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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.42.23

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 42: Story of Sagara: Gaṅgā’s descent through Śiva’s hair. Śiva catches the falling river in his matted hair, Bhagīratha wins her release and leads the purifying waters across the earth

In the sequence: Bhagīratha drives ahead in a divya syandana (divine chariot) → Gaṅgā follows wherever he leads, accompanied by rejoicing heavenly beings and creatures of the water.

1.42.23

sarvāś cāpsaraso rāma bhagīratharathānugāḥ
gaṅgām anvagaman prītāḥ sarve jalacarāś ca ye

and all the apsarases, O Rāma, following Bhagīratha's chariot — all these, delighted, followed Gaṅgā, as did whatever creatures move in the water.

Words: sarvāś — all; cāpsaraso — and the apsarases; rāma — O Rāma; bhagīratharathānugāḥ — following Bhagīratha's chariot; gaṅgām — Gaṅgā; anvagaman — followed; prītāḥ — delighted, pleased; sarve — all; jalacarāś — the water-dwelling (creatures); ca — and; ye — who, whatever

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.