# Bāla Kāṇḍa 40 — Story of Sagara: Aṃśumat retrieves the horse *Aṃśumat recovers the horse and finds his uncles’ ashes, Garuḍa says only Gaṅgā can redeem them, Sagara completes the sacrifice but cannot bring her down* Portion: Story of Sagara · Verses: 26 · Ref format: 1.40. ## Sequence - When his sons fail to return, Sagara sends Aṃśumat after them, armed with bow and sword and instructed to honor worthy beings while overcoming obstruction (40.1–5) - Aṃśumat follows the excavated passage → he respectfully questions the elephants of the quarters, who encourage him and predict success (40.6–11) - he finds the ashes of his relatives and weeps → seeing the horse nearby, he seeks water for their funeral offering but finds none (40.12–15) - Garuḍa, their maternal uncle, appears (40.16) - he explains that Kapila burned them and that ordinary water will not suffice → only Gaṅgā can purify their ashes and lead the sixty thousand to heaven (40.17–20) - Garuḍa tells Aṃśumat to take the horse back and complete Sagara's sacrifice (40.21) - Aṃśumat returns and reports everything → Sagara completes the rite and returns to Ayodhyā, but cannot discover how to bring Gaṅgā down → after a reign of thirty thousand years, he dies (40.22–26). ## Verses **1.40.1** putrāṃś ciragatāñ jñātvā sagaro raghunandana naptāram abravīd rājā dīpyamānaṃ svatejasā Knowing his sons long gone, O joy of the Raghus, King Sagara spoke to his grandson, who blazed with his own splendour: **1.40.2** śūraś ca kṛtavidyaś ca pūrvais tulyo 'si tejasā pitḥṇāṃ gatim anviccha yena cāśvo 'pahāritaḥ “You are valiant and accomplished in learning, equal in splendour to your forebears; seek the track of your forefathers, and (learn) by whom the horse was carried off. **1.40.3** antarbhaumāni sattvāni vīryavanti mahānti ca teṣāṃ tvaṃ pratighātārthaṃ sāsiṃ gṛhṇīṣva kārmukam Beneath the earth are creatures mighty and huge; to ward them off, take up your sword and bow. **1.40.4** abhivādyābhivādyāṃs tvaṃ hatvā vighnakarān api siddhārthaḥ saṃnivartasva mama yajñasya pāragaḥ Saluting those worthy of salutation, and slaying even those who make obstruction, return with your object accomplished, having carried my sacrifice through to its end.” **1.40.5** evam ukto 'ṃśumān samyak sagareṇa mahātmanā dhanur ādāya khaḍgaṃ ca jagāma laghuvikramaḥ Thus rightly addressed by the great-souled Sagara, Aṃśumat, taking up his bow and sword, went off, swift of stride. **1.40.6** sa khātaṃ pitṛbhir mārgam antarbhaumaṃ mahātmabhiḥ prāpadyata naraśreṣṭha tena rājñābhicoditaḥ Urged on by that king, O best of men, he entered the subterranean passage that had been dug by his great-souled forefathers. **1.40.7** daityadānavarakṣobhiḥ piśācapatagoragaiḥ pūjyamānaṃ mahātejā diśāgajam apaśyata That mighty one beheld a quarter-elephant being honoured by daityas, dānavas and rākṣasas, by piśācas, birds and serpents. **1.40.8** sa taṃ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā pṛṣṭvā caiva nirāmayam pitḥn sa paripapraccha vājihartāram eva ca Circumambulating him and asking after his well-being, he questioned him about his forefathers and about the stealer of the horse. **1.40.9** diśāgajas tu tac chrutvā prītyāhāṃśumato vacaḥ āsamañjakṛtārthas tvaṃ sahāśvaḥ śīghram eṣyasi But the quarter-elephant, hearing that, out of affection spoke words to Aṃśumat: “O son of Asamañja, you will swiftly return, your object accomplished, together with the horse.” **1.40.10** tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā sarvān eva diśāgajān yathākramaṃ yathānyāyaṃ praṣṭuṃ samupacakrame Hearing that speech of his, he set about questioning all the quarter-elephants, in due order and proper manner. **1.40.11** taiś ca sarvair diśāpālair vākyajñair vākyakovidaiḥ pūjitaḥ sahayaś caiva gantāsīty abhicoditaḥ Honoured by all those guardians of the quarters, skilled and expert in speech, he was urged on with the words, “You shall go, together with the horse.” **1.40.12** teṣāṃ tad vacanaṃ śrutvā jagāma laghuvikramaḥ bhasmarāśīkṛtā yatra pitaras tasya sāgarāḥ Hearing that word of theirs, the nimble-strided one went to where his forefathers, the sons of Sagara, had been reduced to a heap of ashes. **1.40.13** sa duḥkhavaśam āpannas tv asamañjasutas tadā cukrośa paramārtas tu vadhāt teṣāṃ suduḥkhitaḥ Then the son of Asamañja, overcome by grief and sorely afflicted, wailed aloud, deeply pained at their destruction. **1.40.14** yajñiyaṃ ca hayaṃ tatra carantam avidūrataḥ dadarśa puruṣavyāghro duḥkhaśokasamanvitaḥ And there that tiger among men, filled with grief and sorrow, saw the sacrificial horse grazing not far off. **1.40.15** dadarśa puruṣavyāghro kartukāmo jalakriyām salilārthī mahātejā na cāpaśyaj jalāśayam That tiger among men, of great splendour, wishing to perform the water-rite and needing water, looked about, but saw no reservoir of water. **1.40.16** visārya nipuṇāṃ dṛṣṭiṃ tato 'paśyat khagādhipam pitḥṇāṃ mātulaṃ rāma suparṇam anilopamam Casting his keen gaze about, he then saw the lord of birds, the maternal uncle of his forefathers, O Rāma — Suparṇa (Garuḍa), like the wind. **1.40.17** sa cainam abravīd vākyaṃ vainateyo mahābalaḥ mā śucaḥ puruṣavyāghra vadho 'yaṃ lokasaṃmataḥ And that mighty son of Vinatā (Garuḍa) spoke this word to him: “Do not grieve, O tiger among men; this destruction is approved by the world. **1.40.18** kapilenāprameyena dagdhā hīme mahābalāḥ salilaṃ nārhasi prājña dātum eṣāṃ hi laukikam These mighty ones were burnt by the immeasurable Kapila; you ought not, O wise one, to offer them ordinary, worldly water. **1.40.19** gaṅgā himavato jyeṣṭhā duhitā puruṣarṣabha bhasmarāśīkṛtān etān pāvayel lokapāvanī Gaṅgā, the eldest daughter of Himavat, O bull among men — she, the purifier of the worlds, would purify these who have been reduced to ashes. **1.40.20** tayā klinnam idaṃ bhasma gaṅgayā lokakāntayā ṣaṣṭiṃ putrasahasrāṇi svargalokaṃ nayiṣyati When these ashes are moistened by her, by Gaṅgā, the world's beloved, she will lead the sixty thousand sons to the world of heaven. **1.40.21** gaccha cāśvaṃ mahābhāga saṃgṛhya puruṣarṣabha yajñaṃ paitāmahaṃ vīra nirvartayitum arhasi Go then, O illustrious one, taking the horse, O bull among men; you should, O hero, bring your grandfather's sacrifice to completion.” **1.40.22** suparṇavacanaṃ śrutvā so 'ṃśumān ativīryavān tvaritaṃ hayam ādāya punar āyān mahāyaśāḥ Hearing Suparṇa's word, that exceedingly mighty Aṃśumat of great renown quickly took the horse and came back again. **1.40.23** tato rājānam āsādya dīkṣitaṃ raghunandana nyavedayad yathāvṛttaṃ suparṇavacanaṃ tathā Then, approaching the king, who was consecrated for the rite, O joy of the Raghus, he reported what had happened and likewise Suparṇa's word. **1.40.24** tac chrutvā ghorasaṃkāśaṃ vākyam aṃśumato nṛpaḥ yajñaṃ nirvartayām āsa yathākalpaṃ yathāvidhi Hearing that dreadful-seeming report of Aṃśumat, the king completed the sacrifice according to prescription and rule. **1.40.25** svapuraṃ cāgamac chrīmān iṣṭayajño mahīpatiḥ gaṅgāyāś cāgame rājā niścayaṃ nādhyagacchata And the illustrious lord of the earth, having offered his sacrifice, returned to his own city; but the king could reach no sure means for the bringing-down of Gaṅgā. **1.40.26** agatvā niścayaṃ rājā kālena mahatā mahān triṃśadvarṣasahasrāṇi rājyaṃ kṛtvā divaṃ gataḥ Not having reached any certainty, that great king, after a long time, having reigned for thirty thousand years, went to heaven.