Shloka 2

गङ्गाधारणम् (Gaṅgādhāraṇa) — Śiva Bears the Descent of Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

स सुश्राव महाबाहुः कपिलेन महात्मना । पितृणां निधन घोरमप्राप्तिं त्रिदिवस्य च,नरेश्वरर! उन महाबाहुने जब यह सुना कि महात्मा कपिलद्दधारा हमारे (साठ हजार) पितरोंकी भयंकर मृत्यु हुई है और वे स्वर्गप्राप्तिसे वंचित रह गये हैं तब उन्होंने व्यथित हृदयसे अपना राज्य मन्त्रीको सौंप दिया और स्वयं हिमालयके शिखरपर तपस्या करनेके लिये प्रस्थान किया

Transliteration

sa suśrāva mahābāhuḥ kapilena mahātmanā | pitṝṇāṁ nidhanaṁ ghoraṁ aprāptiṁ tridivasya ca ||

Translation

于是，这位臂力雄健的国王从大圣迦毗罗处听闻：其祖先遭遇可怖的毁灭，并被剥夺了升天之途。悲恸而自觉负有重责，他将国政托付给大臣，遂往喜马拉雅诸峰而去，修行苦行，以求挽救祖先的命运。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुश्राव: heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun (epithet)
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कपिलेन: by Kapila
• कपिलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: कपिल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (sage)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun (epithet)
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पितृणाम्: of the forefathers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• निधनम्: death, destruction
• निधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अप्राप्तिम्: non-attainment, failure to obtain
• अप्राप्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्राप्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• त्रिदिवस्य: of heaven (the threefold sky)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदिव
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

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

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• the mighty-armed king (Sagara in the surrounding narrative)
• the ancestors/forefathers (pitṛs; traditionally the sixty thousand sons/forefathers)
• Tridiva (Svarga, heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights pitṛ-dharma and royal responsibility: when a ruler learns of grave harm to his lineage and their blocked spiritual destiny, he responds not with anger but with disciplined action—delegating governance and undertaking tapas to seek restitution. Ethical leadership includes accountability for inherited consequences and commitment to remedial dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila informs the king that his forefathers have met a terrible end and have not attained heaven. Hearing this, the king is deeply distressed, hands over the kingdom to a minister, and departs for the Himalaya to perform austerities aimed at resolving the ancestors’ plight.