SB 5.17.9 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तथैवालकनन्दा दक्षिणेन ब्रह्मसदनाद्ब‍हूनि गिरिकूटान्यतिक्रम्य हेमकूटाद्धैमकूटान्यतिरभसतररंहसा लुठयन्ती भारतमभिवर्षं दक्षिणस्यां दिशि जलधिमभिप्रविशति यस्यां स्‍नानार्थं चागच्छत: पुंस: पदे पदेऽश्वमेधराजसूयादीनां फलं न दुर्लभमिति ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

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.

Synonyms

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 .

Translation

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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

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.

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.