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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.34.16

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 34: Story of Gaṅgā & Umā: Himavat’s two daughters. Himavat gives Gaṅgā to the Devas for the worlds’ welfare, while Umā undertakes austerity and marries Śiva

In the sequence: the Suras asked Himavat for Gaṅgā to serve the welfare of the three worlds → he gave her willingly, and they took her to heaven

1.34.16

dadau dharmeṇa himavāṃs tanayāṃ lokapāvanīm
svacchandapathagāṃ gaṅgāṃ trailokyahitakāmyayā

In accordance with dharma Himavat gave his daughter Gaṅgā, purifier of the world, who goes wherever she pleases, out of a wish for the welfare of the three worlds.

Words: dadau — gave; dharmeṇa — in accordance with dharma; himavāṃs — Himavat; tanayāṃ — daughter; lokapāvanīm — purifier of the world; svacchandapathagāṃ — going by her own free path; gaṅgāṃ — Gaṅgā; trailokyahitakāmyayā — out of a wish for the welfare of the three worlds

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.