with a thousand children, and the period of their lives
was a thousand years. Seniors had never to perform
Sraddhas of their juniors.[97] Youthful in shape,
of a dark-blue hue, of red eyes, possessed of the
tread of an infuriated elephant, with arms reaching
down to the knees, and beautiful and massive, of leonine
shoulders, of great strength, and beloved by all creatures,
Rama ruled his kingdom for eleven thousand years.
His subjects always uttered his name. While Rama
ruled his kingdom, the world became extremely beautiful.
Taking at last his four kinds of subjects[98] with
him Rama went to heaven, having established his own
line consisting of eight houses on the earth.
When even he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to
thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and superior
to thy son, thou shouldst not lament, saying ‘Oh,
Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’ for thy son who performed
no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”
“Narada said, ’Even king Bhagiratha, O
Srinjaya, we hear, was dead. He caused the shores
of Ganga, called after his name Bhagirath to be covered
with flights of steps made of gold.[99] Surpassing
all kings and all princes, he gave unto the Brahmanas
a thousand times thousand damsels decked with ornaments
of gold. All those damsels were upon cars.
And unto every car were yoked four steeds, and behind
each car were a hundred kine. And behind each
cow were (many) goats and sheep. King Bhagiratha
gave enormous presents at his sacrifices. For
that reason a large concourse of men assembled there.
Afflicted there with Ganga was much pained. ‘Protect
Me,’ she said and sat down on his lap. And
because Ganga thus sat upon his lap in days of old,
therefore, she, like the celestial dancer Urvasi came
to be regarded as his daughter and was named after
his name. And having become the king’s
daughter, she became his son (by becoming like a son,
the means of salvation unto his deceased ancestors).[100]
Sweet-speeched Gandharvas of celestial splendour,
gratified, sang all this in the hearing of the Rishis,
the gods, and human beings.[101] Thus, O Srinjaya,
did that goddess, viz., the ocean-going Ganga,
select lord Bhagiratha, descendant of Ikshvaku, the
performer of sacrifices with profuse gifts (to the
Brahmanas), as her father. His sacrifices were
always graced with (the presence of) the very gods
with Indra at their head. And the gods used to
take their respective shares, by removing all impediments,
to facilitate those sacrifices in every way.
Possessed of great ascetic merit, Bhagiratha gave unto
the Brahmanas whatever benefit they desired without
obliging them to stir from the place wherever they
might entertain those desires. There was nothing
which he could withhold from the Brahmanas. Every
one received from him everything he coveted.
At last, the king ascended to the region of Brahman,
through the grace of the Brahmanas. For that object
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