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.
ह्लादिनी पावनी चैव नलिनी च तथैव च । तिस्रः प्राचीं दिशं जग्मुर्गङ्गाः शिवजलाः शुभाः ॥१-४३-
Hladini, Pāvani, and Nalinī likewise—three auspicious waters of Shiva flowed eastward.
सुचक्षुश्चैव सीता च सिन्धुश्चैव महानदी । तिस्रश्चैता दिशं जग्मुः प्रतीचीं तु दिशं शुभाः ॥१-४३-
Suchakshu, Sita, and Sindhu, the great river—these three auspicious streams went toward the west.
सप्तमी चान्वगात् तासां भगीरथरथं तदा । भगीरथोऽपि राजर्षिर्दिव्यं स्यंदनमास्थितः ॥१-४३-
The seventh followed the chariot of Bhagiratha; Bhagiratha, the royal sage, mounted his divine vehicle.
प्रायादग्रे महातेजा गङ्गा तं चाप्यनुव्रजत् । गगनाच्छङ्करशिरस्ततो धरणिमागता ॥१-४३-
The mighty Ganga proceeded ahead, and he followed her; from the sky, from Shiva’s head, she descended to the earth.
असर्पत जलं तत्र तीव्रशब्दपुरस्कृतम् । मत्स्यकच्छपसङ्घैश्च शिंशुमारगणैस्तथा ॥१-४३-
There the water flowed, accompanied by a fierce sound, with crowds of fish, turtles, and groups of dolphins.
पतद्भिः पतितैश्चैव व्यरोचत वसुंधरा । ततो देवर्षिगन्धर्वा यक्षसिद्धगणास्तथा ॥१-४३-
As they fell and landed, the earth shone; then the hosts of divine sages, Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Siddhas likewise.
व्यलोकयन्त ते तत्र गगनाद् गां गतां तदा । विमानैर्नगराकारैर्हयैर्गजवरैस्तदा ॥१-४३-
They observed her as she descended from the sky to the earth, with flying palaces shaped like cities, horses, and noble elephants.
पारिप्लवगताश्चापि देवतास्तत्र विष्ठिताः । तदद्भुतमिमं लोके गङ्गावतरमुत्तमम् ॥१-४३-
The gods, stationed there, moved about in boats; they witnessed this wondrous, supreme descent of the Ganga in the world.
दिदृक्षवो देवगणाः समीयुरमितौजसः । सम्पतद्भिः सुरगणैस्तेषां चाभरणौजसा ॥१-४३-
Desiring to see, the hosts of gods, immeasurably powerful, gathered; as they flew, their ornaments shone brightly.