Shloka 1.43.33

गङ्गावतरणम् (The Descent of the Gaṅgā and Bhagiratha’s Fulfilment)

Devanagari script

यतो भगीरथो राजा ततो गङ्गायशस्विनी।।।।जगाम सरितां श्रेष्ठा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी।

Transliteration

yato bhagīratho rājā tato gaṅgā yaśasvinī |

jagāma saritāṃ śreṣṭhā sarva-pāpa-praṇāśinī ||

Translation

Wherever King Bhagīratha went, in that very direction went the renowned Gaṅgā—foremost among rivers, the destroyer of all sins.

Context

Ganga, famous and foremost of rivers, destroyer of all sins, flowed in the direction king Bhagiratha moved.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

A leader’s dharmic resolve guides powerful forces toward purification and welfare; steadfast righteousness becomes a ‘path’ that even sacred powers follow.

What is the narrative situation?

Gaṅgā continues to follow Bhagīratha’s route exactly as he leads her onward.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bhagīratha’s guiding responsibility and single-pointed purpose in fulfilling an ancestral duty.