February 20, 2026
samaḥ śāntamanā maunī vītarāgo vimatsaraḥ
prāptakāryaikakaraṇaḥ sa tirohitavismayaḥ (76/10)
VASIṢṬHA continued:
Having heard the precepts of the preceptor, Bhagīratha decided to perform a religious rite as a prelude to total renunciation of the world. In three days he had given away everything to the priests and to his own relations, whether they were endowed with good nature or not. His own kingdom he handed over to his enemies living across the borders. Clad in a small piece of loin-cloth, he left the kingdom and roamed in countries and forests where he was totally unknown.
Very soon, he had attained the state of supreme peace within himself. Accidentally and unknowingly Bhagīratha entered his own previous kingdom and solicited alms from the citizens there. They recognised him, worshipped him and prayed that he should be their king. But he accepted from them nothing but food. They bewailed, “This is king Bhagīratha, what a sad plight, what an unfortunate turn of events!” After a few days he left the kingdom again.
Bhagīratha once again met his preceptor and the two of them roamed the country all the time engaged in spiritual dialogue: “Why do we still carry the burden of this physical body? On the other hand, why should it be discarded? Let it be as long as it will be!” They were devoid of sorrow and of rejoicing, nor could they be said to adhere to the middle path. Even if the gods and sages offered them wealth and psychic powers, they spurned them as blades of dry grass.
In a certain kingdom the king had died without an heir and the ministers were in search of a suitable ruler. Bhagīratha, clad in a loin-cloth, happened to be in that kingdom. The ministers decided that he was the person fit to ascend the throne and surrounded him. Bhagīratha mounted the royal elephant. Soon he was crowned king. While he was ruling that kingdom, the people of his previous kingdom approached him once again and prayed that he should rule that kingdom also. Bhagīratha accepted. Thus he became the emperor of the whole world. Remaining at peace within himself, with his mind silenced, free from desires and jealousy, he engaged himself in doing appropriate action in circumstances as they arose.
Once he heard that the only way to propitiate the souls of his departed ancestors was to offer libation with the waters of the Gaṅgā. In order to bring the heavenly Gaṅgā down to earth, he repaired to the forest to perform austerities, having entrusted the empire to his ministers. There he propitiated the gods and the sages and achieved the most difficult task of bringing the Gaṅgā down to earth so that all the people for all time to come might offer libations to their ancestors with the waters of the holy Gaṅgā. It is only from that time that this sacred Gaṅgā which adorned the crown of lord Śiva’s head began to flow on the earth.