Lomasha said: -
1. That great bow-man and car-warrior, that imperial king became the delight of the eyes and the mind of all men.
2. That might-armed hero heard from the high-souled Kapila how his ancestors had met with their fearful destruction and how they had not been able to go to heaven.
3. That king sorrowfully made over his kingly duties to his ministers and that ruler of men then went to the side of the Himalayas for practising asceticism.
4. O foremost of men, being cleansed of his sins by asceticism, he visited that best of mountains Himalayas in order to worship Ganga.
5. (He saw it) adorned with peaks of various forms and with many mineral wealth; all its sides were besprinkled with drops of rain from the clouds which were floating on the wind.
6. Beautified with rivers, groves and rocky spurs as so many places (in a city), frequented by lions and tigers, hidden in its caves and caverns.
7. Abounding in various featured birds uttering various sounds-such as Bhringaraja, ganders, Dalyuchas, water-cocks.
8. Peacocks of hundred sorts of feathers, Jivanjibaka Kokilas, Chakoras with eyes furnished with black corners, the birds who are ever fond of their young.
9. Abounding in lotuses growing in charming water reservoirs, adorned with the sweet notes of the cranes.
10. Its stony slabs beautified with he sitting Kinnaras and Apsaras, all its trees rubbed everywhere by large elephants with their trunks.
11. Frequented by the Vidyadharas, full of many gems, infested by snakes of virtuous poison and glowing tongues.
12. Looking at places like a heap of collyriums. Such was the Himalayas where he (the king) arrived.
13. That foremost of men practised there terrible asceticism. He lived on only fruits, roots and water. One thousand celestials years passed away and then that great river Ganga in her embodied from appeared before him.
Ganga said: -
14. O best of men, O great king, what do you desire? What should be given to you by me? Tell me, I shall do what you say.
Lomasha said: -
15-16. Having been thus addressed, the king replied to the daughter of the Himalayas (Ganga), “O giver of boons, O great river, my grandfather has been sent to the abode of Yajna by Kapila. The sixty-six thousands sons of the illustrious Sagara.
17. Met with an instant death the meeting with Kapila. Having thus perished, they had no place in heaven.
18. O great river, as long will their bodies not be sprinkled with your water, so long will there be no salvation for those sons of Sagara.
19. O greatly exalted one, O great river, take my ancestors, the sons of Sagara to heaven. For them I pray to you.”
20. Having heard these words of the king, Ganga, ever adored of the world, thus spoke to Bhagiratha with delighted heart.
21. “O great king, I shall certainly do what you say. But my force will be difficult to be withstood when I shall fall from the sky to the earth.
22. O king, there is none in the three worlds except the great god, the blue-throated deity, the foremost of celestials (Shiva), who would be able to withstand it.
23. O mighty-armed hero, Therefore, gratify that giver of boons Hara by asceticism. The god will sustain my fall upon his head.
24. He will do what you desire for your ancestors.” O king, having heard this, the great king Bhagiratha.
25. Went to the Kailasa mountain and gratified Shankara (Shiva). At the expiration of a certain time which he passed in severe asceticism.
26. With the intention of making his ancestors go to heaven, O king, he obtained from him the boon that he would sustain Ganga (on his head).
Thus ends the hundred and eighth chapter, the account of Ganga’s descent, in the Tirthayatra of the Vana Parva.