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.
देवदेवे गते तस्मिन् सोऽङ्गुष्ठाग्रनिपीडिताम् । कृत्वा वसुमतीं राम वत्सरं समुपासत ॥१-४३-
When the Lord of gods had departed, Rāma, Bhagiratha pressed his thumb upon the earth and performed worship for a year.
अथ संवत्सरे पूर्णे सर्वलोकनमस्कृतः । उमापतिः पशुपती राजानमिदमब्रवीत् ॥१-४३-
When the year was complete, the revered Lord of all beings, Umāpati, Paśupati, spoke these words to the king.
प्रीतस्तेऽहं नरश्रेष्ठ करिष्यामि तव प्रियम् । शिरसा धारयिष्यामि शैलराजसुतामहम् ॥१-४३-
I am pleased with you, best of men; I will do what pleases you. I shall bear the daughter of the mountain-king upon my head.
ततो हैमवती ज्येष्ठा सर्वलोकनमस्कृता । तदा सातिमहद्रूपं कृत्वा वेगं च दुःसहम्॥१-४३-
Then the eldest daughter of Himavat, honored by all the worlds, assumed a most immense form and an unbearable speed.
आकाशादपतद् राम शिवे शिवशिरस्युत । अचिन्तयच्च सा देवी गङ्गा परमदुर्धरा ॥१-४३-
From the sky, O Rāma, Ganga descended and landed upon Shiva, upon the head of Shiva; that goddess, Ganga, most difficult to restrain, considered her course.
विशाम्यहं हि पातालं स्त्रोतसा गृह्य शङ्करम् । तस्यावलेपनं ज्ञात्वा क्रुद्धस्तु भगवान् हरः ॥१-४३-
I entered the netherworld, seizing the stream and Shiva; recognizing her arrogance, the blessed Lord Hara became angry.
तिरोभावयितुं बुद्धिं चक्रे त्रिनयनस्तदा । सा तस्मिन् पतिता पुण्या पुण्ये रुद्रस्य मूर्धनि॥१-४३-
Then the three-eyed one resolved to conceal her; that sacred river fell upon the holy head of Rudra.
हिमवत्प्रतिमे राम जटामण्डलगह्वरे । सा कथंचिन्महीं गन्तुं नाशक्नोद् यत्नमास्थिता ॥१-४३-
O Rama, in the cavern of Shiva’s matted locks, resembling the Himalaya, she strove but could not manage to reach the earth.
नैव सा निर्गमं लेभे जटामण्डलमन्ततः । तत्रैवाबभ्रमद् देवी संवत्सरगणान् बहून् ॥१-४३-
She found no exit from the mass of matted hair; there the goddess wandered for many years.
तामपश्यत् पुनस्तत्र तपः परममास्थितः । स तेन तोषितश्चासीदत्यन्तं रघुनन्दन ॥१-४३-
There, again, one performing supreme austerity saw her; he was greatly pleased by her presence, O delight of the Raghu lineage.
विससर्ज ततो गङ्गां हरो बिन्दुसरः प्रति । तस्यां विसृज्यमानायां सप्त स्रोतांसि जज्ञिरे ॥१-४३-
Then Hara released the Ganga toward the Bindusaras lake; as she was released, seven streams emerged.