on
Till, when the sun of mid-day shone,
The hermit-haunted flood was seen
Of Jahnavi,(177) the Rivers' Queen.
Soon as the holy stream they viewed,
Thronged with a white-winged multitude
Of sarases(178) and swans,(179) delight
Possessed them at the lovely sight;
And then prepared the hermit band
To halt upon that holy strand.
They bathed as Scripture bids, and paid
Oblations due to God and shade.
To Fire they burnt the offerings meet,
And sipped the oil, like Amrit sweet.
Then pure and pleased they sate around
Saint Visvamitra on the ground.
The holy men of lesser note,
In due degree, sate more remote,
While Raghu's sons took nearer place
By virtue of their rank and race.
Then Rama said: "O Saint, I yearn
The three-pathed Ganga's tale to learn."

Thus urged, the sage recounted both
The birth of Ganga and her growth:
"The mighty hill with metals stored,
Himalaya, is the mountains' lord,
The father of a lovely pair
Of daughters fairest of the fair:
Their mother, offspring of the will
Of Meru, everlasting hill,
Mena, Himalaya's darling, graced
With beauty of her dainty waist.
Ganga was elder-born: then came
The fair one known by Uma's name.
Then all the Gods of heaven, in need
Of Ganga's help their vows to speed,
To great Himalaya came and prayed
The mountain King to yield the maid.
He, not regardless of the weal
Of the three worlds, with holy zeal
His daughter to the Immortals gave,
Ganga whose waters cleanse and save,
Who roams at pleasure, fair and free,
Purging all sinners, to the sea.
The three-pathed Ganga thus obtained,
The Gods their heavenly homes regained.
Long time the sister Uma passed
In vows austere and rigid fast,
And the king gave the devotee
Immortal Rudra's(180) bride to be,
Matching with that unequalled Lord
His Uma through the worlds adored.
So now a glorious station fills
Each daughter of the King of Hills:
One honoured as the noblest stream,
One mid the Goddesses supreme.
Thus Ganga, King Himalaya's child,
The heavenly river, undefiled,
Rose bearing with her to the sky
Her waves that bless and purify."

[I am compelled to omit Cantos XXXVII and XXXVIII, THE GLORY OF UMA, and
THE BIRTH OF KARTIKEYA, as both in subject and language offensive to
modern taste. They will be found in Schlegel's Latin translation.]

Canto XXXIX. The Sons Of Sagar.

The saint in accents sweet and clear
Thus told his tale for Rama's ear,
And thus anew the holy man
A legend to the prin