38. Description of the Matrs

The Brahma Purana states that at the time of war between gods and demons, the drops of perspiration fell from Siva's body and from them the Matrs emerged. The place where they emerged was called Matrtirtha and they were worshipped by gods and men. They killed all the daityas and they are worshipped along with lord Siva (112.12,13). In general, it is said that the goddesses Braddha, Pusti, Tusti, Santi, Lajja, Saraswati, Bhumi, Dyaus, Sarvari, Ksanti, Usa, Asa, Jaya, Mati, and others attended the sacrifice of Daksa (109.15,16) and the goddesses Sini, Kuhu, Dyuti, Pusti, Vasu, Kirti, Dhrti and Laksmi attended the Rajasuya 305 also cf. Brahmanda III. 1.28, IV.7.72; 14.6; 20.46, Matsya 93.53, 179.9-32, 41.39.

629 sacrifice of Sona (9.16). The goddesses Kirti, Prajna, Medha, Saraswati, Buddhi, Mati, Ksanti, Siddhi, Murti, Dyuti, Gayatri, Savitri, Mangala, Prabha, Mati, Kanti, Narayani, Sraddha, Kausiki, Vidyut, Saudamini, Nidra, Ratri, Maya, surrounded lord Visnu (68.56-58). I One might wonder as to why the Brahma purana has devoted a long portion consisting of 105 Adhyayas (A.70.175) to the glorification of the river Gautami. But from olden times, the rivers have always been given the greatest importance in India. The Aryans divided the land into two types: Devamatrka, the land where agriculture depends on rain and nadimatrka, the land where the agriculture depends on river. The region of the Punjab was called Saptasindhu and that between Ganga and Yamuna was called Antarvedi. Instead of describing the parts of the country with reference to mountains and hills it was customary wikk to designate the various parts of the country with reference to the rivers, e.g. it was said 'Godavaryah daksine tire' or 'reveyah uttare tire'. Sone brahmins take the name of their family after the names of the rivers. Thus the Sarasvata brahmins are so called after the name of the river Saraswati. pandas living on the banks of the river Ganga feel proud when they are being called by the names 'Sons of Ganga'. A king is considered to be the king in his right sense when he is The

630 • consecrated by the waters brought from the four oceans and seven rivers. Even in the ordinary daily worship an Indian mind prays all the rivers to purify his small water-pot.306 Whenever an Indian goes for a pilgrimage, he never. forgets to visit the rivers. When a man dies, he is supposin ed to cross the Vaitarani river. Thus the life as well as after death, an Indian's life is associated with the rivers. All the poets beginning from the seers of the vedic age to Vyasa, Valmiki, Suka, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Ksemendra and Jagannatha have composed the poems in glorification of the rivers. Every river represents a flow of culture. From the above discussion, one can get an idea of the importance attached to the rivers in ancient India. Even now it becomes a problem for the Government when the malevolent aspects of the great rivers Brahmaputra, Kosi, Ganges and others bring disaster to the various regions of India. Even in the present sophisticated ea, it is not unusual to find high dignitaries of the state offering puja to rivers when laying the foundation of big river-projects. In vedic literature, the river Godavari is not The traditions about Bavari residing in referred to.307 306 Gange ca Yamune Calva Godavari Saraswati | Narmade Sindhu Kaveri Jalegsmin Sannidhim Kuru || 307 Kane P.V., Hist. of Dh. S., Vol. IV, P. 707.

631 the vicinity of Alaka on the Godavari are found. 308 There are numerous references to Godavari in epics and puranas but it is in the Brahma purana that Godavari and the subsidiary tirthas on it have been lauded at great length. The Brahma purana generally refers to Godavari as Gautami. It is stated by the Brahma purana that the Ganges to the south of the Vindhya mountain is called Gautami and that to its north is Phagirathi (78.77). It is said to be 200 xoka yojanas long and there are three crores and a half of tirthas on it (77.8-9). A bath in the Godavari when Jupiter enters the sign of Leo has been regarded even upto the present day as very meritorious.309 The Brahma purana says that three crores and a half of tirthas that exist in the three worlds come for a bath in the Godavari when Jupiter is in Leo and that bathing in the Bhagirathi every day for sixty thousand years confers the same boon as a single bath in the river Godavari when Jupiter is in the Zodiacal sign Leo (175.83,84; 152.38,39). Jupiter is in Leo for one year once in twelve years. Crowds of pilgrims throng at Nasik in their thousands from all parts of India in the Simhastha 310 year. 308 Suttanipata, S.B.E., Vol.X, Pt.II, PP.184 & 187. 309 Dharmasindhu, P. 7. 310 Kane P.V., Op.Cit., P. 711.

632 The Brahma purana eulogises her in the following way. She is called Pavani, Paramartiharini, Sreyaskara, Papapratardini, Santirupa, Santikari, Mangala, Subha, Aghanasini (85.8-10). She is Jalodbhuta and Mahesvarajalodbhava (85.8). She is called Daridryanasini (85.16) and she is also called Brahmi, Mahesvari, Vaisnavi and Tryambaka (85.12,13). She is the beloved of lord Siva and is held by him on his head. She is the goddess of rivers, destroys sins, is worshipped by the three worlds, gives the desired fruits, is Brahmamayi, and emerges out of the feet of Visnu and the locks of the hair of lord Siva (119.9-12). She is a boat in crossing the meaningless worldly parlance (131.29). She is Visvesvari, Yogamaya and Abhayadayini (131.30). She is Devanadi, greater than the great and lord of the world. She is worshipped by Brahma, Isa and others and the sins are destroyed by remembering her (72.3-6). She purifies the three worlds, has a divine form, applies divine ointments, and is called Saraswati, Jagaddhatri, Jagajjadyahara, Visvajanani and Bhuvanesvari (164.43.45). Gautami. Various anecdotes are related to glorify the river It is said that by worshipping the river Gautami, Once the gods sent Agni to relate the sins were expiated. the danger of the demon Taraka to lord Siva. lord Siva was in privacy with Parvati. At that time Agni took the form •

633 of a parrot and went there. On knowing that Agni was observing them, Parvati was very abashed. Siva was all wrath and threw his virile-semen into Agni which was unbearable to him. He threw it into two parts in his wife from which the twins Suvarna and Suvarna were born. As there was the 'Anyonyaretavyatisangadosa! in the case of the twins, they took the forms of various gods and goddesses t was and enjoyed freely with them. On seeing this, the gods approached Agni and all of them worshipped the river Gautami and the children were expiated (A.128). On praying the river Gautami, a brahmin Ajigarta/released from hell when he had sold his son Sunahsapa due to his inability to maintain the family (A.150). A brahmin Sanajjata was enjoying with his mother Mahi, both being unaware of the identity of each other. When the sage Galava revealed their relationship both of them went to the river Gautami and purified themselves by taking a bath in it (92.2-48). A bird Ciccika had two mouths on account of the bad deeds in his past birth and it had no happiness in the present birth. The king Pavamana took him to the river Gautami and by taking a bath in it, it went to heaven (A.164). A brahmin Gautama was freed from the sin of gambling by taking a bath in the river Gautami (A.170). Madhucchanda, a Purohita of the king Saryati revived the king Saryati by praying the river Gautami

634 as he had ontered fire on the bank of the river Gautami to enliven the wife of Madhucchanda (A.138). A hunter who had killed a female-pigeon went to heaven in an aeroplane after taking a bath in the river Gautami (A.80). Even such grave sins as approaching the wife of one's teacher are expiated by taking a bath in the river Gautami. Lord Indra was freed from the sin of brahmin-murder by the sprinkling of the water of the river Ganga (A.96). Prthusrava, son of Kaksivan, got freedom from his triple debts by taking a bath in the river Gautami (A.99). The river Gautam is also said to pacify the effects of curse. The sage Gautama had cursed his wife Ahalya to became a dry river as Indra had enjoyed with her after taking the form of the sage Gautama. Ahalya regained her original form on joining the river Gautami (A.89). Anjana and Adrika, the mothers of Hanuman, were deformed on account of some curse. They got the original beauty on praying the river Gautami (A.84). A Havyaghna who had become black on account of some curse, regained his fairness on being sprinkled by the water of the river Gautami (A.133). Kasyapa had cursed his wives Superna and Kadru to become rivers as they had violated his instructions to be observed during their pregnancy.On praying the river Gautami, they

635 regained their original form (A.100). Kadru was cursed to be blind as she laughed at a sage in the sacrifice. She too regained her eyesight by the grace of the river Gautami (A.100). Gautami is said to fulfill the desires. Harsana, son of Surya and Chaya, worshipped Gautami and made his parents happy (A.165). A brahmin Vrddhagautama had married a lady older than himself. As some sages poked fun at their difference in age, they prayed the river Gautami and she became younger (A.107). The Ausadhis got their desired husband Soma on worshipping the river Gautami (A.119). Once the Angirasas started practising penance but as they had not taken the permission of their mother before starting it, their penance did not entail any fruit. They worshipped the river Gautami and became the Vyasas (A.158). By praying Gautami, Pramati released his father from prison (A.171) and lord Visnu killed the demoness Kankalini who was troubling Asandiva (A.167). By worshipping Saraswati on the bank of the river Gautami, Parasu went to heaven (A.163). The river Gautami declared the superiority of Laksmi over Daridra when there was a dispute between them (A.137). Gautami granted a boon to Kanva that no one would suffer from hunger in his family (A.85). The dana given at Dasasvamedhatirtha on the bank of Gautami gives endless merits (A.83).

636 The Brahma-purana relates anecdotes regarding the origin of the river Ganges. Brahma performed the marriage ceremony of lord Siva. On seeing lord Siva touching the foot of Parvati during the performance of some rite, Brahma's vitile-somen fell and the Valkhilyas were created from it. Brahma was very abashed but lord Siva gave him a Kanandalu full of holy waters and in it lord Siva established Ganga by remembering it (4.72). The Brahma offered the arghya from his Kamandalu into four directions and the water falling in the southern direction was received by #izza-tkab= Siva, that falling in the north was received by Visnu, that on the West was received back by Brahma and that on the east was received by the sages (A.73). By praying lord Siva, one part was brought by the sage Gautama from the locks of hair of lord Siva (A.74,75) and the second part was brought by Bhagiratha (A.73).