SB 5.17.9 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.17.9

తథైవాలకనన్దా దక్షిణేన బ్రహ్మసదనాద్బ‍హూని గిరికూటాన్యతిక్రమ్య హేమకూటాద్ధైమకూటాన్యతిరభసతరరంహసా లుఠయన్తీ భారతమభివర్షం దక్షిణస్యాం దిశి జలధిమభిప్రవిశతి యస్యాం స్‍నానార్థం చాగచ్ఛత: పుంస: పదే పదేఽశ్వమేధరాజసూయాదీనాం ఫలం న దుర్లభమితి ॥ ౯ ॥

tathaivālakanandā dakṣiṇena brahma-sadanād bahūni giri-kūṭāny atikramya hemakūṭād dhaimakūṭāny ati-rabhasatara-raṁhasā luṭhayantī bhāratam abhivarṣaṁ dakṣiṇasyāṁ diśi jaladhim abhipraviśati yasyāṁ snānārthaṁ cāgacchataḥ puṁsaḥ pade pade ’śvamedha-rājasūyādīnāṁ phalaṁ na durlabham iti.

[tathaivaalakanandaa dakshinena brahma-sadanaad bahooni giri-kootaany atikramya hemakootaad dhaimakootaany ati-rabhasatara-ramhasaa luthayantee bhaaratam abhivarsham dakshinasyaam dishi jaladhim abhipravishati yasyaam snaanaartham chaagachchatah pumsah pade pade ’shvamedha-raajasooyaadeenaam phalam na durlabham iti.]

Word-for-word

tathā eva — similarly alakanandā — the branch known as Alakanandā dakṣiṇena — by the southern side brahma-sadanāt — from the city known as Brahmapurī bahūni — many giri-kūṭāni — the tops of mountains atikramya — crossing over hemakūṭāt — from Hemakūṭa Mountain haimakūṭāni — and Himakūṭa ati-rabhasatara — more fiercely raṁhasā — with great force luṭhayantī — plundering bhāratam abhivarṣam — on all sides of Bhārata-varṣa dakṣiṇasyām — in the southern diśi — direction jaladhim — the ocean of salt water abhipraviśati — enters into yasyām — in which snāna-artham — for bathing ca — and āgacchataḥ — of one who is coming puṁsaḥ — a person pade pade — at every step aśvamedha-rājasūya-ādīnām — of great sacrifices like the Aśvamedha yajṣa and Rājasūya yajṣa phalam — the result na — not durlabham — very difficult to obtain iti — thus.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tathā eva

similarly

alakanandā

the branch known as Alakanandā

dakṣiṇena

by the southern side

brahma-sadanāt

from the city known as Brahmapurī

bahūni

many

giri-kūṭāni

the tops of mountains

atikramya

crossing over

hemakūṭāt

from Hemakūṭa Mountain

haimakūṭāni

and Himakūṭa

ati-rabhasatara

more fiercely

raṁhasā

with great force

luṭhayantī

plundering

bhāratam abhivarṣam

on all sides of Bhārata-varṣa

dakṣiṇasyām

in the southern

diśi

direction

jaladhim

the ocean of salt water

abhipraviśati

enters into

yasyām

in which

snāna-artham

for bathing

and

āgacchataḥ

of one who is coming

puṁsaḥ

a person

pade pade

at every step

aśvamedha-rājasūya-ādīnām

of great sacrifices like the Aśvamedha yajṣa and Rājasūya yajṣa

phalam

the result

not

durlabham

very difficult to obtain

iti

thus.

Similarly, the branch of the Ganges known as Alakanandā flows from the southern side of Brahmapurī [Brahma-sadana]. Passing over the tops of mountains in various lands, it falls down with fierce force upon the peaks of the mountains Hemakūṭa and Himakūṭa. After inundating the tops of those mountains, the Ganges falls down onto the tract of land known as Bhārata-varṣa, which she also inundates. Then the Ganges flows into the ocean of salt water in the south. Persons who come to bathe in this river are fortunate. It is not very difficult for them to achieve with every step the results of performing great sacrifices like the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha yajṣas.

Purport

The place where the Ganges flows into the salt water of the Bay of Bengal is still known as Gaṅgā-sāgara, or the meeting place of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. On Makara-saṅkrānti, in the month of January—February, thousands of people still go there to bathe, hoping to be liberated. That they can actually be liberated in this way is confirmed herein. For those who bathe in the Ganges at any time, the results of great sacrifices like the Aśvamedha and Rājasūya yajṣa are not at all difficult to achieve. Most people in India are still inclined to bathe in the Ganges, and there are many places where they can do so. At Prayāga (Allahabad), many thousands of people gather during the month of January to bathe in the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā. Afterward, many of them go to the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the Ganges to take bath there. Thus it is a special facility for all the people of India that they can bathe in the water of the Ganges at so many places of pilgrimage.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Similarly, the branch of the Gaṅgā known as Alakanandā, flowing from the southern side of Brahmapurī, passes over the tops of mountains in various lands (Kesarācala and Niṣadha), and falls down with fierce force upon the peaks of the mountains Hemakūṭa and Himakūṭa (Himālaya) and, falling in Bhārata-varṣa, flows into the ocean of salt water in the south. It is not very difficult for persons who bathe in this river to achieve with every place the results of performing great sacrifices like the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha. Skipping over the three varṣas, the Alakanandā falls from peak to peak. This sentence should be understood. Bhāratam abhi varṣam should mean falling in Bhārata-varṣa. The four rivers, skipping over many varṣas, flow down from the mountain range bordering the varṣa nearest the ocean onto the earth, and then with bowed head (so to speak), enter the ocean, their husband, giving up pride.

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