Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 35: The History of Gaṅga
Text 1.35.20
प्रतिगृह्य त्रिलोकार्थं त्रिलोकहितकारिणः।
गङ्गामादाय ते गच्छन्कृतार्थेनान्तरात्मना॥
pratigṛhya tri-lokārthaṁ tri-loka-hitakāriṇaḥ
gaṅgām ādāya te gacchan kṛtārthenāntarātmanā
pratigṛhya = accepted; tri-loka-artham = for the welfare of the three worlds; tri-loka-hitakāriṇaḥ = wishing the welfare of the three worlds; gaṅgām = Gaṅgā; ādāya = as one of them; te = demigods; gacchan = and departed; kṛta-arthena = satisfied; antaḥ-ātmanā = minds.
Wishing the welfare of the three worlds, the demigods accepted Gaṅgā as one of them for the welfare of the three worlds and departed [to their respective abodes] with satisfied minds.
NOTE. In Bhagavad-gītā 10.31, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has declared that Gaṅgā represents Him among all flowing rivers—srotasām asmi jāhnavī: “Of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.”