Shloka 16

गङ्गाधारणम् (Gaṅgādhāraṇa) — Śiva Bears the Descent of Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त: प्रत्युवाच राजा हैमवर्ती तदा । (नदीं भगीरथो राजन्‌ प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलि: ।) पितामहा मे वरदे कपिलेन महानदि

Transliteration

evam uktaḥ pratyuvāca rājā haimavartī tadā (nadīṃ bhagīratho rājan praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ) pitāmahā me varade kapilena mahānadi

Translation

そう告げられると、ヒマラヤの地の王はその時答えた。「王よ、バギーラタは河にひれ伏し、合掌してこう申した。『祖父よ、恩寵を授ける御方よ。カピラに縁ある大河よ……』」

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

प्रत्युवाचreplied

राजाthe king

हैमवर्तीdwelling in/connected with Himavat (Himalayan)

तदाthen

नदीम्the river

भगीरथःBhagiratha

राजन्O king

प्रणिपत्यhaving bowed down

कृताञ्जलिःwith hands joined (in reverence)

पितामहाःgrandfathers / forefathers

मेmy

वरदेO boon-giver

कपिलेनby Kapila

महानदिO great river

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhagīratha

Kapila

Himavat (Himalayas)

a great river (mahā-nadī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.