Mahabharata 3.107.68 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 107, Shloka 68

Bhāgīratha’s Tapas and the Petition to Gaṅgā (गङ्गावतरण-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

न चावतारयामास चेष्टमानो यथाबलम्‌ | तस्य पुत्र: समभवच्छीमान्‌ धर्मपरायण:

Transliteration

na cāvatārayāmāsa ceṣṭamāno yathābalam | tasya putraḥ samabhavac chrīmān dharmaparāyaṇaḥ (bhagīrathaṁ mahātmānaṁ satyadharmaparāyaṇam) |

Translation

Ainda assim, embora se esforçasse ao máximo, não conseguiu fazer descer o Gaṅgā à terra. Então nasceu-lhe um filho—ilustre e firme no dharma: o magnânimo Bhagīratha, célebre por sua devoção à verdade e à retidão. Tendo entronizado e consagrado Bhagīratha, devotado à verdade e ao dharma, Dilīpa retirou-se para a floresta.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अवतारयामास: brought down / caused to descend
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (अवतारयति)
• Form: Perfect (liṭ), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

• आमास: was / did (auxiliary in periphrastic perfect)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (आस)
• Form: Perfect (liṭ), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

• चेष्टमानः: endeavouring / striving
• चेष्टमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चेष्ट् (चेष्टते)
• Form: Present active participle (śatṛ), masculine, nominative, singular

• यथा: as / according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• बलम्: strength, power
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• समभवत्: arose / was born / came to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भू (सम्भवति)
• Form: Imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

• श्रीमान्: splendid, illustrious
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• धर्मपरायणः: devoted to dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-परायण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

सगर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sagara
• Gaṅgā
• Bhagīratha
• Dilīpa
• Pṛthivī (earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human effort has limits, yet dharma is sustained through continuity of righteous leadership: when one cannot complete a sacred task, a worthy successor—devoted to truth and dharma—carries the responsibility forward, and the elder may embrace renunciation after ensuring proper succession.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recounts that despite earnest effort, the attempt to bring the river Gaṅgā down to earth did not succeed. A son, Bhagīratha—renowned for truth and righteousness—was then born, and after his coronation, Dilīpa withdrew to the forest.