The descend of Ganga // गंगा का अवतरण // गङ्गायाः अवरोहः
The descend of Ganga // गंगा का अवतरण // गङ्गायाः अवरोहः
In a timeless battle between demons and gods, the demons employed a cunning tactic, hiding in the ocean during the day and attacking the gods at night. To counter this threat, the gods turned to the wise Sage Agastya. His unconventional solution was to drink the entire ocean, leaving the demons with no refuge. Yet, when the gods requested Agastya to return to the ocean, he revealed it had become a part of him.
The world faced a dire crisis as the land's inhabitants suffered from the absence of water. Desperate, the gods sought the help of Vishnu to restore water to Earth. Meanwhile, King Sagara aimed to conquer the world through a grand yagna, sending a white horse that symbolized his ambition.
Indra, the king of the gods, intervened by hiding the horse in the hermitage of Sage Kapila. When Sagara's sixty thousand sons went in search of it, Kapila, disturbed from meditation, incinerated them with a single gaze. Sagara sought to cleanse their souls, a task only the Ganga River could accomplish. Thus, he embarked on a rigorous penance, which his grandson, Bhagiratha, ultimately completed.
With Brahma's blessing, Ganga was directed to Earth. However, she hesitated to leave heaven, her force capable of devastating all life. To contain her, Lord Shiva spread his hair across the sky, capturing her flow. Bhagiratha's determination eventually led to Ganga's descent, purifying his ancestors' ashes.
In a tumultuous journey, Ganga, also known as Bhagirathi and Jahnvi, filled the empty ocean, providing clean water to the people. This epic tale symbolizes the triumph of determination and the power of divine intervention in restoring balance to the world.
