“Ganga has been called as the teerth of Kalyug. It is said to wash off sins of those repenting with honesty and a clear conscience.”
Birth Of Ganga
Whenever dharma is in danger, to save the creation, to aid the rishis and munis of the yug, Shri Vishnu descends on earth as an incarnation or avatar. One such avatar was in the form of a brahmin dwarf named Vamana.
We are talking of the times when earth was under the rule of Bali Chakravarti. He was an extremely powerful emperor, his empire spanned across the planet, and he had under his command an unending ocean of army, cavalry, horses, elephants, chariots, and advanced military apparatus. What multiplied his power was that he was a devotee of Shri Hari and a benevolent king who was loved by his subjects. His power and influence spread so rapidly that even Lord Indra felt threatened for the throne of Heaven.
Lord Indra approached Shri Vishnu for help. King Bali was performing a yagya when Shri Vishnu appeared before him as a brahmin dwarf. King Bali paid his respects to the Brahmin and asked what he could offer to him. The Brahmin asked for 3 steps of land. The noble king agreed and asked the Brahmin to measure his land.
The brahmin smiled and before everyone’s eyes assumed the form of a massive creature – Trivikrama. Trivikrama covered the Earth with one step. He covered the skies with the next. He asked the king where he should keep the third step. The king offered his head. Trivikrama placed his foot on King Bali’s head and sent him to the netherworld.
Gods visited to witness this mesmerising phenomenon. Lord Brahma paid his respects to the giant Brahmin by washing his feet with water from his kamandala. This holy water, which had been touched by Shri Hari’s feet, became Ganga, the daughter of Brahma. For the sake of the gods, Lord Indra took her to the heavens.
The Curse Of Durvasa
Having been raised by Brahma, Ganga grew up playful and happy. A brisk breeze once blew off Sage Durvasa’s cloth while he was taking a bath. Ganga, who happened to be around, on seeing this sight burst into uncontrollable laughter. In a moment of anger, the sage cursed young Ganga to become a river on earth in which everyone would take a dip to wash off their sins.
The Journey Of Ganga To Earth
Suryavanshi King Sagara performed the Ashwamedha Yagya to expand his rule. Lord Indra felt threatened once again that his throne would be taken away by this mighty king. He plotted to prevent the king from expanding any further. He tied the sacrificial horse to a tree in the ashram of Sage Kapila. A search party of 60,000 sons of King Sagara was sent to look for the horse. Not able to find it, they reached Sage Kapila’s ashram and saw it tied there. They concluded that the rishi had stolen the horse and disturbed the meditating Sage Kapila, who was furious when the sons accused him of theft. He turned them all into ash one by one by his mere glance!
Because they turned to ashes without the cremation rituals being performed, they could not get release and wandered the earth as ghosts. King Sagara sent his grandson Anshuman to ask the sage how to lift off the curse. The Sage revealed that if the ashes of the forefathers were flown into Ganga, it would complete their last rites and they would be set free.
Anshuman’s grandson, King Bhagiratha, for a thousand years, performed rigorous penance for Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. Pleased by his austerities, Lord Brahma sent Ganga to Earth while Lord Shiva held her in his matted locks to break her flow lest she destroy the earth with her might. King Bhagiratha led her to the sea from where she entered the netherworlds and released his forefathers.
Because Bhagiratha brought her on earth, she came to be called as Bhagirathi. While on her way to the sea, she flooded Sage Jahnu’s ashram and extinguished the sacrificial fire. The angry sage drank up her water. Once again Bhagirath pleaded to the sage to release her for the sake of his ancestors. Sage Jahnu released her from his ear, and so she became Jahanavi.
