भ्रमन् द्वीपानि भूपीठे कदाचित् कालयोगतः । भूपेन शत्रुणा प्राप्तं स्वम् एव प्राप तत् पुरम्
Wandering among the islands of the earth, it happened by the course of time that he came again to his own city, which had been taken by his enemy.
तान् एवारींश् च तत्रासौ प्रवाहापतितक्रमम् । पौरांश् च मन्त्रिणश् चैव शमी भिक्षाम् अयाचत
There, from those very enemies, as well as from the townspeople and ministers, he, now at peace, begged for alms in the order of those who had fallen into misfortune.
विविदुस् ते ऽरयः पौरा मन्त्रिणश् च भगीरथम् । पूजयाम् आसुर् अथ तं सविषादास् सपर्यया
The citizens, ministers, and others honored Bhagiratha with worship, though their hearts were heavy with sorrow.
प्रभो राज्यं गृहाणेति प्रार्थितो ऽप्य् अरिणा मुनिः । नाददे ऽनादृताशेषस् तृणम् अप्य् अशनाद् ऋते
Even when entreated by his enemy to accept the kingdom, the sage did not take it, disregarding everything except what was necessary for food.
कतिचिद् दिवसांस् तत्र नीत्वान्यत्र जगाम सः । भगीरथो ऽयं हा कष्टम् इति लोकेन शोचितः
After spending a few days there, he departed elsewhere, and the people lamented, 'Alas, this is Bhagiratha—how unfortunate!'
अथान्यत्रोपशान्तात्मा परिविश्रान्तधीस् सुखी । आत्मारामः कदाचित् तु स प्राप त्र्युत्तुलं गुरुम्
Then, with his mind at peace and intellect at rest, content within himself, he at some point met a guru of incomparable greatness.
स्वम् एव स्वागतं कृत्वा तेन सार्धं भगीरथः । कञ्चित् कालम् उवासाद्रौ वने ग्रामे पुरे जने
Bhagiratha welcomed him as his own and, together with him, dwelled for some time on a mountain, in a forest, in a village, or among people in a city.
समताम् उपयातौ तौ गुरुशिष्यौ समौ स्थितौ । कलयाम् आसतुस् स्वस्थौ विनोदं देहधारणम्
The two, teacher and disciple, attained equanimity and remained together, maintaining themselves in well-being and sustaining the body as a pastime.
किम् अयं धार्यते देहः किम् अनेनोज्झितेन नः । यथाक्रमं यथाचारं तिष्ठत्व् एष यथास्थितम्
'Why is this body maintained? What is lost if it is abandoned by us? Let it remain as it is, according to its nature and custom.'
इति निश्चित्य तिष्ठन्तौ तौ वनाद् वनगामिनौ । ननन्दतुर् अनानन्दं न सुखं न च मध्यमम्
Having resolved thus, the two remained, wandering from forest to forest, rejoicing in that which is beyond joy, neither happiness nor its opposite nor anything in between.
धनानि नारीर् विभवान् ऐश्वर्यं चाष्टधोदितम् । सिद्धैर् अप्य् अर्पितं तुष्टैर् मेनाते जर्जरं तृणम्
Even when offered by satisfied siddhas, wealth, women, prosperity, and the eightfold lordship are regarded as mere dry grass.
स्वकर्मणैव देहो ऽयं यावदन्तम् अनिच्छया । धारणीय इति स्वेन कर्मणैवाथ तस्थतुः
This body, produced by one's own actions, must be sustained without desire until its end; thus, by one's own actions, it remains.
अभिननन्दतुर् आगतम् उत्तमौ निजसमाचरणक्रमजं मुनी । सुखम् असौख्यम् अपीप्सितवर्जितौ समसमौ खसमौ शमिनौ स्वतः
Those two noble sages welcomed whatever came, whether happiness or suffering, without desire for either, remaining equal, tranquil, and self-composed like the sky.
अथैकदा पुरश्रेष्ठे कस्मिंश्चिन् मण्डलान्तरे । अनपत्यं नृपं मृत्युर् अहरत् स्वम् इवामिषम्
Then, once, in a certain region within a great city, Death took away a childless king as if seizing his own prey.
तत्र प्रकृतयः खिन्ना नष्टदेशक्रमा नृपम् । अन्विष्यन्ति स्म संयुक्तं गुणलक्ष्म्या विशालया
There, the ministers, distressed and having lost the order of the land, sought a king endowed with great qualities and fortune.
ता भगीरथम् आसाद्य स्थितं भिक्षाशनं पुरे । परिज्ञाय समानीय सैन्यं चक्रुर् महीपतिम्
They, finding Bhagiratha living in the city on alms, recognized him, brought him forth, and made him king with an army.
भगीरथः क्षणेनैव प्रावृषीवाम्बुना सरः । धूलितस् सेनया गुर्व्या झगित्य् आरोपितो गजे
Bhagiratha, in a moment, was covered with the dust of the great army, like a lake by rainwater in the rainy season, and was swiftly mounted on an elephant.
भगीरथो जगन्नाथो जयतीति घनारवैः । नीरन्ध्रताम् उपाजग्मुर् गिरीन्द्राणां महागुहाः
As the shouts of 'Victory to Bhagiratha, Lord of the World!' thundered, the great caves of the mountain lords became completely filled.
तत्र तत् पालयन्तं तं राज्यं राजानम् आदृताः । आजग्मुः प्राक्प्रकृतयः प्राहुर् इत्थं मृताधिपाः
There, as he was ruling that kingdom, the former ministers, honoring the king, approached and spoke thus on behalf of the deceased rulers:
राजन्न् अस्माकम् अधिपो यस् त्वया स पुरा कृतः । मृत्युना विनिगीर्णो ऽसौ मत्स्येनेवामिषं मृदु
O King, the lord who was formerly appointed over us by you has been swallowed by death, just as a fish swallows tender bait.
तत् तत् पालयितुं राज्यं प्रसादं कर्तुम् अर्हसि । अप्रार्थितोपपन्नानां त्यागो ऽर्थानां तु नोचितः
Therefore, you ought to show favor by protecting that kingdom; it is not proper to abandon wealth that has come unasked.
इति सम्प्रार्थितो राजा तद् अङ्गीकृत्य तद्वचः । सर्वसागरचिह्नायास् स बभूव पतिर् भुवः
Thus entreated, the king accepted their words and became the lord of the earth marked by all the oceans.
समश् शान्तमना मौनी वीतरागो विमत्सरः । कार्यकार्यैककरणरतिर् आहितविस्मयः
He was impartial, peaceful in mind, silent, free from passion and envy, devoted only to what should and should not be done, and filled with wonder.
पातालतलनष्टानां सागराकारकारिणाम् । पितामहानां गङ्गाम्बु शुश्रावोत्तारणक्षमम्
He heard that the water of the Ganges was capable of delivering the ancestors who had perished in the netherworld, those who had become like the ocean in form.
तदा किल स्वर्गनदी वहति स्म न भूतले । पितॄणां दुर्लभस् सो ऽभूत् तेन गङ्गाजलाञ्जलिः
At that time, indeed, the heavenly river did not flow upon the earth; thus, an offering of Ganges water was difficult for the ancestors to obtain.
भगीरथेनाथ महीम् अवतारयितुं दिवः । गङ्गां गृहीतो नियमस् तदा प्रभृति भूभृता
Then, Bhagiratha undertook a vow to bring the Ganges down from heaven to earth, and from that time, the kings have followed this observance.
ततो राज्यं परित्यज्य मन्त्रिणां भूपतिश् शमी । तपसे कार्यकार्येहो जगाम गहनं वनम्
Then, having renounced the kingdom at the counsel of his ministers, the king went to the dense forest for the sake of ascetic practice and to discern what should and should not be done.
तत्र वर्षसहस्रैस् स समाराध्य पुनः पुनः । ब्रह्माणं शङ्करं जह्नुं भुवि गङ्गाम् अयोजयत्
There, over thousands of years, he repeatedly worshipped Brahma, Shankara, and Jahnu, and caused the Ganga to descend to earth.
ततः प्रभृत्य् अमलतरङ्गभङ्गिनी जगत्पतेश् शशिविशदाङ्गसङ्गिनी । नभस्तलान् निपतति गां त्रिमार्गगा महात्मनाम् इव बहुपुण्यसन्ततिः
From that time onward, the Ganga—whose waves are pure and whose flow is immaculate, shining like the moon and touching the limbs of the Lord of the universe—descends from the sky to the earth along three paths, like the abundant lineage of merit among the great-souled.
स्फुरत्तरङ्गभङ्गिनी स्वफेनपुञ्जहासिनी प्रसन्नपुण्यमञ्जरी द्रुतेव धर्मसन्ततिः । भगीरथे महीपतौ यशःप्रचारवीथिका तदादि सा त्रिमार्गगा महीतले बभूव ह
With waves that shimmer and break, laughing with clusters of its own foam, a clear and auspicious stream, swift as the flow of righteousness, the threefold Ganga became, from that time, the celebrated path of fame on earth for King Bhagiratha.