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childless. Desiring progeny and hoping to
bring Ganga down, he left for Gokarna for
performing penance, leaving the kingdom
in the hands of his ministers.
Bhagiratha
went
through
severe
austerities. With fire on all sides and head
exposed to the hot sun, and taking food
but once a month, he continued his tapas.
Bhagiratha's name has come to signify
great perseverance in any good cause.
Brahma,
pleased
with
the
tapas,
appeared before Bhagiratha and asked:
"What would you have?"
Bhagiratha told him two wishes: "If
you have pity on me, bless me with a
child to continue the line of my forebears.
Secondly, cursed by Kapila Muni, my
ancestors lie a heap of ashes in Patala. The
ashes should be washed by the waters of
Ganga so that their souls may ascend top
heaven. May you be pleased to order
Ganga to go down."
Brahma
replied:
"The
Devas
are
pleased with your tapas. You wishes are
granted. But there is one difficulty. The
earth
cannot
withstand
the
force
of
Ganga's descent. Siva alone can stand it.
Therefore direct your penance and prayers
to him."
Bhagiratha
renewed
his
tapas
and
continued long without food or water, and
at last won Siva's grace. Siva appeared
and said to Bhagiratha: "I shall fulfil your
wish. I shall receive Ganga on my head.
May her grace be upon you."
When Mahadeva promised help to
Bhagiratha, Ganga began her descent as
ordered by Brahma. In her arrogance, she
thought she would fall on Mahadeva's
head and sweep him away towards Patala.
The three-eyed God decided to teach
Ganga a lesson. And the moment he
willed it, the flood of waters that fell on
his head were held by his matted hair as in
an infinite receptacle. Ganga tried her best
but not a drop could emerge from the
tangled maze of Siva's matted locks.
This was a lesson to Ganga to be sure,
but a heart-braking disappointment to
Bhagiratha. There was nothing for him but
to propitiate Siva with tapas. This he did
to such good purpose that Siva took pity
on him and gently let out the waters of
Ganga in Bindu Saras from where they
flowed down in seven small separate
streams.
Three of them flowed west and three
east; and the seventh river followed
Bhagiratha who was full of joy at the
approaching salvation of his ancestors.
Ganga followed Bhagiratha's triumphal
chariot; the waters danced and shone like
lightning flashes as the river made its
course and the Devas and Gandharvas
assembled above to witness the grand
sight. Sometimes slow and sometimes
fast, now sliding down and now jumping
up, the river went on dancing behind
Bhagiratha's
chariot
and
the
folk
of
heaven enjoyed the sight all the way.
On her course, Ganga damaged the
yaga platform of a rishi by name Jahnu.
The rishi took the entire flood in his palm
and sipped it off. Ganga disappeared again