Mahabharata, Book 7, Section LXद्रोणपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 7.60.

60Sanskrit adhyāya 7.60 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

नारद उवाच।
भगीरथं च राजानं मृतं सृञ्जय शुश्रुम।
`परित्राणाय पूर्वेषां येन गङ्गाऽवतारिता।।
यस्येन्द्रो बाहुवीर्येण प्रीतो राज्ञो महात्मनः।
सोऽश्वमेधशतैरीजे समाप्तवरदक्षिणैः।।
हविर्मन्त्रान्नसम्पन्नैर्देवानामादधौ मुदम्'।
येन भागीरथी गङ्गा चयनैः काञ्चनैश्चिता।।
यः सहस्रं सहस्राणां कन्या हेमविभूषिताः।
राज्ञश्च राजपुत्रांश्च ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ह्यमन्यत।।
सर्वा रथगताः कन्या रथाः सर्वे चतुर्युजः।
रथेरथे शतं नागाः सर्वे वै हेममालिनः।।
सहस्रमश्वाश्चैकैकं गजानां पृष्ठतोऽन्वयुः।
अश्वेअश्वे शतं गावो गवां पश्चादजाविकम्।।
तेनाक्रान्ता जनौघेन दक्षिणा भूयसीर्ददत्।
उपह्वरेऽतिव्यथिता तस्याङ्के निषसाद ह।।
तथा मागीरथी गङ्गा ह्यूर्ध्वगा ह्यभवत्पुरा।
दुहितृत्वं गता राज्ञः पुत्रत्वमगमत्तदा।।
तां तु गाथा जगुः प्रीता गन्धर्वाः सूर्यवर्चसः।
पितृदेवमनुष्याणां शृण्वतां वल्गुवादिनः।।
भगीरथं यजमानमैक्ष्वाकुं भूरिदक्षिणम्।
गङ्गा समुद्रगा देवी वव्रे पितरमीश्वरम्।।
तस्य सेन्द्रैः सुरगणैर्देवैर्यज्ञः स्वलङ्कृतः।
सम्यक्परिगृहीतश्च शान्तविघ्नो निरामयः।।
यो य इच्छेत विप्रो वै यत्रयत्रात्मनः प्रियम्।
भगीरथस्तदा प्रीतस्तत्रतत्राददद्वशी।।
नादेयं ब्राह्मणस्यासीद्यस्य यत्स्यात्प्रियं धनम्।
सोऽपि विप्रप्रसादेन ब्रह्मलोकं गतो नृपः।।
येन यातौ मखमुखौ दिशाशाविह पादपाः।
तेनावस्थातुमिच्छन्ति तं गत्वा राजमीश्वरम्।।
स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया।
पुत्रात्पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः।
अयज्वानमदक्षिण्यमभि श्वैत्येत्युदाहरत्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि अभिमन्युवधपर्वणि
षोडशराजकीये षष्टितमोऽध्यायः।। 60 ।।

English Ganguli

“‘"Narada said, ‘Even king Bhagiratha, O Srinjaya, we hear, was dead. He caused the shores of Ganga, called after his name Bhagirath to be covered with flights of steps made of gold.99 Surpassing all kings and all princes, he gave unto the Brahmanas a thousand times thousand damsels decked with ornaments of gold. All those damsels were upon cars. And unto every car were yoked four steeds, and behind each car were a hundred kine. And behind each cow were (many) goats and sheep. King Bhagiratha gave enormous presents at his sacrifices. For that reason a large concourse of men assembled there. Afflicted there with Ganga was much pained. “Protect Me,” she said and sat down on his lap. And because Ganga thus sat upon his lap in days of old, therefore, she, like the celestial dancer Urvasi came to be regarded as his daughter and was named after his name. And having become the king’s daughter, she became his son (by becoming like a son, the means of salvation unto his deceased ancestors).100 Sweet-speeched Gandharvas of celestial splendour, gratified, sang all this in the hearing of the Rishis, the gods, and human beings.101 Thus, O Srinjaya, did that goddess, viz., the ocean-going Ganga, select lord Bhagiratha, descendant of Ikshvaku, the performer of sacrifices with profuse gifts (to the Brahmanas), as her father. His sacrifices were always graced with (the presence of) the very gods with Indra at their head. And the gods used to take their respective shares, by removing all impediments, to facilitate those sacrifices in every way. Possessed of great ascetic merit, Bhagiratha gave unto the Brahmanas whatever benefit they desired without obliging them to stir from the place wherever they might entertain those desires. There was nothing which he could withhold from the Brahmanas. Every one received from him everything he coveted. At last, the king ascended to the region of Brahman, through the grace of the Brahmanas. For that object on which the Rishis that subsisted on the rays of the sun used to wait upon the sun and the presiding deity of the sun, for that very object they used to wait upon the lord Bhagiratha, that ornament of the three worlds. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee, as regards the four cardinal virtues, and who, superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not grieve, saying “Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,” for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”’"