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| * By the mere touch of dust of the Ganges, the papi will be at once purified and he will dwell in the Deviloka (Mani Dvipa) for as many years as will be the dust there. | | * By the mere touch of dust of the Ganges, the papi will be at once purified and he will dwell in the Deviloka (Mani Dvipa) for as many years as will be the dust there. |
| * While, he who will leave his body on the lap of the Ganges with full consciousness and remembering the name of Sri Hari, will certainly go to the lord's abode and will remain, as the lord's chief attendant for an infinite period and will see countless Prakrtika Layas (dissolutions of the Universe).<ref name=":1" /> | | * While, he who will leave his body on the lap of the Ganges with full consciousness and remembering the name of Sri Hari, will certainly go to the lord's abode and will remain, as the lord's chief attendant for an infinite period and will see countless Prakrtika Layas (dissolutions of the Universe).<ref name=":1" /> |
− | Elaborating on this, the lord says,<blockquote>मृतस्य बहुपुण्येन तच्छवं त्वयि विन्यसेत् ।। ५७ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>प्रयाति स च वैकुण्ठं यावदह्नः स्थितिस्त्वयि ।। कायव्यूहं ततः कृत्वा भोजयित्वा स्वकर्मकम् ।। ५८ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सारूप्यं करोमि तं च पार्षदम् ।। अज्ञानी त्वज्जलस्पर्शाद्यदि प्राणान्समुत्सृजेत् ।। ५९ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सालोक्यं करोमि तं च पार्षदम् ।। अन्यत्र वा त्यजेत्प्राणांस्त्वन्नामस्मृतिपूर्वकम्।। ६० ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सालोक्यं यावद्वै ब्रह्मणो वयः ।। अन्यत्र वा त्यजेत्प्राणांस्त्वन्नामस्मृतिपूर्वकम् ।। ६१ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सारूप्यमसंख्यं प्राकृतं लयम् ।। रत्नेंद्रसार निर्माणयानेन सह पार्षदैः ।।६२।। </blockquote><blockquote>सद्यः प्रयाति गोलोकं मम तुल्यो भवेद् धुवम् ।।<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''prayāti sa ca vaikuṇṭhaṁ yāvadahnaḥ sthitistvayi ।। kāyavyūhaṁ tataḥ kr̥tvā bhojayitvā svakarmakam ।। 58 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sārūpyaṁ karomi taṁ ca pārṣadam ।। ajñānī tvajjalasparśādyadi prāṇānsamutsr̥jet ।। 59 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sālokyaṁ karomi taṁ ca pārṣadam ।। anyatra vā tyajetprāṇāṁstvannāmasmr̥tipūrvakam।। 60 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sālokyaṁ yāvadvai brahmaṇo vayaḥ ।। anyatra vā tyajetprāṇāṁstvannāmasmr̥tipūrvakam ।। 61 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sārūpyamasaṁkhyaṁ prākr̥taṁ layam ।। ratneṁdrasāra nirmāṇayānena saha pārṣadaiḥ ।।62।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''sadyaḥ prayāti golokaṁ mama tulyo bhaved dhuvam ।।''</blockquote>Meaning: Unless a man has collected hordes of religious merits, he cannot die in the Ganges; and if he dies on the Ganges, he goes to Vaikuntha as long as the Sun rises in this world. I get many bodies for him where he can enjoy the fruits of his Karma and I then give him My Svarupa (Form resembling Mine) and make him My attendant. If any ignorant man, void of any Jnana, quits his body by touching merely water of the Ganges, I give him Salokya (place in My region) and make him My attendant. Even if one quits one's body in a far off place, uttering the name of the Ganges, I give him place in My region for one life time of Brahma. And if he remembers the Ganges with devotion, and quits his mortal coil at another place, I give him Sarupya (Form resembling Mine) for a period of endless Prakrtika Layas. He instantly gets on an aerial car made of jewels and goes with My attendants to the region of Goloka and gets form like Me.<ref name=":1" /> | + | Elaborating on this, the lord says,<blockquote>मृतस्य बहुपुण्येन तच्छवं त्वयि विन्यसेत् ।। ५७ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>प्रयाति स च वैकुण्ठं यावदह्नः स्थितिस्त्वयि । कायव्यूहं ततः कृत्वा भोजयित्वा स्वकर्मकम् ।। ५८ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सारूप्यं करोमि तं च पार्षदम् । अज्ञानी त्वज्जलस्पर्शाद्यदि प्राणान्समुत्सृजेत् ।। ५९ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सालोक्यं करोमि तं च पार्षदम् । अन्यत्र वा त्यजेत्प्राणांस्त्वन्नामस्मृतिपूर्वकम्।। ६० ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सालोक्यं यावद्वै ब्रह्मणो वयः । अन्यत्र वा त्यजेत्प्राणांस्त्वन्नामस्मृतिपूर्वकम् ।। ६१ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तस्मै ददामि सारूप्यमसंख्यं प्राकृतं लयम् । रत्नेंद्रसार निर्माणयानेन सह पार्षदैः ।।६२।। </blockquote><blockquote>सद्यः प्रयाति गोलोकं मम तुल्यो भवेद् धुवम् ।।<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''prayāti sa ca vaikuṇṭhaṁ yāvadahnaḥ sthitistvayi । kāyavyūhaṁ tataḥ kr̥tvā bhojayitvā svakarmakam ।। 58 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sārūpyaṁ karomi taṁ ca pārṣadam । ajñānī tvajjalasparśādyadi prāṇānsamutsr̥jet ।। 59 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sālokyaṁ karomi taṁ ca pārṣadam । anyatra vā tyajetprāṇāṁstvannāmasmr̥tipūrvakam।। 60 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sālokyaṁ yāvadvai brahmaṇo vayaḥ । anyatra vā tyajetprāṇāṁstvannāmasmr̥tipūrvakam ।। 61 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tasmai dadāmi sārūpyamasaṁkhyaṁ prākr̥taṁ layam । ratneṁdrasāra nirmāṇayānena saha pārṣadaiḥ ।।62।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''sadyaḥ prayāti golokaṁ mama tulyo bhaved dhuvam ।''</blockquote>Meaning: Unless a man has collected hordes of religious merits, he cannot die in the Ganges; and if he dies on the Ganges, he goes to Vaikuntha as long as the Sun rises in this world. I get many bodies for him where he can enjoy the fruits of his Karma and I then give him My Svarupa (Form resembling Mine) and make him My attendant. If any ignorant man, void of any Jnana, quits his body by touching merely water of the Ganges, I give him Salokya (place in My region) and make him My attendant. Even if one quits one's body in a far off place, uttering the name of the Ganges, I give him place in My region for one life time of Brahma. And if he remembers the Ganges with devotion, and quits his mortal coil at another place, I give him Sarupya (Form resembling Mine) for a period of endless Prakrtika Layas. He instantly gets on an aerial car made of jewels and goes with My attendants to the region of Goloka and gets form like Me.<ref name=":1" /> |
| === गङ्गास्नानम् ॥ Ganga Snana === | | === गङ्गास्नानम् ॥ Ganga Snana === |
| The Devi Bhagavata (Skandha 9, Adhyaya 11) states that people taking birth in Bharata who have committed papa for millions and millions of births, their papa will be completely destroyed if they touch, once, the air in contact with and carrying the particles of the Ganges. While, the sight of the Ganges and the touch of the Ganges water give religious merits ten times more than the touch with the air in contact with the Ganges water. And if they bathe in the Ganges, people become freed of their papa then and there. | | The Devi Bhagavata (Skandha 9, Adhyaya 11) states that people taking birth in Bharata who have committed papa for millions and millions of births, their papa will be completely destroyed if they touch, once, the air in contact with and carrying the particles of the Ganges. While, the sight of the Ganges and the touch of the Ganges water give religious merits ten times more than the touch with the air in contact with the Ganges water. And if they bathe in the Ganges, people become freed of their papa then and there. |
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| * Ten million times more religious merits accrue from the Ganges bath on Maha Maha Varuni day than ordinary bath. | | * Ten million times more religious merits accrue from the Ganges bath on Maha Maha Varuni day than ordinary bath. |
| * The Ganges bath in the Solar eclipse yields ten times more religious merits than in the Lunar eclipse. Again the Snana in Ardhodaya Yoga yields hundred times more religious merits than that of the (solar) eclipse.<ref name=":1" /> | | * The Ganges bath in the Solar eclipse yields ten times more religious merits than in the Lunar eclipse. Again the Snana in Ardhodaya Yoga yields hundred times more religious merits than that of the (solar) eclipse.<ref name=":1" /> |
− | == Procedure of Ganga Stuti == | + | == गङ्गापूजाविधिः ॥ Ganga Puja Vidhi == |
− | 70. The Devarsi Nârada said :-- “O Thou the foremost of the Knowers of the Vedas! How, by what Kuthuma S’âkhâ, the noble King Bhagi- ratha meditated on the Devî Gangâ; what stotra did he recite and what was the method with which he worshipped the Ganges.
| + | The vidhi (method) followed in the worship of Ganga is enumerated in the 9th Skandha (Chapter 11) of the Devi Bhagavata. It is said that, |
| + | * One should first take bath and putting on a clean washed clothing should perform one's daily duties. |
| + | * Then one should control oneself and with devotion worship the six Devatas - Ganesha, Surya, Agni, Vishnu, Shiva and Shivani. |
| + | * First worship is to be given to Ganesha for the destruction of obstacles; the Sun is to be next worshipped for health; Fire, for purification; Vishnu is then worshipped for getting wealth and power; Shiva is worshipped for knowledge and Shivani is worshipped for Mukti. |
| + | * When these Devatas are worshipped, one is entitled to worship the Deity. Otherwise, contrary become the effects.<ref name=":1" /> |
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− | 71-75. Nârâyana said :-- O Nârada! One should first take one's bath, and putting on a clean washed clothing should perform one's daily duties. Then one should control oneself and with devotion worship the six Devatâs Ganes’a, Sun, Fire, Visnu, S’iva and S'ivânî. Thus one becomes entitled to worship. First worship is to be given to Ganes'a for the destruction of obstacles; the Sun is to be next worshipped for health; Fire, for purification; Visnu is then worshipped for getting wealth and power; S’iva is worshipped for knowledge and S'ivânî is worshipped for Mukti. When these Devatâs are worshipped, one is entitled to worship the Deity. Otherwise contrary become the effects. Now I am saying what Dhyânam (meditation) did Bhagîratha practise towards the Devî Gangâ .
| + | === पूजाफलम् ॥ Fruit of Worship === |
− | | + | The Devi Bhagavata (Skandha 9, Adhyaya 11) states that the one who will meditate on Ganga as per Kanvashakha and worship, praise and bow down to her daily, he will derive the fruit of one Ashvamedha Yajna.<ref name=":1" /> <blockquote>कण्वशाखोक्त ध्यानेन ध्यात्वा त्वां पूजयिष्यति । यः स्तौति प्रणयेन्नित्यं सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत् ।। ४९ ।।<ref name=":2" /> </blockquote><blockquote>''kaṇvaśākhokta dhyānena dhyātvā tvāṁ pūjayiṣyati । yaḥ stauti praṇayennityaṁ so'śvamedhaphalaṁ labhet ।। 49 ।।''</blockquote> |
− | Here ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Ninth Book on the origin of the Ganges in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
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− | == Fruits of Ganga Stuti == | |
− | He will derive the fruit of one horse-sacrifice who will meditate on Thee as per Kânvas'âkhâ and worship, praise and bow down to Thee daily.
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| == References == | | == References == |