruit, may all the sons of Sagara receive water from me.
गङ्गायाः सलिलक्लिन्ने भस्मन्येषां महात्मनाम् । स्वर्गं गच्छेयुरत्यन्तं सर्वे च प्रपितामहाः ॥१-४२-
May all those great souls, whose ashes are moistened by the waters of the Ganga, attain the highest heaven, along with their ancestors.
देव याचे ह संतत्यै नावसीदेत् कुलं च नः । इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले देव एष मेऽस्तु वरः परः ॥१-४२-
O god, I ask this for the sake of my lineage, so that our race does not perish; let this supreme boon be granted to me in the line of Ikshvaku, O Lord.
उक्तवाक्यं तु राजानं सर्वलोकपितामहः । प्रत्युवाच शुभां वाणीं मधुरां मधुराक्षराम् ॥१-४२-
Then the Grandsire of all worlds addressed the king, speaking auspicious and sweet words.