Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 44: Bhagīratha Delivers his Uncles
Text 1.44.6
गङ्गा त्रिपथगा राजन्दिव्या भागीरथीति च।
त्रीन्पथो भावयन्तीति ततस्त्रिपथगा स्मृता॥
gaṅgā tri-pathagā rājan divyā bhāgīrathīti ca
trīn patho bhāvayantīti tatas tri-pathagā smṛtā
gaṅgā = Gaṅgā [will become famous in the world]; tri-pathagā = tri-pathagā; rājan = O king; divyā = the divine; bhāgīrathī= Bhāgīrathī; iti = as; ca = and; trīn = the three; pathaḥ = paths; bhāvayanti = she traverses; iti tataḥ = because; tri-pathagā = as Tri-pathagā; smṛtā = she will be remembered.
O king, the divine Gaṅgā [will become famous in the world] as Tri-pathagā and Bhāgīrathī. Because she traverses the three paths, she will be remembered as Tri-pathagā.1
1 Tri-pathagā literally refers means “one who traverses the three paths.”
Lord Brahmā reveals her two names and gives the etymological derivation of the name Tri-pathagā.