Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 35: The History of Gaṅga
Text 1.35.24
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा त्रिपथगा नदी।
खं गता प्रथमं तात गतिं गतिमतां वर॥
etat te sarvam ākhyātaṁ yathā tri-pathagā nadī
khaṁ gatā prathamaṁ tāta gatiṁ gatimatāṁ vara
etat = thus; te = to you; sarvam = everything; ākhyātam = told; yathā = about how; tri-pathagā = who travels through the three worlds; nadī = the river; kham = the skies; gatā = reached; prathamam = first; tāta = my dear child; gatim = her destination; gatimatām = of beautiful travelers; vara = best.
My dear child, and best of beautiful travelers, I have thus described to You how the river who travels through the three worlds reached her first destination, the skies.
Having answered the question of how Gaṅgā was born, Viśvāmitra now answers the question of how she came to travel through the three worlds.