5d. Gaṅgā as Śiva’s consort

There are few stories behind the character of Gaṅgā in the Hindu ethos. In the Brahmavaivartapurāṇa, it is mentioned that Lord Viṣṇu had three wives namely Lakshmi, Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī. All the three wives loved Viṣṇu dearly and constantly sought his attention. Mahāviṣṇu was once engaged at Vaikuṇṭha in a pleasant talk with his wives, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī and Gaṅgā. When Gaṅgā cast lustful eyes on Viṣṇu, who, behind the backs of the other two wives returned the lustful glances. Sarasvatī could not put up with that situation for a long time. Therefore, she got up from her seat and beat Gaṅgā. Lakṣmī tried to restrain Sarasvatī lest the quarrel should become fiercer. Angered at this intervention Sarasvatī cursed that Lakṣmī be born on earth. Gaṅgā got angry because innocent Lakṣmī was thus cursed, and she in her turns cursed that Sarasvatī be born as a river on earth. Sarasvatī did not take the curse lying down, but cursed that Gaṅgā also be born as a river on earth and take upon herself the sins of the whole world. Viṣṇu said to Gaṅgā that she would go to earth as a holy river to wash off the sins of people there. King Bhāgīratha would lead Gaṅgā to earth, and she would be known as Bhāgīrathī also. Gaṅgā would remain there on earth as the wife of the ocean of King Śantanu. Gaṅgā’s divine form would return to mount Kailāsa, a consort of Śiva. As for Sarasvatī, Viṣṇu asked her to be born as a river on earth, her divine form ultimately returning to Satyaloka and then becoming the consort of Brahmā. Thus it was that Lakṣmī became the consort of Mahāvīṣṇu, Gaṅgā of Śiva and Sarasvatī of Brahmā.^[1]