The Ganga Came to Earth Twice

BrHamapuranam has two parts, one is named Purvabhagah and the other is named Uttarabhagah. In the story under chapter number 72 'Shivvivah' of Purvabhag, the origin of Ganga has been told.

भAt the time of the marriage of Lord Shiva and Mother Gauri, for some reason Brahmaji had attained Patitya. Seeing Brahmaji leaving the pavilion, Shankar ji said to Nandi ji - "O Nandi! You call Brahma back. I will make him sinless." id="t60">Trijagatpaavanin shaktim tatra sasmar papaha.

Bhoomi kamandalum kritva tatrapah sanniveshya cha.

Pavamanyadibhih suktairbhimantrya cha yatnatah॥26॥

Trijagatpavanin shaktim tatra sasmar papaha.

Mamuvaach sa lokesho grihanem kamandulam ॥27॥

Saying aiLord Shiva considered the kamandalu in his hand as land, invited the water kept in it by reciting the Sukta named Pavmani and then placed his name in it. Gave a vision of the sacred world. Then Lord Shiva said - "May this water of Kamandalu remove all the sins of the sinners. May all their sins be washed away by this water and they will become pure. I have freed them from all the sins committed by them and have attained their sacred essence." He did this for the public welfare of the future.

SoAnd saying this, Lord Shankar handed over the Kamandalu to Brahmaji saying that consider this water as your mother in the same way as this land is your mother. In the waters of this Kamandalu, there is the glory of Sanatan Dharma, the essence of Yagyas, the promise of liberation and enjoyment from the body, the existence of moving and immovable living beings exists in it. It will have all the means to live life. This water will always play a role in the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. This is also the basis of spiritual liberation. All the pleasures of life are present in it. By merely remembering this water, all the mental sins of life will be destroyed. By describing its qualities and taking bath in it, all the sins of the body will be destroyed. This water is like nectar. By chanting the name of this water, all the wishes of a person will be fulfilled. Hey Brahma! You accept it. Saying this, Lord Shankar gave that Kamandal to Lord Brahma. In that Kamandal was the most sacred Ganga. Which was given by Lord Shiva to Brahmaji for the welfare of all. Jangam and ॥29॥

Apo va mataro devyo bhumirmata tathapara.

स्थित्युत्पत्तिविनाशानां हेतुत्वम्यायोः स्थितम्॥28॥

Atra pratishthato dharmao hytra yajnaah sanatanah.

Atra bhuktischa muktischa sthavaram jangamam and ॥29॥

          KuAfter six times, in Vaman incarnation, Lord Vishnu asked for three steps of land from King Bali and placed his foot in the yagya of that Asureshwar Bali to measure the entire earth in one step. Below that Yagya Bhoomi, the base of the earth was Kurmaprishtha from which Lord Vishnu measured the entire earth. And when he raised his foot to take the second step, that step of Lord Vishnu went till Brahmalok. Due to not being able to find a place for the third step, Lord Vishnu placed that step on the back of the sacrificial king and thus fulfilled the promise of sacrifice and gave a boon to the king. id="t164">V

Which activities Yachchubham me syatpade vishnoah samaagte.

सर्वस्वं च समालोक्य स्यात्कमंदलु ॥59॥ among the best.

          VWhen Shnu ji reached Brahmalok, Brahma ji invited the water of Kamandal to pay his respect and offered it at the feet of Vishnu ji, considering it to be the most sacred. As soon as it fell at his feet, the water fell on Mount Meru. Where that water got divided into four parts and started flowing towards the earth. The water that went towards the east was accepted with respect by the ancestors, gods, sages and people of the world, considering it very sacred. It has been called the best water. The water which touched the feet of Lord Vishnu and went towards the south, was considered like a mother for the world. Shankar ji held it in his locks. Because he was the true form of Brahma. The part of water which had gone towards the west came back into Brahmaji's Kamandalu. Vishnuji himself kept the water that went towards the north with himself. In this way, only a part of the full Ganga, going towards the east, came to the earth. id="t201">Brahmhatyadipapaani Manovakkaayikaani Ch॥36॥

Ima Devi Jatasanstha Pavaneem Lokpavaneem.

Then Priyan Jagannath Utsrij Brahmano Girau ॥35॥

Sarvasaam teerthabhuta tu yavadgachchhati sagaram.

ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानी मनोवक्कायकानी च॥36॥

kuAfter some time, the portion of Ganga which Lord Shiva had worn in his matted hair, at the behest of Mother Parvati and with the grace of Brahmin society, Brahmin Gautam Rishi, with his rigorous penance and the grace of fire, asked for it from Lord Shiva. Then Lord Shiva left that sacred Ganga on Brahmagiri mountain at the behest of Maharishi Gautam. Maharishi Gautam said to Lord Shiva - "O Hare! In this, all the sins committed by the mind, spoken by the mouth, committed by the body, flow into the ocean and get erased, this should be the most important pilgrimage. Just by remembering it, one gets virtue." He further said - "O Lord! Please also grant this boon that the great sins of the people living ten yojanas away on either side of the banks of this Devnadi, like Brahma murder, will be destroyed. Even if their ancestors are great sinners, they will be liberated."

tB Lord said - "This pilgrimage will be a special pilgrimage among all the pilgrimages. This pilgrimage will be called Gautami Teerth. And this river will be called Gautami or Godavari river." Saying this, Lord Shiva handed over his matted hair to Sage Gautam. Which was left by Gautam Rishi on Brahmagiri mountain. That Sagargamini Ganga moves towards the Eastern Sea. According to the scriptures, Ganga is divided into fifteen streams.

AndYes, Ganga divided itself into three parts. One part of Ganga went to heaven, it was called Mandakini, one part went to the world of death and one part went to the sixth of the seven worlds located under the earth. Due to its division into three parts, Ganga is also called Tripathaga. Bhavet॥62॥

भागीराथ: प्रन्म्येशं हृष्तः प्रोवाच शंकरम्॥61॥

Jatasthitham Pitrnaam Me Pavanay Saridvaram.

Tamev dehi devesh sarvamaptam tato bhavet॥62॥

The same Ganga which was once again held in the locks of Lord Shiva's hair was brought back to this earth by Bhagiratha, the son of King Dilip, who was radiant and religious in every respect, by asking Lord Shiva. With which he had saved his ancestors. It was only on the request of King Bhagiratha that Mother Ganga agreed to go to the Himalayas and flow towards the eastern ocean. The Ganga flowing towards the south of Vindhya Mountain is called Gomti Ganga and the Ganga flowing from the other side to the north of Vindhyagiri Mountain is called Bhagirathi Ganga.  The same Ganga was re-attached in the locks of Lord Shiva's hair. The same Ganga was brought back to this earth by Bhagiratha, the son of King Dilip, the brilliant and religious king in every respect, after asking from Lord Shiva. With which he had saved his ancestors. It was only on the request of King Bhagiratha that Mother Ganga agreed to go to the Himalayas and flow towards the eastern ocean. The Ganga flowing towards the south of Vindhya Mountain is called Gomti Ganga and the Ganga flowing from the other side to the north of Vindhyagiri Mountain is called Bhagirathi Ganga. (Krishna Ek Satyagyan Excerpts from the book)

(The author's second book Inventing Dreams Available on Amazon and Flipkart)