5a. The river Gaṅgā in the Purāṇas (Introduction)

The river Gaṅgā or the Ganges is a major river of the Indian subcontinent, associated in myth and reality with the land and people of India as well as neighbouring countries like Bangladesh. It holds an important place in the Hindu religion. In Hinduism, the river Gaṅgā is personified as Goddess. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that taking bath in the river Gaṅgā causes the absolution of sins and facilities the attainment of salvation (nirvāṇa). The deep rooted truth is proved by the fact that people travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Gaṅgā at Vārānasī or other places located on the banks of this holy river. Some of these sacred places, located on the Gaṅgā, are—Vārānasī, Haridwār and Prayāg (Allahabad).^[1] The Gaṅgā is so called because she purifies the world by her waters. The partisans call her Viṣṇupadī out of devotion for her.^[2] Formerly, she forced her way out of the nails of the left feet of Viṣṇu whose symbol is sacrificed. In the beginning, Gaṅgā broke through the upper part of the cosmic egg. She rushed into the belly of the lord, the destroyer, of the sins of the people and purified herself by contact with the filament of his lotus feet. She destroys contaminants by her very sight, touch, bathes and creates devotion for the feet of Viṣṇu. Gaṅgā is worthy of worship. Those who remember her as rising from the feet of Hari attain liberation.^[3] Indra too, who drank in the heap of breath pressed, with hands, by the wind-god was not able to bear her upon his head. Lord Śiva moved by devotion at heart. Śiva took her up with reverence upon his head through which inauspicious became auspicious.^[4]

Gaṅgā had four forms. As the wife of chief physician Janendra, she was called Abhiṣecanī. In her second form, she became the wife of Śantanu. As the wife of Suṣeṇa, a monkey-chief, she was called Suṣeṇā. Being the wife of Maṇḍūka, she was called Maṇḍukinī.^[5]

The Gaṅgā is the famous and holy river of India. Gaṅgā had its origin during the incarnation of Viṣṇu as Vāmana. When Vāmana measured the three worlds in three steps the nails on his left feet were raised high. They caused a hole on the upper side of the universe. Gaṅgā, starting from the finger of Viṣṇu’s feet, fell in heaven.^[6]

The goddess Gaṅgā has the form of Viṣṇu and also is known by the name of Viṣṇupadī. For many yugas (eras) this river confined itself to the heights of the sky, otherwise called Viṣṇupada. This particular spot is known as Dhruvamaṇḍala as it is here that Dhruva, son of King Uttānapāda, does, his penance. The seven sages who constantly go round and round the

Dhruvamaṇḍala take their bath in this holy river. The course of the river starts from Viṣṇupada. It falls on the devayāna glittering with crores of vimānas and therefore, it descends on Candramaṇḍala which it submerges. It follows its course again from there dividing itself into four tributaries called Sītā, Cakṣus, Alakānandā and Bhadrā. Again, it falls in Brahmaloka where from it flows in all directions. Of the four tributaries, Sītā falls on the head of Mount Meru, flows down to Gandhamādana and then circling through Bhāratavarṣa and falls into the eastern sea. Cakṣus falls on the peaks of mount Mālyavān. It flows through Ketumāla and falls into the western sea. Alakānandā falls on mount Hemakūṭa, flows through Bhāratavarṣa and falls into the southern sea. Bhadrā falls on the head of mount Śṛṅgavān. It flows through Uttarkura and falls into the northern sea. Alakānandā flows through Bhāratavarṣa and is considered as the most sacred of the four tributaries. Gaṅgā which flowed through heaven fell on the earth after thousands of years of its origin.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vakṣye prayāgamāhātmyaṃ bhuktimuktipradaṃ param | prayāge brahmaviṣṇvādyā devā munivarāḥ sthitāḥ || Agni Purāṇa,111.1-3 saritaḥ sāgarā siddhā gandharvāpsarasastathā | tatra trīṇyagnikuṇḍāni tesaṃ madhye tu jāhnavī ||

[2]:

eto gaṅgeti sā jñeyā sarvadā lokapāvanī | bhaktyā viṣṇupadītyeva kīrtitā nātra saṃśayaḥ || Garuḍa Purāṇa, 29.5 (Brahma Khāṇḍa)

[3]:

yā pūrvakāle yajñaliṅgasya viṣṇoḥ sākṣāddharervikramataḥ khageṅdra | vāmasya pādasya nakhāgrataśca nirbhidya codhvāraṃdakaṭāhakhaṇḍam || Ibid., 29.6-7

[4]:

indropi vāyukaramarditāyukūṭabiṃduṃ ca | praśya śirasi hyasahiṣṇmānaḥ || Ibid., 29.8

[5]:

bhāgīrathyāī catvāri rūpāṇyasāsnkhageśvara | mahābhiṣagjaneṃdrasya bhāryā tu hyabhiṣecanī || Ibid., 29.9-11

[6]:

kathaṃ kutra yuge kena prārthita preritā purā | tatkramaṃ śrotumicccāmi pāpaghnaṃ puṇyadaṃ śubham || Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, 2.10.3

[7]:

cf., Purāṇic encyclopedia, p.276