--- In shivyoga@yahoogroup
<chittaranjan_
In times past, there was a great King of the dynasty of Ikshwaku by
the name of Sagara. He was a great ruler who had fought and won many
battles over all the neighbouring kingdoms. Sagara had performed the
Aswamedha Sacrifice, but in the process he had lost his sons, ten
thousand of them, to the anger of the divine sage Kapila. The sage
had burned them to ashes when they had gone to search the missing
sacrificial horse and had disturbed his tapas.
Sagara's grandson Ansuman had brought back the sacrificial horse,
but neither Sagara nor Ansuman could perform the oblations required
to bring peace to the souls of the ten thousand dead sons of Sagara.
The sage Kapila had said that only the waters of the holy Ganga from
heaven could bring peace to their souls.
Amsuman had a son by name Dileepa who went to the Himalayas and
spent years in meditation with the hope of pleasing the heavenly
Ganga. But, he died without success.
Dileepa had a son by name Bhageeratha. The prince had only one
mission in his life, even from early childhood - to bring Ganga to
earth to sanctify the ashes of his forefathers. Bhageeratha set out
to the Himalayas while he was still very young. He spent a hundred
years in deep meditation, praying to the holy Ganga. Finally the
Goddess appeared before him and agreed to flow down to earth. But,
there was a problem. Her force would be such that nothing would
withstand her fall from heaven. It needed someone powerful enough to
receive the stream falling down from heaven and hold it before
releasing it to earth. The Goddess, herself, suggested the name of
Lord Siva for the purpose.
Bhageeratha started meditating on Siva. For a thousand years he
meditated, living on only leaves and air, until the great God of
Gods appeared to him and granted him his desire by agreeing to
receive the holy Ganga falling from heaven in his matted locks.
Bhageeratha prayed to Ganga again, for many years, until she
appeared to him, and requested her to flow down to earth.
Bhageeratha waited for the descent of Ganga. The denizens of heaven
gathered to watch the anticipated event. Meanwhile Ganga saw that
every one was waiting for her and her pride grew a thousand fold.
She became arrogant and decided to teach Shiva a lesson. She would
sweep away even the great God of Gods in her rush as she descended
to earth. Lord Shiva saw the growing pride of Ganga through His
Divine Eye. He smiled and became ready to receive the haughty Ganga.
The heavy downpour of the sacred river then started, all the way
from heaven to the matted hair of Lord Siva. Ganga was proud of her
force and she rushed at the locks of Shiva in all her mad fury. The
river descended in a spectacular cascade, a lightning sheet of white
water that threatened to flood the universe, causing the very gods
in heaven to quake with fear. But Lord Siva remained form and and
not a drop of water came out of those Divine Locks!
The pride of Ganga was vanquished. Shiva had taught the haughty
Ganga a lesson. But poor Bhageeratha was the one who suffered in the
play of strength between the divinities. He had to spend years
again, a thousand years more, praying to Siva to release at least
some water for his purpose. The Lord was pleased with Bhageeratha
and agreed to releas the waters of Ganga to earth.
The water fell from the Shiva's matted locks near a place called
Bindusaras, near Mansarovar, and began to flow on earth. Ganga asked
Bhageeratha to show her the way to the mortal remains of his
ancestors. Bhageeratha sped fast on his horse, and the river
followed him, and it was a wondrous sight, the prince leading the
way and the sprightly river following him, meandering her way
through the mountain peaks and gorges.
Everything wsent well until Ganga reached a place where a sage by
the name of Jahnu sat in meditation. The sage was infuriated when
the river flooded his hermitage, and in his anger he took up the
river in his hands and drank up its waters. Once again Bhageeratha
was left high and dry. It took years of meditation for Bhageeratha
to please the sage. The sage, finally pacified, let the river flow
out of his ears. And because Ganga came out of the body of Jahnu,
she is also known as Jahnavi.
Ganga finally reached the ocean and the underground where the ashes
of Bhageeraths'
river purified the sons of Sagara and gave them immediate salvation.
Thus did Ganga come to earth. She flows today from the Himalayas to
the land of Bengal where she meets the ocean. And she is known as
Bhageerathi because it was Bhageeratha who had brought her to earth.
--- End forwarded message ---
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