Ganga Origin Story Bhagiratha bringing Ganga to Earth

Ganga Origin Story Bhagiratha bringing Ganga to Earth

The origin of Ganga relates to the story of Bhagiratha bringing Gangato Earth. The story of Gangavatara is mainly found in the Balakanda of Ramayana. Once, Sagara the king of Kosala decided to perform the Asvamedha sacrifice. The sacrificial horse was sent out and his royal agents followed it. During the journey the royal agents lost track of the horse. Sagara had sixty thousand sons by his wife Sumati. He ordered his sons to track down the horse. The proud princes raged across the land of Bharat. It was a fierce march burning down forests and damaging life and property, everything in the name of finding out the horse. At last they arrived at the abode of Sage Kapila where they found the white horse. Mistaking Kapila as a thief, they attacked him. The sage opened his eyes and cursed them. All the princes were turned into ashes.

Later, Kapila was consoled and he said that the only way for the souls of the dead princes to ascend to heaven would be through an offering at the sacred Ganga river (Ganges), which was flowing only in heaven then. Bringing Ganga to Earth was an impossible task and the successive generations of the kings of Kosala could not do that. The ill-effect resulted in natural disasters in the kingdom. The kingdom lost its peace and prosperity. By the time Bhagiratha ascended the throne, it was impossible to govern the kingdom though he was a very efficient ruler. 

At last, King Bhagiratha entrusted the kingdom to his ministers and set out to the Himalayas to perform an arduous Tapas in the extreme climate. He performed Tapas (penance) for one thousand years to please Lord Brahma. At the end, Brahma was pleased and asked him for his wish. Bhagiratha asked Brahma Dev to bring the river Ganges down to earth so that he may perform the ceremony for his ancestors. Brahma advised Bhagiratha to propitiate Lord Shiva because he was the only person capable to hold Ganga when she comes down. Bhagiratha propitiated Mahadev. After one year's penance, Bholenath appeared and told Bhagiratha that he would make Ganga fall on his matted locks (jata).

Ganga started to flow down to earth. Lord Shiva captured all of Ganga in his jata. Then Ganga fell on earth without hurting it. Bhagiratha’s efforts caused Ganga to come to the earth and so she is also called Bhagirathi. Ganga wanted to set herself free. She flowed and destroyed sage Jahnu’s ashram. Annoyed by the same, Jahnu swallowed Ganga. Bhagiratha again prayed to Jahnu to let out Ganga and Jahnu released her. Hence, Ganga is also known as Jahnavi. Ganga then flowed over the remains of the 60,000 ancestors of Bhagiratha and brought them release. The term Bhagirathaprayatna (effort of Bhagiratha) has come into use in the sense of taking pains to do something which is generally impossible. 

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