Critical Edition
लोमश उवाच भगीरथवचः श्रुत्वा प्रियार्थं च दिवौकसाम् एवमस्त्विति राजानं भगवान्प्रत्यभाषत
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said: Having heard the words of Bhagiratha, the exalted deity in order to do what was agreeable to the dwellers of heaven and to the king “So be it."
धारयिष्ये महाबाहो गगनात्प्रच्युतां शिवाम् दिव्यां देवनदीं पुण्यां त्वत्कृते नृपसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: "O mighty-armed hero, O foremost of kings, for your sake I shall sustain (on may head) the fall from the sky of that blessed divine and pure, celestials river.”
एवमुक्त्वा महाबाहो हिमवन्तमुपागमत् संवृतः पार्षदैर्घोरैर्नानाप्रहरणोद्यतैः
M. N. Dutt: O mighty-armed hero, having seed this, he came to the Himalayas surrounded by his fearful followers with uplifted weapons of various sorts.
ततः स्थित्वा नरश्रेष्ठं भगीरथमुवाच ह प्रयाचस्व महाबाहो शैलराजसुतां नदीम् पतमानां सरिच्छ्रेष्ठां धारयिष्ये त्रिविष्टपात्
M. N. Dutt: Remaining there he thus spoke to that best of men, Bhagiratha, “O mighty-armed hero, pray to the river, the daughter of the king of mountains.
Supplementary Passages:
3.108.4 After 4cd, S ins.: *535 पितॄणां पावनार्थं ते तामहं मनुजाधिप
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राजा शर्वेण समुदाहृतम् प्रयतः प्रणतो भूत्वा गङ्गां समनुचिन्तयत्
AI Translation: Hearing these words spoken by Śiva, the king, becoming attentive and bowing down, contemplated on Gaṅgā.
ततः पुण्यजला रम्या राज्ञा समनुचिन्तिता ईशानं च स्थितं दृष्ट्वा गगनात्सहसा च्युता
AI Translation: Then, the beautiful and meritorious water was contemplated by the king. Seeing the Lord standing in the sky, she suddenly fell from the sky.
तां प्रच्युतां ततो दृष्ट्वा देवाः सार्धं महर्षिभिः गन्धर्वोरगरक्षांसि समाजग्मुर्दिदृक्षया
AI Translation: Seeing her fallen, the gods, together with the great sages, and the gandharvas, serpents, and demons, gathered to see her.
ततः पपात गगनाद्गङ्गा हिमवतः सुता समुद्भ्रान्तमहावर्ता मीनग्राहसमाकुला
AI Translation: Then the Ganges, the daughter of the Himalayas, fell from the sky, with great whirlpools churning, filled with fish and crocodiles,
तां दधार हरो राजन्गङ्गां गगनमेखलाम् ललाटदेशे पतितां मालां मुक्तामयीमिव
M. N. Dutt: Full of fishes and alligators and full of raging whirlpools. O king, Hara (Shiva) (instantly) held her (on his head) who was like a girdle to the sky and falling on his forehead she looked like a garland of pearls.
सा बभूव विसर्पन्ती त्रिधा राजन्समुद्रगा फेनपुञ्जाकुलजला हंसानामिव पङ्क्तयः
AI Translation: She became divided into three streams, O king, flowing into the ocean, with waters agitated by masses of foam, like rows of swans.
क्वचिदाभोगकुटिला प्रस्खलन्ती क्वचित्क्वचित् स्वफेनपटसंवीता मत्तेव प्रमदाव्रजत् क्वचित्सा तोयनिनदैर्नदन्ती नादमुत्तमम्
AI Translation: In some places, crooked with waves, stumbling in some places, In some places, covered with a curtain of her own foam, like a drunken woman, she moves. In some places,
Supplementary Passages:
3.108.11 After 11, S (except G1) ins.: *536 क्वचिदाकाशमावर्तैः संक्षिपन्तीव सर्वशः
एवं प्रकारान्सुबहून्कुर्वन्ती गगनाच्च्युता पृथिवीतलमासाद्य भगीरथमथाब्रवीत्
AI Translation: Thus, having performed many such acts, she fell from the sky. Having reached the surface of the earth, she spoke to Bhagiratha,
दर्शयस्व महाराज मार्गं केन व्रजाम्यहम् त्वदर्थमवतीर्णास्मि पृथिवीं पृथिवीपते
M. N. Dutt: "O great king, show me the way by which I am to go. O ruler of earth, for your sake I have descended on carth."
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राजा प्रातिष्ठत भगीरथः यत्र तानि शरीराणि सागराणां महात्मनाम् पावनार्थं नरश्रेष्ठ पुण्येन सलिलेन ह
M. N. Dutt: Having heard those words, the king Bhagiratha went to the place where lay the bodies of the illustrious sons of Sagara. So that (the place) might be flooded by her holy water.
Supplementary Passages:
3.108.14 After 14cd, M ins.: *537 प्रापयामास धर्मज्ञः पितृदेवान्तिकं नदीम्
गङ्गाया धारणं कृत्वा हरो लोकनमस्कृतः कैलासं पर्वतश्रेष्ठं जगाम त्रिदशैः सह
AI Translation: Having taken up the Ganges, Shiva, worshipped by the world, went to Mount Kailash, the best of mountains, with the gods.
समुद्रं च समासाद्य गङ्गया सहितो नृपः पूरयामास वेगेन समुद्रं वरुणालयम्
AI Translation: Having reached the ocean, the king, together with the Ganges, filled the ocean, the abode of Varuna, with force.
Supplementary Passages:
3.108.16 After 16, D1.2 ins.: *538 जह्नुना च धृता मुक्ता जाह्नवी तेन संस्मृता
दुहितृत्वे च नृपतिर्गङ्गां समनुकल्पयत् पितॄणां चोदकं तत्र ददौ पूर्णमनोरथः
AI Translation: And the king gave Ganga to be his daughter. And there he gave water to his ancestors, with his desires fulfilled.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं गङ्गा त्रिपथगा यथा पूरणार्थं समुद्रस्य पृथिवीमवतारिता
AI Translation: Thus has been told to you the whole story of the three-streamed Ganges, how she was brought down to earth for the purpose of filling the ocean.
Supplementary Passages:
3.108.18 After 18, S ins.: *539 कालेयाश्च यथा राजंस्त्रिदशैर्विनिपातिताः
समुद्रश्च यथा पीतः कारणार्थे महात्मना वातापिश्च यथा नीतः क्षयं स ब्रह्महा प्रभो अगस्त्येन महाराज यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि
M. N. Dutt: Was brought down on earth in order to fill the ocean, how for a particular object the ocean was drunk up by the high-souled one (Agastya) and now, O great king, O lord, Vatapi, the destroyer of Brahmanas, was destroyed by Agastya, all that you asked me (to narrate).