हेमकूटाद्धैमकूटान्यतिरभसतररंहसा लुठयन्ती भारतमभिवर्षं दक्षिणस्यां
दिशि जलधिमभिप्रविशति यस्यां स्नानार्थं चागच्छतः पुंसः पदे पदेऽश्वमेधराज
सूयादीनां फलं न दुर्लभमिति ॥९॥
tathaivÄlakanandÄ daká¹£iṇena brahma-sadanÄd bahÅ«ni giri-kÅ«á¹Äny atikramya hemakÅ«á¹Äd dhaimakÅ«á¹Äny ati-rabhasatara-raá¹hasÄ luá¹hayantÄ« bhÄratam abhivará¹£aá¹ daká¹£iṇasyÄá¹ diÅ›i jaladhim abhipraviÅ›ati yasyÄá¹ snÄnÄrthaá¹ cÄgacchataḥ puá¹saḥ pade pade 'Å›vamedha-rÄjasÅ«yÄdÄ«nÄá¹ phalaá¹ na durlabham iti
tathÄ eva - similarly; alakanandÄ - the branch known as AlakanandÄ; daká¹£iṇena - by the southern side; brahma-sadanÄt - from the city known as BrahmapurÄ«; bahÅ«ni - many; giri-kÅ«á¹Äni - the tops of mountains; atikramya - crossing over; hemakÅ«á¹Ät - from HemakÅ«á¹a Mountain; haimakÅ«á¹Äni - and HimakÅ«á¹a; ati-rabhasatara - more fiercely; raá¹hasÄ - with great force; luá¹hayantÄ« - plundering; bhÄratam abhivará¹£am - on all sides of BhÄrata-vará¹£a; daká¹£iṇasyÄm - in the southern; diÅ›i - direction; jaladhim - the ocean of salt water; abhipraviÅ›ati - enters into; yasyÄm - in which; snÄna-artham - for bathing; ca - and; Ägacchataḥ - of one who is coming; puá¹saḥ - a person; pade pade - at every step; aÅ›vamedha-rÄjasÅ«ya-ÄdÄ«nÄm - of great sacrifices like the AÅ›vamedha yajña and RÄjasÅ«ya yajña; phalam - the result; na - not; durlabham - very difficult to obtain; iti - thus.
Similarly, the branch of the Ganges known as AlakanandÄ flows from the southern side of BrahmapurÄ« [Brahma-sadana]. Passing over the tops of mountains in various lands, it falls down with fierce force upon the peaks of the mountains HemakÅ«á¹a and HimakÅ«á¹a. After inundating the tops of those mountains, the Ganges falls down onto the tract of land known as BhÄrata-vará¹£a, 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 RÄjasÅ«ya and AÅ›vamedha yajñas.
The place where the Ganges flows into the salt water of the Bay of Bengal is still known as Gaá¹…gÄ-sÄgara, or the meeting place of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. On Makara-saá¹…krÄnti, 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 AÅ›vamedha and RÄjasÅ«ya yajña 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 PrayÄga (Allahabad), many thousands of people gather during the month of January to bathe in the confluence of the Ganges and YamunÄ. 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.
