॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 10 March 2023 - IX.09 - Bhagiratha brings the divine Ganga to sanctify the earth.
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श्रीशुक उवाच
अंशुमांश्च तपस्तेपे गङ्गानयनकाम्यया ।कालं महान्तं नाशक्नोत्ततः कालेन संस्थितः ॥
दिलीपस्तत्सुतस्तद्वदशक्तः कालमेयिवान् । भगीरथस्तस्य पुत्रस्तेपे स सुमहत्तपः ॥
दर्शयामास तं देवी प्रसन्ना वरदास्मि ते । इत्युक्तः स्वमभिप्रायं शशंसावनतो नृपः ॥
कोऽपि धारयिता वेगं पतन्त्या मे महीतले । अन्यथा भूतलं भित्त्वा नृप यास्ये रसातलम् ॥
किं चाहं न भुवं यास्ये नरा मय्यामृजन्त्यघम् । मृजामि तदघं कुत्र राजंस्तत्र विचिन्त्यताम् ॥
T: Sage Shuka continued: King Anshuman, like his grandfather, performed austerities for a very long time. Nonetheless, he could not bring the celestial river Ganga to this world, and after that, in due course of time, he died. Like Anshuman, Dilipa, his son, was unable to bring the Ganga to this world, and he also became a victim of death in due course of time. Then Dilipa’s son, Bhagiratha, performed very severe austerities to bring the divine river Ganga to this world.
Note: We should remember that this act of Tapas by Bhagiratha is perhaps the most astounding effort by any human, done purely as an act of devotion to his forefathers and to bring a celestial river into this world. We all know that Ganga is the river of Bharat. Ganga symbolises the Hindu aspiration for liberation. That this major river starts in the Himalayas and courses majestically through several thousand kilometres in the country, with her glorious tributaries and contributaries, is something captured from Srimad Valmiki Ramayana and even in the Vedas. Bhagiratha is a hero like no other.
Thereafter, mother Ganga appeared before King Bhagiratha and said, “I am very much satisfied with your austerities and am now prepared to give you benedictions as you desire.” Being thus addressed by Mother Ganga, the king bowed his head before her and explained his desire. He wanted her to course over the ashes of his forefathers lying in wait for emancipation.
Mother Ganga replied:
"When I fall from the sky to the surface of the planet earth, the water will certainly be very forceful. Who will sustain that force? If I am not sustained, I shall pierce the earth's surface and go down to Rasatala, the Patala area of the universe. Oh King, I do not wish to go down to the planet earth, for there the people in general will bathe in my water to cleanse themselves of the reactions of their sinful deeds. When all these sinful reactions accumulate in me, how shall I become free from them? You must consider this very carefully."
भगीरथ उवाच
साधवो न्यासिनः शान्ता ब्रह्मिष्ठा लोकपावनाः । हरन्त्यघं तेऽङ्गसङ्गात्तेष्वास्ते ह्यघभिद्धरिः ॥
धारयिष्यति ते वेगं रुद्रस्त्वात्मा शरीरिणाम् । यस्मिन्नोतमिदं प्रोतं विश्वं शाटीव तन्तुषु ॥
इत्युक्त्वा स नृपो देवं तपसातोषयच्छिवम् ।कालेनाल्पीयसा राजंस्तस्येशः समतुष्यत ॥
तथेति राज्ञाभिहितं सर्वलोकहितः शिवः ।दधारावहितो गङ्गां पादपूतजलां हरेः ॥
भगीरथः स राजर्षिर्निन्ये भुवनपावनीम् ।यत्र स्वपितॄणां देहा भस्मीभूताः स्म शेरते ॥
रथेन वायुवेगेन प्रयान्तमनुधावती । देशान् पुनन्ती निर्दग्धानासिञ्चत्सगरात्मजान् ॥
यज्जलस्पर्शमात्रेण ब्रह्मदण्डहता अपि ।सगरात्मजा दिवं जग्मुः केवलं देहभस्मभिः ॥
भस्मीभूताङ्गसङ्गेन स्वर्याताः सगरात्मजाः ।किं पुनः श्रद्धया देवीं ये सेवन्ते धृतव्रताः ॥
न ह्येतत्परमाश्चर्यं स्वर्धुन्या यदिहोदितम् ।अनन्तचरणाम्भोजप्रसूताया भवच्छिदः ॥
सन्निवेश्य मनो यस्मिञ्छ्रद्धया मुनयोऽमलाः । त्रैगुण्यं दुस्त्यजं हित्वा सद्यो यातास्तदात्मताम् ॥
श्रुतो भगीरथाज्जज्ञे तस्य नाभोऽपरोऽभवत् ।सिन्धुद्वीपस्ततस्तस्मादयुतायुस्ततोऽभवत् ॥
T: Bhagiratha said:
"Mother, Those who are saintly because of devotional service and are therefore in the renounced order, free from material desires, and who are pure devotees, expert in following the regulative principles mentioned in the Vedas, are always glorious and pure in behaviour and are able to deliver all fallen souls. When such pure devotees bathe in your water, the sinful reactions accumulated from other people will certainly be counteracted, for such devotees always keep in the core of their hearts Bhagavan, who can vanquish all sinful reactions.
Like a cloth woven of threads extending for its length and breadth, this entire universe, in all its latitude and longitude, is situated under different potencies of Bhagavan. Lord Shiva is the incarnation of the Lord, and thus he represents the Paramatma in the embodied soul. He can sustain your forceful waves on his head."
After saying this, Bhagiratha satisfied Lord Shiva by performing austerities. Lord Shiva was very quickly satisfied with Bhagiratha. When King Bhagiratha approached Lord Shiva and requested him to sustain the forceful waves of the Ganga, Lord Shiva accepted the proposal by saying, “Let it be so.” Then, with great attention, he sustained the Ganga on his head, for the water of the Ganga is purifying, having emanated from the toes of Lord Vishnu as narrated earlier when He took the form of Trivikrama.
The great and saintly king Bhagiratha brought the Ganga, who can deliver all the fallen souls, to that place on earth where the bodies of his forefathers lay burnt to ashes.
Bhagiratha mounted a swift chariot and drove ahead of Mother Ganga, who followed him, purifying many regions, until they reached the ashes of Bhagiratha’s forefathers, the sons of Sagara, who were thus sprinkled with water from the Ganga.
Because the sons of King Sagara had offended a great personality, they had been burnt to ashes. But simply by being sprinkled with water from the Ganga, all of them became eligible to go to heaven. What then is to be said of those who use the water of Mother Ganges to worship her?
Simply by having water from the Ganga come in contact with the ashes of their burnt bodies, the sons of Sagara were elevated to heaven. Therefore, what is to be said of a devotee who worships Mother Ganga faithfully with a determined vow? One can only imagine the benefit that accrues to such a devotee.
Because Mother Ganga emanates from the lotus toe of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, Ananta Deva, she is able to liberate one from material bondage. Therefore whatever is described herewith about her is not at all an exaggeration.
Great sages, completely freed from material lusty desires, devote their minds fully to the service of the Lord. Such persons are liberated from material bondage without difficulty, and they become transcendentally situated, acquiring the spiritual quality of the Lord. This is the glory of the Paramatma Bhagavan Maha Vishnu.
Bhagiratha had a son named Shruta, whose son was Nabha. This son was different from the Nabha previously described. Nabha extended his kingdom to the entire Sindhu Dweepa.
Note: We can begin to understand why everyone wants his ashes immersed in the Ganga!
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
