Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 9 - Chapter 9

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीशुक उवाचअंशुमांश्च तपस्तेपे गङ्गानयनकाम्यया ।कालं महान्तं नाशक्नोत् तत: कालेन संस्थित: ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-śuka uvācaaṁśumāṁś ca tapas tepegaṅgānayana-kāmyayākālaṁ mahāntaṁ nāśaknottataḥ kālena saṁsthitaḥ Translation: Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: King Aṁśumān, like his grandfather, performed austerities for a very long time. Nonetheless, he could not bring the Ganges to this material world, and thereafter, in due course of time, he died. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2 Sanskrit: दिलीपस्तत्सुतस्तद्वदशक्त: कालमेयिवान् ।भगीरथस्तस्य सुतस्तेपे स सुमहत् तप: ॥ २ ॥ ITRANS: dilīpas tat-sutas tadvadaśaktaḥ kālam eyivānbhagīrathas tasya sutastepe sa sumahat tapaḥ Translation: Like Aṁśumān himself, Dilīpa, his son, was unable to bring the Ganges to this material world, and he also became a victim of death in due course of time. Then Dilīpa’s son, Bhagīratha, performed very severe austerities to bring the Ganges to this material world....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3 Sanskrit: दर्शयामास तं देवी प्रसन्ना वरदास्मि ते ।इत्युक्त: स्वमभिप्रायं शशंसावनतो नृप: ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: darśayām āsa taṁ devīprasannā varadāsmi teity uktaḥ svam abhiprāyaṁśaśaṁsāvanato nṛpaḥ Translation: Thereafter, mother Ganges appeared before King Bhagīratha and said, “I am very much satisfied with your austerities and am now prepared to give you benedictions as you desire.” Being thus addressed by Gaṅgādevī, mother Ganges, the King bowed his head before her and explained his desire....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 4 Sanskrit: कोऽपि धारयिता वेगं पतन्त्या मे महीतले ।अन्यथा भूतलं भित्त्वा नृप यास्ये रसातलम् ॥ ४ ॥ ITRANS: ko ’pi dhārayitā vegaṁpatantyā me mahī-taleanyathā bhū-talaṁ bhittvānṛpa yāsye rasātalam Translation: Mother Ganges replied: When I fall from the sky to the surface of the planet earth, the water will certainly be very forceful. Who will sustain that force? If I am not sustained, I shall pierce the surface of the earth and go down to Rasātala, the Pātāla area of the universe....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: किं चाहं न भुवं यास्ये नरा मय्यामृजन्त्यघम् ।मृजामि तदघं क्‍वाहं राजंस्तत्र विचिन्त्यताम् ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: kiṁ cāhaṁ na bhuvaṁ yāsyenarā mayy āmṛjanty aghammṛjāmi tad aghaṁ kvāhaṁrājaṁs tatra vicintyatām Translation: O King, I do not wish to go down to the planet earth, for there the people in general will bathe in my water to cleanse themselves of the reactions of their sinful deeds....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: श्रीभगीरथ उवाचसाधवो न्यासिन: शान्ता ब्रह्मिष्ठा लोकपावना: ।हरन्त्यघं तेऽङ्गसङ्गात् तेष्वास्ते ह्यघभिद्धरि: ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-bhagīratha uvācasādhavo nyāsinaḥ śāntābrahmiṣṭhā loka-pāvanāḥharanty aghaṁ te ’ṅga-saṅgātteṣv āste hy agha-bhid dhariḥ Translation: Bhagīratha said: Those who are saintly because of devotional service and are therefore in the renounced order, free from material desires, and who are pure devotees, expert in following the regulative principles mentioned in the Vedas, are always glorious and pure in behavior and are able to deliver all fallen souls....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7 Sanskrit: धारयिष्यति ते वेगं रुद्रस्त्वात्मा शरीरिणाम् ।यस्मिन्नोतमिदं प्रोतं विश्वं शाटीव तन्तुषु ॥ ७ ॥ ITRANS: dhārayiṣyati te vegaṁrudras tv ātmā śarīriṇāmyasminn otam idaṁ protaṁviśvaṁ śāṭīva tantuṣu Translation: Like a cloth woven of threads extending for its length and breadth, this entire universe, in all its latitude and longitude, is situated under different potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Śiva is the incarnation of the Lord, and thus he represents the Supersoul in the embodied soul....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8 Sanskrit: इत्युक्त्वा स नृपो देवं तपसातोषयच्छिवम् ।कालेनाल्पीयसा राजंस्तस्येशश्चाश्वतुष्यत ॥ ८ ॥ ITRANS: ity uktvā sa nṛpo devaṁtapasātoṣayac chivamkālenālpīyasā rājaṁstasyeśaś cāśv atuṣyata Translation: After saying this, Bhagīratha satisfied Lord Śiva by performing austerities. O King Parīkṣit, Lord Śiva was very quickly satisfied with Bhagīratha. Purport: The words āśv atuṣyata indicate that Lord Śiva was satisfied very soon. Therefore another name for Lord Śiva is Āśutoṣa....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: तथेति राज्ञाभिहितं सर्वलोकहित: शिव: ।दधारावहितो गङ्गां पादपूतजलां हरे: ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: tatheti rājñābhihitaṁsarva-loka-hitaḥ śivaḥdadhārāvahito gaṅgāṁpāda-pūta-jalāṁ hareḥ Translation: When King Bhagīratha approached Lord Śiva and requested him to sustain the forceful waves of the Ganges, Lord Śiva accepted the proposal by saying, “Let it be so.” Then, with great attention, he sustained the Ganges on his head, for the water of the Ganges is purifying, having emanated from the toes of Lord Viṣṇu....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: भगीरथ: स राजर्षिर्निन्ये भुवनपावनीम् ।यत्र स्वपितृणां देहा भस्मीभूता: स्म शेरते ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: bhagīrathaḥ sa rājarṣirninye bhuvana-pāvanīmyatra sva-pitṝṇāṁ dehābhasmībhūtāḥ sma śerate Translation: The great and saintly king Bhagīratha brought the Ganges, which can deliver all the fallen souls, to that place on earth where the bodies of his forefathers lay burnt to ashes. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11 Sanskrit: रथेन वायुवेगेन प्रयान्तमनुधावती ।देशान्पुनन्ती निर्दग्धानासिञ्चत्सगरात्मजान् ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: rathena vāyu-vegenaprayāntam anudhāvatīdeśān punantī nirdagdhānāsiñcat sagarātmajān Translation: Bhagīratha mounted a swift chariot and drove before mother Ganges, who followed him, purifying many countries, until they reached the ashes of Bhagīratha’s forefathers, the sons of Sagara, who were thus sprinkled with water from the Ganges. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: यज्जलस्पर्शमात्रेण ब्रह्मदण्डहता अपि ।सगरात्मजा दिवं जग्मु: केवलं देहभस्मभि: ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: yaj-jala-sparśa-mātreṇabrahma-daṇḍa-hatā apisagarātmajā divaṁ jagmuḥkevalaṁ deha-bhasmabhiḥ Translation: Because the sons of Sagara Mahārāja had offended a great personality, the heat of their bodies had increased, and they were burnt to ashes. But simply by being sprinkled with water from the Ganges, all of them became eligible to go to the heavenly planets....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 13 Sanskrit: भस्मीभूताङ्गसङ्गेन स्वर्याता: सगरात्मजा: ।किं पुन: श्रद्धया देवीं सेवन्ते ये धृतव्रता: ॥ १३ ॥ ITRANS: bhasmībhūtāṅga-saṅgenasvar yātāḥ sagarātmajāḥkiṁ punaḥ śraddhayā devīṁsevante ye dhṛta-vratāḥ Translation: Simply by having water from the Ganges come in contact with the ashes of their burnt bodies, the sons of Sagara Mahārāja were elevated to the heavenly planets. Therefore, what is to be said of a devotee who worships mother Ganges faithfully with a determined vow?...

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: न ह्येतत् परमाश्चर्यं स्वर्धुन्या यदिहोदितम् ।अनन्तचरणाम्भोजप्रसूताया भवच्छिद: ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: na hy etat param āścaryaṁsvardhunyā yad ihoditamananta-caraṇāmbhoja-prasūtāyā bhava-cchidaḥ Translation: Because mother Ganges emanates from the lotus toe of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Anantadeva, she is able to liberate one from material bondage. Therefore whatever is described herewith about her is not at all wonderful. Purport: It has actually been seen that anyone who regularly worships mother Ganges simply by bathing in her water keeps very good health and gradually becomes a devotee of the Lord....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: सन्निवेश्य मनो यस्मिञ्छ्रद्धया मुनयोऽमला: ।त्रैगुण्यं दुस्त्यजं हित्वा सद्यो यातास्तदात्मताम् ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: sanniveśya mano yasmiñchraddhayā munayo ’malāḥtraiguṇyaṁ dustyajaṁ hitvāsadyo yātās tad-ātmatām Translation: Great sages, completely freed from material lusty desires, devote their minds fully to the service of the Lord. Such persons are liberated from material bondage without difficulty, and they become transcendentally situated, acquiring the spiritual quality of the Lord....