बालकांड
पंच त्रिंशस्सर्गः

उपास्य रात्रिशेषं तु शोणाकूले महर्षिभिः।
निशायां सुप्रभातायां विश्वामित्रोsभ्यभाषत ॥

Viswamitra spent the remainder of the night with other sages. There after in the early morning Viswamitra spoke as follows.

सुप्रभात निशा राम पूर्वा संध्या प्रवर्तते ।
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते गमनायाभिरोचय ॥

'Oh Rama ! The night has passed. It is the early morning twilight hours. Wake up, wake up. May God bless you. Get ready for travel '.

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकीं क्रियाम् ।
गमनं रोचयामास वाक्यं चेद मुवाच ह ॥
अयं शोणः शुभजलो गाढः पुलिनमंडितः ।
कतरेण पथा ब्रह्मन् संतरिष्यामहे वयम् ॥

Hearing those words ( of Viswamitra) , Rama having completed his early morning rituals, got ready for travel and spoke as follows. ' O Brahman ! This river Sona with auspicious waters is deep. How do we cross this river '.

एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण विश्वामित्रोsब्रवीदिदम् ।
एषपंथा मयोद्दिष्टो येन यांति महर्षयः ॥
एवमुक्ताश्च ऋषयो विश्वामित्रेण धीमता ।
पश्यंतस्ते प्रयातावै वनानि विविधानि च ॥

Hearing thse words of Rama , Viswamitra told as follows. ' By chance I know the routes taken by venerable sages'. Hearing those words of Viswamitra, all the sages followed that path seeing wide variety of forest groves on the way.

ते गत्वा दूरमध्वानं गतेsर्धदिवसे तदा ।
जाह्नवीं सरितां श्रेष्ठां ददृशुर्मुनिसेविताम् ॥
तां दृष्ट्वा पुण्यसलिलां हंस सारस सेविताम् ।
बभूवुर्मुदितास्सर्वे मुनयः सह राघवः ॥

Thus they travelled upto the afternoon and reached the banks of most auspicious river Ganges. Seeing the river Ganges full and with a variety of birds and swans, all the sages along with Rama were delighted.

तस्यास्तीरे ततश्चक्रुः त आवास परिग्रहम् ।
ततः स्नात्वा यथान्यायं संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः ॥
हुत्वाचैवाग्नि होत्राणि प्राश्य चामृतवद्धविः ।
विविशुर्जाह्नवी तीरे शुचौ मुदित मानसाः ॥
विश्वामित्रं महात्मानं परिवार्य समंततः ।
अथ तत्र तदा रामो विश्वामित्रं अथाब्रवीत् ॥

They cleared a part of the bank to make it usable and then having taken bath they performed appropriate rites to please their departed parents.Then they offered the oblations to fire. Taking those offerrings as a nectar like food and sitting around sage Viswamitra on the banks of river Jahnavi, all of them were very happy. Then SriRama asked him.

भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामि गंगां त्रिपथां नदीम् ।
त्रैलोक्यं कथमाक्रम्य गता नदनदीपतिम् ॥
चोदितो रामवाक्येन विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ।
वृद्धिं जन्मच गंगाया वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ॥

'Bhagavan ! the river Ganges is known as river flowing in three paths. How did it acquire that name. How does this river reach the ocean which is treated as the husband of all rivers'. Hearing those words of Rama the venerable sage Viswamitra then started elaborating on the birth and the growth of river Ganges.

शैलेंद्रो हिमवान् नाम धातूनामकरो महान् ।
तस्य कन्याद्वयं राम रूपेणा प्रतिमं भुवि ॥
यामेरु दुहिता राम तयोर्माता सुमध्यमा ।
मेना मनोरमा देवी पत्नी हिमवतः प्रिया ॥
तस्यां गंगेयमभवत् ज्येष्ठा हिमवत्सुता ।
उमा नाम द्वितीयाsभूत् नाम्ना तस्यैव राघव ॥

'O Raghava ! there is a mountain by name Himavan which is like King among mountains. It is full of all metals. That Himavan has two beautiful daughters of unmatched beauty. The daughter of Meru by name Maina is his wife, who is dear to him. Ganga is the eldest daughter and the second daughter is Uma'.

अथ ज्येष्ठां सुरास्सर्वे देवतार्थ चिकीर्षया ।
शैलेंद्रं वरयामासुः गंगां त्रिपथां नदीम् ॥
ददौ धर्मेण हिमवान् तनयां लोकपावनीम् ।
स्वच्छंदपथगां गंगां त्रैलोक्य हितकाम्यया ॥

Then all the Gods asked Himavan that Ganga be given to them for the benefit of Devas. Then the righteous minded Himavan gave Ganga which flows without hindrance which is beneficial to all, to Devas for the benefit of all the three worlds.

प्रतिगृह्य ततो देवाः त्रिलोक हितकारिणः ।
गंगामादाय ते sगच्छन् कृतार्थेनांतरात्मना ॥

The Devas having obtained Ganga went their way feeling that they have successfully completed their task.

या चान्या शैलदुहिता कन्याssसीत् रघुनंदन ।
उग्रं सा व्रतमास्थाय तपस्तेपे तपोधना ॥
उग्रेण तपसा युक्तां ददौ शैलवरस्सुताम् ।
रुद्राया प्रतिरूपाय उमां लोकनमस्कृताम् ॥

'Oh Raghunandana ! The second daughter of Himavan namely Uma performed severe penance following strict vows. Himavan gave away her daughter who performed such penance to Rudra who is worshipped by all'.

एतेते शैलराजस्य सुते लोक नमस्कृते ।
गंगा च सरितां श्रेष्ठा उमादेवीच राघव ॥

'Oh Raghava ! Thus the two daughters of that best of mountains Himavan namely Ganga, best among all rivers and Uma too became widely worshipped'.

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा त्रिपथगा नदी ।
खं गता प्रथमं तात गतिं गतिमतांवर ॥

'Oh Rama ! I have elaborated to you how the Ganges as the river flowing in three paths went in which direction first'.

सैषा सुरनदी रम्या शैलेंद्रस्य सुता तदा ।
सुरलोकं समारूढा विपापा जलवाहिनी ॥

'That holy river which was born as the daughter of Himavan and then reached the world of Devas is indeed that holy river Ganga'.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये
बालकांडे पंच त्रिंशस्सर्गः ॥
समाप्तं॥

Thus ends the thirty fifth Sarga of Balakanda in Valmiki Ramayana
||Om tat sat ||

|| Om tat sat ||