# Bāla Kāṇḍa 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* Portion: Story of Sagara · Verses: 24 · Ref format: 1.42. ## Sequence - Bhagīratha worships Śiva for a year, pressing the earth with the tip of his great toe (42.1) - pleased, Śiva agrees to receive Gaṅgā on his head (42.2–3) - she descends from heaven in an immense, irresistible torrent → caught within his matted hair, she can find no exit and wanders there for years (42.4–5) - Bhagīratha again propitiates Śiva, who releases her toward Lake Bindu (42.6) - the water spreads across the earth with a tremendous roar (42.7). Devas, ṛṣis, gandharvas, yakṣas, and siddhas gather overhead to watch - their ornaments light the cloudless sky like a hundred suns (42.8–11) - fish, crocodiles, and serpents flash through the falling water, while pale sprays and swimming swans resemble clouds (42.12–13) - the currents race, bend, rise, slow, collide, and leap upward before falling again (42.14–15) - purified by contact with Śiva, the water is honored as sacred → beings cast down to earth by curses bathe, regain purity, and return to their heavenly homes → the world rejoices and is refreshed (42.16–20) - Bhagīratha drives ahead in a divya syandana (divine chariot) → Gaṅgā follows wherever he leads, accompanied by rejoicing heavenly beings and creatures of the water (42.21–24). ## Verses **1.42.1** devadeve gate tasmin so 'ṅguṣṭhāgranipīḍitām kṛtvā vasumatīṃ rāma saṃvatsaram upāsata When that god of gods had gone, he (Bhagīratha), O Rāma, having pressed the earth with the tip of his big toe, worshipped (Śiva) for a year. **1.42.2** atha saṃvatsare pūrṇe sarvalokanamaskṛtaḥ umāpatiḥ paśupatī rājānam idam abravīt Then, when the year was complete, the lord of Umā, lord of creatures, honoured by all the worlds, said this to the king: **1.42.3** prītas te 'haṃ naraśreṣṭha kariṣyāmi tava priyam śirasā dhārayiṣyāmi śailarājasutām aham “I am pleased with you, O best of men; I shall do you this kindness — I shall bear the daughter of the mountain-king upon my head.” **1.42.4** tato haimavatī jyeṣṭhā sarvalokanamaskṛtā tadā sātimahad rūpaṃ kṛtvā vegaṃ ca duḥsaham ākāśād apatad rāma śive śivaśirasy uta Then the Himālayan eldest one (Gaṅgā), honoured by all the worlds, assuming a huge form and an unbearable rushing force, fell from the sky, O Rāma, upon the auspicious head of the holy Śiva. **1.42.5** naiva sā nirgamaṃ lekhe jaṭāmaṇḍalamohitā tatraivābabhramad devī saṃvatsaragaṇān bahūn But she found no way out, bewildered in the coil of his matted locks; and right there the goddess wandered about for many years. **1.42.6** anena toṣitaś cāsīd atyarthaṃ raghunandana visasarja tato gaṅgāṃ haro bindusaraḥ prati By this (Bhagīratha) was Hara greatly propitiated, O joy of the Raghus; and then Hara released Gaṅgā toward Lake Bindu. **1.42.7** gaganāc chaṃkaraśiras tato dharaṇim āgatā vyasarpata jalaṃ tatra tīvraśabdapuraskṛtam From the sky onto Śaṃkara's head, and then coming to the earth — there the water spread out, accompanied by a fierce roar. **1.42.8** tato devarṣigandharvā yakṣāḥ siddhagaṇās tathā vyalokayanta te tatra gaganād gāṃ gatāṃ tadā Then divine seers, gandharvas, yakṣas, and hosts of siddhas gazed there upon her (Gaṅgā), gone from the sky to the earth. **1.42.9** vimānair nagarākārair hayair gajavarais tathā pāriplavagatāś cāpi devatās tatra viṣṭhitāḥ The deities stood there in aerial cars shaped like cities, on horses and on splendid elephants, and also floating to and fro in the air. **1.42.10** tad adbhutatamaṃ loke gaṅgā patanam uttamam didṛkṣavo devagaṇāḥ sameyur amitaujasaḥ Desiring to see that most wondrous, sublime descent of Gaṅgā in the world, the hosts of gods, of measureless might, assembled. **1.42.11** saṃpatadbhiḥ suragaṇais teṣāṃ cābharaṇaujasā śatādityam ivābhāti gaganaṃ gatatoyadam With the hosts of gods streaming down, and by the brilliance of their ornaments, the cloudless sky shone as if with a hundred suns. **1.42.12** śiṃśumāroragagaṇair mīnair api ca cañcalaiḥ vidyudbhir iva vikṣiptair ākāśam abhavat tadā With hosts of crocodiles and serpents, and darting fishes too, the sky then became as though scattered with flashes of lightning. **1.42.13** pāṇḍuraiḥ salilotpīḍaiḥ kīryamāṇaiḥ sahasradhā śāradābhrair ivākrītṇaṃ gaganaṃ haṃsasaṃplavaiḥ The sky was filled, as if with autumn clouds, with pale surges of water scattered a thousandfold and with flocks of swimming swans. **1.42.14** kva cid drutataraṃ yāti kuṭilaṃ kva cid āyatam vinataṃ kva cid uddhūtaṃ kva cid yāti śanaiḥ śanaiḥ In one place (the water) runs very swiftly, in another it goes winding, in another drawn out; here bent down, here tossed up, here it flows ever so slowly. **1.42.15** salilenaiva salilaṃ kva cid abhyāhataṃ punaḥ muhur ūrdhvapathaṃ gatvā papāta vasudhāṃ punaḥ In one place water dashed against water again; and again and again, having risen up into the sky, it fell back to the earth. **1.42.16** tac chaṃkaraśirobhraṣṭaṃ bhraṣṭaṃ bhūmitale punaḥ vyarocata tadā toyaṃ nirmalaṃ gatakalmaṣam That water, fallen from Śaṃkara's head, and fallen again onto the surface of the earth, then shone spotless and free of all impurity. **1.42.17** tatrarṣigaṇagandharvā vasudhātalavāsinaḥ bhavāṅgapatitaṃ toyaṃ pavitram iti paspṛśuḥ There, hosts of seers and gandharvas, dwellers on the surface of the earth, touched the water fallen from the body of Bhava (Śiva), (saying) “It is sacred.” **1.42.18** śāpāt prapatitā ye ca gaganād vasudhātalam kṛtvā tatrābhiṣekaṃ te babhūvur gatakalmaṣāḥ And those who had fallen through a curse from the sky to the earth's surface, having bathed there, became free of all impurity. **1.42.19** dhūpapāpāḥ punas tena toyenātha subhāsvatā punar ākāśam āviśya svāṃl lokān pratipedire Their sins washed away by that bright, radiant water, they entered the sky once more and regained their own worlds. **1.42.20** mumude mudito lokas tena toyena bhāsvatā kṛtābhiṣeko gaṅgāyāṃ babhūva vigataklamaḥ The world rejoiced, delighted by that shining water; and having bathed in Gaṅgā, it became free of weariness. **1.42.21** bhagīratho 'pi rājarṣir divyaṃ syandanam āsthitaḥ prāyād agre mahātejās taṃ gaṅgā pṛṣṭhato 'nvagāt And the royal seer Bhagīratha, mounted on a celestial chariot, that mighty one, went ahead, and Gaṅgā followed behind him. **1.42.22** devāḥ sarṣigaṇāḥ sarve daityadānavarākṣasāḥ gandharvayakṣapravarāḥ sakiṃnaramahoragāḥ All the gods with the hosts of seers, the daityas, dānavas and rākṣasas, the foremost of gandharvas and yakṣas, together with kiṃnaras and great serpents, **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. **1.42.24** yato bhagīratho rājā tato gaṅgā yaśasvinī jagāma saritāṃ śreṣṭhā sarvapāpavināśinī Wherever King Bhagīratha went, there went the glorious Gaṅgā, best of rivers, destroyer of all sins.