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.
मनोरथो महानेष भगीरथ महारथ । एवं भवतु भद्रं ते इक्ष्वाकुकुलवर्धन ॥१-४२-
Great indeed is this desire of yours, O Bhagiratha, mighty chariot-warrior; so let it be, welfare be upon you, enhancer of the Ikshvaku line.
इयं हैमवती ज्येष्ठा गङ्गा हिमवतः सुता । तां वै धारयितुं राजन् हरस्तत्र नियुज्यताम् ॥१-४२-
This eldest daughter of the Himalaya, Ganga, is to be sustained, O king; let Hara (Shiva) be appointed there to bear her.
गङ्गायाः पतनं राजन् पृथिवी न सहिष्यते । तां वै धारयितुं राजन् नान्यं पश्यामि शूलिनः ॥१-४२-
O king, the earth cannot endure the descent of Ganga; I see no one but the trident-bearer (Shiva) fit to sustain her.
तमेवमुक्त्वा राजानं गङ्गां चाभाष्य लोककृत् । जगाम त्रिदिवं देवैः सर्वैः सह मरुद्गणैः ॥१-४२-
Having thus spoken to the king and addressed Ganga, the creator of the worlds departed to heaven with all the gods and hosts of Maruts.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ॥१-
Thus ends the forty-second sarga in the Bālakāṇḍa of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, the first poem.
thumb|त्रिचत्वारिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे त्रिचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ॥१-
Let the forty-third sarga be heard in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa.