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गङ्गावतरण (gaGgAvataraNa)

 
Monier Williams Cologne
English
गङ्गा°वतरण
n.
 (°गाव्°) ‘Ganges-descent’,
N.
 of a poem,
Hariv.
 8690
Shabdartha Kaustubha
Kannada
गङ्गावतरण
पदविभागः - > नपुंसकलिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ಗಂಗೆಯು ಭೂಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಇಳಿದುಬಂದುದು
Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum
English
गङ्गावतरण kāvya, by Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita. Burnell 157^b.
Oppert II, 68.
गङ्गावतरण nāṭaka. BC 182.
Mahabharata
English
[Gaṅgāvataraṇa(ṃ)]
(“descent of the Gaṅgā”). § 389 (Sagara): Asked by Sagara to bring back the horse and deliver him from hell (Narakād), Aṃśumat went to the spot where the earth had been excavated, entered the sea by that very way, and beheld Kapila and the horse. As he bowed his head before Kapila, etc., Kapila granted him the horse, and that his fathers should be purified and go to heaven, when his son's son, by the favour of Śiva, brought Tripathagā (i.e. Gaṅgā) from heaven. When he had brought the horse back to the sacrificial yard and narrated all the events to Sagara, Sagara grieved no more, but praised Aṃśumat and finished the sacrificial rites. Sagara was greeted by all the gods and converted the sea into a son of himself (putratve kalpayām āsa), and after a long reign placed his grandson on the throne and ascended to heaven. Aṃśumat ruled the whole earth like Sagara, and died after he had placed his son Dilīpa on the throne. Dilīpa in vain tried to effect the descent of Gaṅgā in order to raise his forefathers. He then anointed his son Bhagīratha as king, and practised austerities in the forest, and then ascended to heaven (III, 107). Bhagīratha made over his kingly duties to his minister (sacive), and (b) practised austerities on the Himavat during 1000 celestial years, living upon fruits, roots, and water. Then Gaṅgā Haimavatī appeared in a material form (mūrtimatī), and promised to besprinkle the bodies of his forefathers and carry them to heaven, and as there existed none in the three worlds except Śiva, who was able to sustain her fall, she caused Bhagīratha to go to Kailāsa, where he, by his austerities, obtained the favour of Śiva (III, 108), who, surrounded by his awful attendants (pārishadaiḥ), came to Himavat. There he caused Bhagīratha to pray to Gaṅgā. Gaṅgā immediately came down from the sky, in the presence of the gods, maharshis, Gandharvas, snakes, and Yakshas, and Śiva received her on his forehead, whence she fell to the earth, divided into three streams. At her request Bhagīratha led her to the spot where the bodies of Sagara's sons lay, while Śiva went to Kailāsa with the celestials. Gaṅgā filled the sea, and Bhagīratha adopted her as his daughter and offered libations of water to his forefathers (III, 109).