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== गङ्गावतरणम् ॥ Descent of Ganga on the Earth ==

== गङ्गावतरणम् ॥ Descent of Ganga on the Earth ==

It is mentioned by Devarshi Narada in the 9th Skandha (Adhyaya 11) of the Devi Bhagavata that Ganga, of the nature of Vishnu and appearing from the feet of Vishnu, the Ishvari of the Devas, appeared on Bharata due to the curse of Bharati. He then requests Lord Narayana as to elaborate on

 

It is mentioned by Devarshi Narada in the 9th Skandha (Adhyaya 11) of the Devi Bhagavata that Ganga, of the nature of Vishnu and appearing from the feet of Vishnu, the Ishvari of the Devas, appeared on Bharata due to the curse of Bharati. He then requests Lord Narayana as to elaborate on  

# the reason for her descent on Bharata

# the reason for her descent on Bharata

# the yuga in which she descended

# the yuga in which she descended

Sagara, a very prosperous raja from the Solar dynasty had two beautiful wives viz. Vaidarbhi and Shaivya. Soon, Shaivya delivered a very lovely son named Asamanja. Then, Vaidarbhi, desirous of getting a son, worshipped Shankara, the Lord of Bhutas who became pleased and granted her request. Accordingly, Vaidarbhi became pregnant and after one hundred years of pregnancy, she gave birth to one mass of flesh. Seeing this, the queen became extremely sorrowful and taking refuge of Mahadeva began to cry out loud. Shankara, then, appeared there in the form of a Brahmana and cut that mass of flesh into thousand pieces. Those thousand pieces turned out into thousand very powerful sons with their bodies more brilliant than the mid-day sun.  

Sagara, a very prosperous raja from the Solar dynasty had two beautiful wives viz. Vaidarbhi and Shaivya. Soon, Shaivya delivered a very lovely son named Asamanja. Then, Vaidarbhi, desirous of getting a son, worshipped Shankara, the Lord of Bhutas who became pleased and granted her request. Accordingly, Vaidarbhi became pregnant and after one hundred years of pregnancy, she gave birth to one mass of flesh. Seeing this, the queen became extremely sorrowful and taking refuge of Mahadeva began to cry out loud. Shankara, then, appeared there in the form of a Brahmana and cut that mass of flesh into thousand pieces. Those thousand pieces turned out into thousand very powerful sons with their bodies more brilliant than the mid-day sun.  

Once, the 1000 sons were all burnt to ashes by the curse of Kapila Muni. At this, Raja Sagara, lamenting bitterly, entered into the forest. His son and the brother of the 1000 princes, Asamanja practised tapasya for one lakh years to bring Ganga onto Bharata and in the process quit his mortal coil. This effort was then continued by Asamanja's son Amshuman who practised tapasya for one lakh more years. However, eventually his lifetime also came to an end. Then came the wise Bhagiratha, son of Amshuman and a great devotee of Vishnu. He also practised tapasya for one lakh years to bring Ganga on earth and at last was blessed with the sight of Sri Krshna. Bhagiratha having seen that unforeseen appearance and filled with ecstasy, bowed down to the Lord and requested for the deliverance of his family by the descent of Ganga on Bharata.

Once, the 1000 sons were all burnt to ashes by the curse of Kapila Muni. At this, Raja Sagara, lamenting bitterly, entered into the forest. His son and the brother of the 1000 princes, Asamanja practised tapasya for one lakh years to bring Ganga onto Bharata and in the process quit his mortal coil. This effort was then continued by Asamanja's son Amshuman who practised tapasya for one lakh more years. However, eventually his lifetime also came to an end. Then came the wise Bhagiratha, son of Amshuman and a great devotee of Vishnu. He also practised tapasya for one lakh years to bring Ganga on earth and at last was blessed with the sight of Sri Krshna. Bhagiratha having seen that unforeseen appearance and filled with ecstasy, bowed down to the Lord and requested for the deliverance of his family by the descent of Ganga on Bharata.<ref name=":1" />

 

 

“O Sureshvari ! Go quickly and appear in Bharata, under the curse of Bharati. By my command go quickly and purify the sons of Sagara. They will all be purified by the touch of the air in contact with the Ganges and rise up in divine aerial cars, assuming forms like mine and they will come to my abode. They will remain there always as my attendants and they will not be involved in the papas that they committed in their previous births."  

In this context, the Lord also described in detail how people can get deliverance from their papas by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganga. He further says, 

Lord Sri Krshna then addressed Ganga saying, <blockquote>भारतं भारतीशापाद्गच्छ शीघ्रं सुरेश्वरि । सगरस्य सुतान्सर्वान्वृतान्कुरु ममाज्ञया ।। २० ।। </blockquote><blockquote>त्वत्स्पर्शवायुनाः पूता यास्यंति मम मंदिरम् । बिभ्रतो मम मूर्तीश्च दिव्यस्यंदनगामिनः ।। २१ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>मत्पार्षदा भविष्यंति सर्व कालं निरामयाः । समुच्छिद्य कर्मभोगान्कृताञ्जन्मनिजन्मनि ।। २२ ।।<ref name=":2">Devi Bhagavata, Skandha 9, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AF/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A7 Adhyaya 11].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''bhārataṁ bhāratīśāpādgaccha śīghraṁ sureśvari । sagarasya sutānsarvānvr̥tānkuru mamājñayā ।। 20 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tvatsparśavāyunāḥ pūtā yāsyaṁti mama maṁdiram । bibhrato mama mūrtīśca divyasyaṁdanagāminaḥ ।। 21 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''matpārṣadā bhaviṣyaṁti sarva kālaṁ nirāmayāḥ । samucchidya karmabhogānkr̥tāñjanmanijanmani ।। 22 ।।''</blockquote>Meaning: O Sureshvari ! Go quickly and appear in Bharata, under the curse of Bharati. By my command go quickly and purify the sons of Sagara. They will all be purified by the touch of the air in contact with the Ganges and rise up in divine aerial cars, assuming forms like mine and they will come to my abode. They will remain there always as my attendants and they will not be involved in the papas that they committed in their previous births.  

O Auspicious One ! You will wash away the papas of the papis, by your stay in Bharata with other best rivers Sarasvati and others. That will be at once a sacred place of pilgrimage where your glories will be chanted.   

In this context, the Lord also described in detail how people can get deliverance from their papas by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganga.<ref name=":1" /> He further says,  <blockquote>तत्रैव त्वमधिष्ठानं करिष्यस्यघमोचनम् । सार्धं सरिद्भिः श्रेष्ठाभिः सरस्वत्यादिभिः शुभे ।। ५३ ।। </blockquote><blockquote>तत्तु तीर्थं भवेत्सद्यो यत्र तद्गुणकीर्तनम् । त्वद्रेणुस्पर्शमात्रेण पूतो भवति पातकी ।। ५४ ।।<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>''tatraiva tvamadhiṣṭhānaṁ kariṣyasyaghamocanam । sārdhaṁ saridbhiḥ śreṣṭhābhiḥ sarasvatyādibhiḥ śubhe ।। 53 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''tattu tīrthaṁ bhavetsadyo yatra tadguṇakīrtanam । tvadreṇusparśamātreṇa pūto bhavati pātakī ।। 54 ।।''</blockquote>Meaning: O Auspicious One ! You will wash away the papas of the papis, by your stay in Bharata with other best rivers Sarasvati and others. That will be at once a sacred place of pilgrimage where your glories will be chanted.   

The Lord also said that the inhabitants of Bharata will praise and worship her with great devotion with the very stotra that was composed by Bhagiratha.   

The Lord also said that the inhabitants of Bharata will praise and worship her with great devotion with the very stotra that was composed by Bhagiratha.