Shloka 16
गङ्गाधारणम् (Gaṅgādhāraṇa) — Śiva Bears the Descent of Gaṅgā
एवमुक्त: प्रत्युवाच राजा हैमवर्ती तदा । (नदीं भगीरथो राजन् प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलि: ।) पितामहा मे वरदे कपिलेन महानदि
evam uktaḥ pratyuvāca rājā haimavartī tadā (nadīṃ bhagīratho rājan praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ) pitāmahā me varade kapilena mahānadi
Demikian disapa, raja dari wilayah Himalaya menjawab saat itu: “Wahai Raja, Bhagiratha—setelah bersujud hormat kepada sungai dengan kedua tangan terkatup—berkata, ‘Wahai leluhurku, pemberi anugerah! Wahai resi agung Kapila, wahai sungai besar…’”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic conduct in petitioning: humility (praṇipāta), reverence (kṛtāñjali), and respectful address to elders/ancestral figures and sacred powers. Ethical persuasion is shown as grounded in devotion and proper speech rather than force.
A Himalayan-region king begins recounting or quoting Bhagiratha’s reverent approach: Bhagiratha bows to a great river with folded hands and addresses it (and/or an ancestral figure) as a boon-giver, invoking the name of Kapila in the context of his request.