We all get mad with life sometimes. And once in a while, we get so angry that we want to destroy everything we see around us, not stopping to think of the consequences. When temper can cause so much damage in everyday life, just imagine what it can do at a cosmic level!
As we’ve seen, mythology often depicts gods, goddesses and other supernatural personalities as beings with human emotions — and the resultant drama is not just entertaining, it’s something we can relate to and packs a sound message that we would do well to remember.
Once there was a king called Sagara who had 60,000 sons. Yes, really. One day Sagara was performing a ritual for the welfare of his kingdom. But to complete this ritual he needed a special horse. He looked for the horse everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. Sagara did not know that the horse had been stolen by a jealous Indra who did not want him to become more powerful than he was. Sagara sent his 60,000 sons all over the earth to find the horse.
The sons searched every nook and corner and finally discovered the horse in the netherworld. It was tied up next to a sage called Kapila. Kapila was in deep meditation and had no idea at all that a horse was standing next to him.
But the 60,000 sons jumped to the conclusion that it was he who had stolen the horse. They shouted at him and disturbed his penance. The sage, who had been immersed in meditation for several years, opened his eyes and the sixty thousand sons were instantly burnt to death!
Now because the sons of Sagara had died so ignominiously, their souls could not attain salvation and were condemned to wander around as ghosts. Bhagiratha was Sagara’s grandson, son of one of the 60,000 sons. When he heard about this, he vowed to bring the holy river Ganga down to earth so she could wash away the sins of his father and uncles and release them to heaven.
Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma accordingly. Pleased with his prayers, Brahma ordered Ganga to go down to the earth and then to the nether-world.
When Ganga heard Brahma’s command, she was furious! She thought it was all very insulting indeed. She was happy where she was and saw no reason to go down to the earth and all the way to the netherworld. What arrogance on the part of Bhagiratha to think that he could command her to wash away the sins of his wretched ancestors!
But Ganga had to obey Brahma and so she fell from the heavens. She fell with such force and energy that the earth was almost swept away! Bhagiratha was alarmed when he saw this. He prayed to Shiva urgently and asked for his help.
Shiva stood beneath Ganga, who continued to fall with all her might. But as she flowed through Shiva’s locks, Ganga was forced to slow down. Her waters fell out of his hair in small streams. A great peace descended upon her and as she flowed to the netherworld, she was no longer angry. It was thus that Ganga decided to remain on earth to help purify the souls of everyone here.
She’s said to be the only river that flows in all three worlds — heaven, earth, and the netherworld! And because it was through Bhagiratha’s efforts that she came down to earth, she is also called Bhagirathi.