Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 38: The History of Sagara
Text 1.38.1
तां कथां कौशिको रामे निवेद्य कुशिकात्मजः।
पुनरेवापरं वाक्यं काकुत्स्थमिदमब्रवीत्॥
tāṁ kathāṁ kauśiko rāme nivedya kuśikātmajaḥ
punar evāparaṁ vākyaṁ kākutstham idam abravīt
tām = that; kathām = history of Gaṅgā; kauśikaḥ = thus Kauśika; rāme = to Rāma; nivedya = described; kuśika-ātmajaḥ = then Kuśika’s son; punaḥ eva aparam vākyam = words; kākutstham = to the descendant of Kakutstha; idam = the following; abravīt = spoke.
Thus Viśvāmitra, the son of Kuśika, narrated [the history of Gaṅgā] unto Rāma. He then spoke the following words to the descendant of Kakutstha.
The sage Viśvāmitra had detailed Gaṅgā’s appearance to the celestials. In order to detail her appearance in the world of the mortals, he describes the events that led to that in this chapter.