Brahma Purana — Chapter 172

BrP 172.1

सामुद्रं तीर्थम् आख्यातं सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम् तस्य स्वरूपं वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद तन्मनाः ॥

sāmudraṃ tīrtham ākhyātaṃ sarvatīrthaphalapradam tasya svarūpaṃ vakṣyāmi śṛṇu nārada tanmanāḥ //

The Sāmudra tīrtha is declared (to be) one that gives the fruit of all tīrthas. I shall tell you its nature — listen, Nārada, with your mind fixed on it.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.2

विसृष्टा गौतमेनासौ गङ्गा पापप्रणाशनी लोकानाम् उपकारार्थं प्रायात् पूर्वार्णवं प्रति ॥

visṛṣṭā gautamenāsau gaṅgā pāpapraṇāśanī lokānām upakārārthaṃ prāyāt pūrvārṇavaṃ prati //

That Gaṅgā, destroyer of sin, released by Gautama, went on toward the eastern ocean for the benefit of the worlds.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.3

आगच्छन्ती देवनदी कमण्डलुधृता मया शिरसा च धृता देवी शंभुना परमात्मना ॥

āgacchantī devanadī kamaṇḍaludhṛtā mayā śirasā ca dhṛtā devī śaṃbhunā paramātmanā //

(Thus) came the river of the gods, held (once) in my water-pot, and the goddess (was) borne on the head by Śaṃbhu, the supreme Self.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.4

विष्णुपादात् प्रसूतां तां ब्राह्मणेन महात्मना आनीतां मर्त्यभवनं स्मरणाद् अघनाशनीम् ॥

viṣṇupādāt prasūtāṃ tāṃ brāhmaṇena mahātmanā ānītāṃ martyabhavanaṃ smaraṇād aghanāśanīm //

Her, sprung from Viṣṇu's foot, brought by the great-souled brahmin to the dwelling of mortals, destroying sin by the mere remembering (of her) —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.5

गुरोर् गुरुतमां सिन्धुर् दृष्ट्वा कृत्यम् अचिन्तयत् या वन्द्या जगताम् ईशा ब्रह्मेशाद्यैर् नमस्कृता ॥

guror gurutamāṃ sindhur dṛṣṭvā kṛtyam acintayat yā vandyā jagatām īśā brahmeśādyair namaskṛtā //

— seeing her, weightier than a guru's guru, the ocean pondered what was to be done: "She who is to be reverenced, the mistress of the worlds, saluted by Brahmā, Śiva and the rest —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.6

ताम् अहं प्रतिगच्छेयं नो चेत् स्याद् धर्मदूषणम् आगच्छन्तं महात्मानं यो मोहान् नोपतिष्ठते ॥

tām ahaṃ pratigaccheyaṃ no cet syād dharmadūṣaṇam āgacchantaṃ mahātmānaṃ yo mohān nopatiṣṭhate //

— I should go forth to meet her; if not, there would be a violation of dharma. Whoever, out of delusion, does not attend upon a great one who is arriving,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.7

न तस्य कोपि त्रातास्ति पापिनो लोकयोर् द्वयोः एवं विमृश्य रत्नेशो मूर्तिमान् विनयान्वितः कृताञ्जलिपुटो गङ्गाम् आहेदं सरितांपतिः ॥

na tasya kopi trātāsti pāpino lokayor dvayoḥ evaṃ vimṛśya ratneśo mūrtimān vinayānvitaḥ kṛtāñjalipuṭo gaṅgām āhedaṃ saritāṃpatiḥ //

for that sinner there is no protector at all in either of the two worlds." Having thus reflected, the lord of jewels, the lord of rivers, taking bodily form and filled with humility, with his hands folded in añjali, said this to Gaṅgā:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.8

रसातलगतं वारि पृथिव्यां यन् नभस्तले तन् माम् एवात्र विशतु नाहं वक्ष्यामि किंचन ॥

rasātalagataṃ vāri pṛthivyāṃ yan nabhastale tan mām evātra viśatu nāhaṃ vakṣyāmi kiṃcana //

"The water that is in the nether world, on the earth, and in the vault of the sky — let all of that enter into me right here; I shall not say a word.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.9

मयि रत्नानि पीयूषं पर्वता राक्षसासुराः एतान् अप्य् अखिलान् अन्यान् भीमान् संधारयाम्य् अहम् ॥

mayi ratnāni pīyūṣaṃ parvatā rākṣasāsurāḥ etān apy akhilān anyān bhīmān saṃdhārayāmy aham //

In me are the jewels, the nectar, the mountains, the rākṣasas and asuras; all these and other terrible ones besides I hold up.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.10

ममान्तः कमलायुक्तो विष्णुः स्वपिति नित्यदा ममाशक्यं न किमपि विद्यते सचराचरे ॥

mamāntaḥ kamalāyukto viṣṇuḥ svapiti nityadā mamāśakyaṃ na kimapi vidyate sacarācare //

Within me Viṣṇu, together with Kamalā, sleeps perpetually; there is nothing at all impossible for me in (this world) with its moving and unmoving beings.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.11

महत्य् अभ्यागते कुर्यात् प्रत्युत्थानं न यो मदात् स धर्मादिपरिभ्रष्टो निरयं तु समाप्नुयात् ॥

mahaty abhyāgate kuryāt pratyutthānaṃ na yo madāt sa dharmādiparibhraṣṭo nirayaṃ tu samāpnuyāt //

Whoever, out of pride, does not rise up to greet a great one who has arrived, he, fallen from dharma and the rest, would surely attain hell.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.12

न तान् मे बिभ्रतः खेदो विनागस्त्यपराभवात् किं तु त्वं गौरवेणैषाम् अतिरिक्ता ततस् त्व् अहम् ॥

na tān me bibhrataḥ khedo vināgastyaparābhavāt kiṃ tu tvaṃ gauraveṇaiṣām atiriktā tatas tv aham //

I feel no distress in bearing those (burdens), apart from the defeat (I suffered) at Agastya's hands; but you surpass them in weightiness, and therefore I

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 172.13

ब्रवीमि देवि गङ्गे मां त्वं साम्यात् संगता भव नैकरूपाम् अहं शक्तः संगन्तुं बहुधा यदि ॥

bravīmi devi gaṅge māṃ tvaṃ sāmyāt saṃgatā bhava naikarūpām ahaṃ śaktaḥ saṃgantuṃ bahudhā yadi //

I say (this), goddess Gaṅgā: be joined with me on equal terms. I am not able to unite with you (while you are) of a single form — (only) if (you become) manifold.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 172.14

सङ्गम् एष्यसि देवि त्वं संगच्छे ऽहं न चान्यथा गङ्गे समेष्यसि यदि बहुधा तद् विचारये ॥

saṅgam eṣyasi devi tvaṃ saṃgacche 'haṃ na cānyathā gaṅge sameṣyasi yadi bahudhā tad vicāraye //

You will come to union, O goddess, and I will unite (with you) — not otherwise; if you come, O Gaṅgā, in many streams, that is what I propose.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 172.15

तम् एवंवादिनं सिन्धुम् अपाम् ईशं तदाब्रवीत् गङ्गा सा गौतमी देवी कुरु चैतद् वचो मम ॥

tam evaṃvādinaṃ sindhum apām īśaṃ tadābravīt gaṅgā sā gautamī devī kuru caitad vaco mama //

To the ocean, lord of the waters, who spoke thus, that goddess Gaṅgā Gautamī then said: "Do this word of mine."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.16

सप्तर्षीणां च या भार्या अरुन्धतिपुरोगमाः भर्तृभिः सहिताः सर्वा आनय त्वं तदा त्व् अहम् ॥

saptarṣīṇāṃ ca yā bhāryā arundhatipurogamāḥ bhartṛbhiḥ sahitāḥ sarvā ānaya tvaṃ tadā tv aham //

"The wives of the seven sages, headed by Arundhatī — bring them all here together with their husbands; then I

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.17

अल्पभूता भविष्यामि ततः स्यां तव संगता तथेत्य् उक्त्वा सप्तर्षीणां भार्याभिर् ऋषिभिर् वृतः ॥

alpabhūtā bhaviṣyāmi tataḥ syāṃ tava saṃgatā tathety uktvā saptarṣīṇāṃ bhāryābhir ṛṣibhir vṛtaḥ //

"I shall become small in size; then I would be joined with you." Saying "so be it," surrounded by the sages and by the wives of the seven sages,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.18

आनयाम् आस तां देवी सप्तधा सा व्यभज्यत सा चेयं गौतमी गङ्गा सप्तधा सागरं गता ॥

ānayām āsa tāṃ devī saptadhā sā vyabhajyata sā ceyaṃ gautamī gaṅgā saptadhā sāgaraṃ gatā //

(he) brought her, the goddess; she was divided into seven; and she is this Gautamī Gaṅgā, who went to the ocean in seven (streams).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.19

सप्तर्षीणां तु नाम्ना तु सप्त गङ्गास् ततो ऽभवन् तत्र स्नानं च दानं च श्रवणं पठनं तथा ॥

saptarṣīṇāṃ tu nāmnā tu sapta gaṅgās tato 'bhavan tatra snānaṃ ca dānaṃ ca śravaṇaṃ paṭhanaṃ tathā //

Then seven Gaṅgās came into being, named after the seven sages; and bathing there, and giving, and hearing (of it) and reciting (of it),

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 172.20

स्मरणं चापि यद् भक्त्या सर्वकामप्रदं भवेत् नास्माद् अन्यत् परं तीर्थं समुद्राद् भुवनत्रये पापहानौ भुक्तिमुक्तिप्राप्तौ च मनसो मुदे ॥

smaraṇaṃ cāpi yad bhaktyā sarvakāmapradaṃ bhavet nāsmād anyat paraṃ tīrthaṃ samudrād bhuvanatraye pāpahānau bhuktimuktiprāptau ca manaso mude //

and also remembering, when done with devotion, grants all desires. In the three worlds there is no other tīrtha higher than this ocean, for the removal of sin, for the winning of enjoyment and liberation, and for the mind's delight.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition