Shloka 20

गङ्गाधारणम् (Gaṅgādhāraṇa) — Śiva Bears the Descent of Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

स्वर्ग नय महाभागे मत्पितृन्‌ सगरात्मजान्‌ | तेषामर्थेन याचामि त्वामहं वै महानदि

Transliteration

svarga naya mahābhāge matpitṝn sagarātmajān | teṣām arthena yācāmi tvām ahaṁ vai mahānadi ||

Translation

లోమశుడు పలికెను—“మహాభాగే! నా పితృులను—సగరపుత్రులను—స్వర్గానికి నడిపించుము. వారి నిమిత్తమే, ఓ మహానదీ, నేను నిన్ను ప్రార్థిస్తున్నాను.”

Word by Word

स्वर्गम्to heaven

नयlead (you)

महाभागेO fortunate lady

मत्पितॄन्my forefathers

सगरात्मजान्the sons of Sagara

तेषाम्of them

अर्थेनfor the sake (of), for the purpose

याचामिI beg, I request

त्वाम्you

अहम्I

वैindeed

महानदिO great river

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Lośa

Sagara

Sagarātmajāḥ (sons of Sagara)

Svarga (heaven)

Mahānadi (a great river, addressed as a personified river)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights pitṛ-dharma—responsibility toward one’s ancestors—expressed through humble supplication and the belief that sacred agencies (here, a great river) can aid in the ancestors’ attainment of svarga.

What is happening in the narrative?

Lośa addresses a personified great river, pleading that it guide his forefathers, identified as Sagara’s sons, to heaven; the moment is framed as an earnest request made specifically for the ancestors’ welfare.