# Bāla Kāṇḍa 43 — Story of Sagara: Gaṅgā redeems the sixty thousand *The waters cover the sixty thousand’s ashes and raise them to heaven, Brahmā names Gaṅgā Bhāgīrathī & Tripathagā and Bhagīratha completes the ancestral rites* Portion: Story of Sagara · Verses: 20 · Ref format: 1.43. ## Sequence - Bhagīratha reaches the ocean and leads Gaṅgā into the earth's depths, where Sagara's sons lie as ashes (43.1) - her waters cover them → Brahmā announces that all sixty thousand have reached heaven and will remain there while the ocean endures (43.2–4) - he declares Gaṅgā Bhagīratha's eldest daughter, hence her name Bhāgīrathī → she is also Tripathagā because she sanctifies the three paths (43.5–6) - Brahmā asks the King to complete the pitṛtarpaṇa (water-offerings to the pitṛs) and praises him for accomplishing what Sagara, Aṃśumat, and Dilīpa could not (43.7–13) - he instructs Bhagīratha to bathe and make the offerings, then departs (43.14–16) - Bhagīratha performs the rites, returns purified to his capital, and rules to the people's joy (43.17–18) - Viśvāmitra ends the Gaṅgā story as twilight passes and declares the blessings of hearing it (43.19–20). ## Verses **1.43.1** sa gatvā sāgaraṃ rājā gaṅgayānugatas tadā praviveśa talaṃ bhūmer yatra te bhasmasātkṛtāḥ That king, going to the ocean, followed then by Gaṅgā, entered the depths of the earth, where those (sons) had been reduced to ashes. **1.43.2** bhasmany athāplute rāma gaṅgāyāḥ salilena vai sarva lokaprabhur brahmā rājānam idam abravīt When the ashes had been flooded, O Rāma, with the water of Gaṅgā, Brahmā, lord of all worlds, said this to the king: **1.43.3** tāritā naraśārdūla divaṃ yātāś ca devavat ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi sagarasya mahātmanaḥ “They have been delivered, O tiger among men, and have gone to heaven like gods — the sixty thousand sons of the great-souled Sagara. **1.43.4** sāgarasya jalaṃ loke yāvat sthāsyati pārthiva sagarasyātmajās tāvat svarge sthāsyanti devavat As long as the water of the ocean shall remain in the world, O king, so long will Sagara's sons abide in heaven like gods. **1.43.5** iyaṃ ca duhitā jyeṣṭhā tava gaṅgā bhaviṣyati tvatkṛtena ca nāmnā vai loke sthāsyati viśrutā And this Gaṅgā will be your eldest daughter, and by a name derived from you she will remain renowned in the world. **1.43.6** gaṅgā tripathagā nāma divyā bhāgīrathīti ca tripatho bhāvayantīti tatas tripathagā smṛtā Gaṅgā is named the three-pathed and the celestial, and also Bhāgīrathī; and because she hallows the three paths, she is therefore called Tripathagā. **1.43.7** pitāmahānāṃ sarveṣāṃ tvam atra manujādhipa kuruṣva salilaṃ rājan pratijñām apavarjaya Here, O ruler of men, make the water-offering for all your forefathers, O king, and fulfil your vow. **1.43.8** pūrvakeṇa hi te rājaṃs tenātiyaśasā tadā dharmiṇāṃ pravareṇātha naiṣa prāpto manorathaḥ For by that forefather of yours then, O king, of surpassing renown, foremost of the righteous — even by him this wish was not attained; **1.43.9** tathaivāṃśumatā tāta loke 'pratimatejasā gaṅgāṃ prārthayatā netuṃ pratijñā nāpavarjitā and likewise by Aṃśumat, my child, of matchless splendour in the world — though he longed to bring Gaṅgā down, the vow was not discharged; **1.43.10** rājarṣiṇā guṇavatā maharṣisamatejasā mattulyatapasā caiva kṣatradharmasthitena ca and by that royal seer, virtuous, of splendour equal to a great sage's, of austerity equal to my own, and steadfast in the kṣatriya's dharma — **1.43.11** dilīpena mahābhāga tava pitrātitejasā punar na śaṅkitā netuṃ gaṅgāṃ prārthayatānagha — by Dilīpa, O illustrious one, your father of surpassing splendour: even he, though he longed to bring Gaṅgā down, ventured it no more, O sinless one. **1.43.12** sā tvayā samatikrāntā pratijñā puruṣarṣabha prāpto 'si paramaṃ loke yaśaḥ paramasaṃmatam That vow you have carried through, O bull among men; you have attained the highest, most esteemed glory in the world. **1.43.13** yac ca gaṅgāvataraṇaṃ tvayā kṛtam ariṃdama anena ca bhavān prāpto dharmasyāyatanaṃ mahat And this bringing-down of Gaṅgā that you have accomplished, O subduer of foes — by it you have attained the great abode of dharma. **1.43.14** plāvayasva tvam ātmānaṃ narottama sadocite salile puruṣavyāghra śuciḥ puṇyaphalo bhava Bathe yourself, O best of men, in this ever-fitting water, O tiger among men, and become pure, with holy reward. **1.43.15** pitāmahānāṃ sarveṣāṃ kuruṣva salilakriyām svasti te 'stu gamiṣyāmi svaṃ lokaṃ gamyatāṃ nṛpa Perform the water-rite for all your forefathers. May it be well with you — I shall go to my own world; go now, O king.” **1.43.16** ity evam uktvā deveśaḥ sarvalokapitāmahaḥ yathāgataṃ tathāgacchad devalokaṃ mahāyaśāḥ Having spoken thus, the lord of the gods, the Grandsire of all the worlds, of great renown, went back to the world of the gods just as he had come. **1.43.17** bhagīratho 'pi rājarṣiḥ kṛtvā salilam uttamam yathākramaṃ yathānyāyaṃ sāgarāṇāṃ mahāyaśāḥ kṛtodakaḥ śucī rājā svapuraṃ praviveśa ha And the illustrious royal seer Bhagīratha, having made the excellent water-offering for the sons of Sagara in due order and proper manner — his libation performed and himself purified — entered his own city. **1.43.18** samṛddhārtho naraśreṣṭha svarājyaṃ praśaśāsa ha pramumoda ca lokas taṃ nṛpam āsādya rāghava naṣṭaśokaḥ samṛddhārtho babhūva vigatajvaraḥ His purpose fulfilled, O best of men, he ruled his own kingdom; and the world rejoiced on gaining him as king, O Rāghava — its grief gone, its aims fulfilled, its distress dispelled. **1.43.19** eṣa te rāma gaṅgāyā vistaro 'bhihito mayā svasti prāpnuhi bhadraṃ te saṃdhyākālo 'tivartate This, O Rāma, is the full account of Gaṅgā that I have told you. Fare well; blessings on you — the hour of twilight is passing. **1.43.20** dhanyaṃ yaśasyam āyuṣyaṃ svargyaṃ putryam athāpi ca idam ākhyānam ākhyātaṃ gaṅgāvataraṇaṃ mayā This story of the descent of Gaṅgā — blessed, glory-bringing, life-prolonging, heaven-bestowing, and granting sons — has been told by me.