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“W HEN that god of gods had gone away, Bhagiratha, O Rima, pressing the earth with his thumb, spent a year in adoring Siva. And when the year was complete, Uma’s lord, Pacupati, worshipped of all the worlds, spake unto the king, saying,—’O foremost of men, I am well-pleased with thee: I will do what will be for thy welfare. 1 will hold the Mountain’s daughter on my head.’ Then, O Rama, that one bowed unto by all creatures, the elder daughter of Himavat, assuming an exceedingly mighty shape, with irresistible

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impetus precipitated herself from the welkin upon Siva’s gracious head. And that divine one, Ganga, exceedingly difficult to sustain, thought,—‘I will enter the nether regions, carrying off Sankara by my streams.’ Knowing her proud intention, the adorable Hara waxed wroth; and the three-eyed deity set his heart upon enveloping her. And, O R&ma, as that sacred one plunged upon Rudra’s holy head of tangled locks, resembling Himavat, she could by no means reach the earth, despite all her endeavours ; nor did she obtain egress from under the matted locks. And she wandered there for many a year. And finding Gang& in this plight, Bhagiratha became again engaged in high austerities. And thereupon Siva, O descendant of Raghu, was exceedingly gratified ; and cast Gang& off in the direction of the Vindu lake. And as she was let off, seven streams branched out from her. And the three streams of the excellent Gang4 of auspicious waters went in an easterly directtion; while the Suchakshu, the Sita, and that mighty river the Sindhu flowed on the auspicious west. And the seventh followed Bhagiratha’s car. And that royal saint, the exceedingly puissant Bhagiratha, mounted on a superb car, went before; and Ganga followed him. And she descended from the welkin upon Sankara’s head, thence alighting upon the earth; and there her waters flowed with thundering sounds. And earth looked beautiful with swarms of fallen and falling fishes, and tortoises, and porpoises. And then celestials and saints and Gandharbas, and Yakshas and Siddhas mounted .on excellent elephants and horses and cars resembling cities, looked on Ganga descending upon the earth. And the celestials stationed on cars were struck with surprise; and all creatures marvelled at the excellent descent of Gang3. And eager to witness the spectacle, celestial hosts of immeasurable energy came there. And in consequence of the celestials coming thither, and the effulgence of their ornaments, the firmament free

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from clouds, shone as if with an hundred suns. And the sky was graced with fast-fleeting porposies and serpents and fishes resembling playing lightning ; and the welkin scattered with pale foam-flakes by thousands, appeared as if © it was scattered with autumnal clouds swarming with cranes. And the river proceeded sometimes rapidly, and sometimes awry, and sometimes in volumes, and sometimes sloping, and sometimes ascending, and sometimes languidly ; and sometimes water clashed with water; and sometimes ascending an upland, it descended into adell. And the pellucid and pure water first descending upon Sankara’s head, and thencc on to the earth, appeared exceedingly beautiful. And there the saints and the Gandharbas, as well as the inhabitants” of the earth, touched the sacred water flowing from Bhaba’s body. And those that had fallen from the sky unto the earth in consequence of some curse or other, having bathed there, and thereby having their sins washed and removed by that sanctifying water, again ascended the sky and entered their respective regions. And through the agency of that shining water, all beings, feeling delight, rejoiced, and having bathed in Ganga, became cleansed from sin. And stationed on an excellent car that mighty king, the royal saint Bhagiratha, went first, and Gang’ went at his back. And the gods, and the saints, and the Daityas, and the Danavas, and the Rakshasas, and the foremost of Gandharbas and Yakshas, and the Kinnaras, and the mighty Uragas, and the Serpents, and the Apsaras, O Rama and the acquatic animals in a body following Bhagiratha’s car, with glad hearts went in the wake of Ganga. And withersoever king Bhagiratha went, the famous Gang§, foremost of streams, capable of destroying all sins, went. And Gangi flooded the sacrificial ground of the high-souled Jahnu, of wonderful deeds, as he was performing a sacrifice. Thereat, O Raghava, reading her insolence, Jahnu, waxing wroth, drank up all her wonderful waters. Thereupon, the deities, 14

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and the Gandharbas, and the saints, struck with amazement, felltoworshipping that foremost of men,the high-souled Jahnu and brought Ganga into the daughtership of that high souled one. And that highly energetic lord, being propitiated, let Ganga off through his ears. Therefore it is that Ganga goes by the name of Jahnu’s daughter Jahnavi. Then Ganga again began to follow Bhagiratha’s car. And having reached the ocean, that foremost of streams, with the object of accomplishing his work, entered into the subterranean regions. And having carefully brought Gang§, that royal saint, Bhagiratha, having his senses bewildered beheld his grand-fathers reduced to ashes. And the excellent waters of Gang4 overflowed that heap of ashes ; and thereupon, O best of the Raghus, they, their sins purged, attained heaven.”