Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 43: Gaṅgā Descends to the Earth
Text 1.43.21
ततो देवर्षिगन्धर्वा यक्षाः सिद्धगणास्तदा।
व्यलोकयन्त ते तत्र गगनाद्गां गतां तथा॥
tato deva-rṣi-gandharvā yakṣāḥ siddha-gaṇās tadā
vyalokayanta te tatra gaganād gāṁ gatāṁ tathā
tataḥ = then; deva-ṛṣi-gandharvāḥ = the demigods, sages, gandharvas; yakṣāḥ = yakṣas; siddha-gaṇāḥ tadā = and siddhas; vyalokayanta te = observed Gaṅgā; tatra = in the skies; gaganāt = from the skies; gām = to the earth; gatām tathā = she had fallen.
Then the demigods, sages, gandharvas, yakṣas and siddhas in the skies observed Gaṅgā. She had fallen from the skies to the earth.1
1 Gaṅgā had attained her name because she came (gatā) from the skies (gaganāt) to the earth (gām).
Gaṅgā had fallen from Lord Śiva’s matted locks of hair that were in the skies.