Mahabharata - Bhagiratha brings Ganga to earth

Bhagiratha brings Ganga to the earth

After king Dilip went to forest for penance Bhagiratha ascended the throne. The mighty king learnt of what happened to his ancestors and was very sorry. He went to the Himalayas for practising severe austerities for propitiating godess Ganga. He thus did penances for one thousand years at the end of which Ganga, the daughter of Himalayas, appeared before him and said. "Oh King, I am very pleased by your penances. Please ask for a boon." At this Bhagiratha told her with folded  palms, "Devi, my forefathers had perished  being burnt by the wrath of sage Kapila and in so dying they did not go to heaven. If you are satisfied with me, kindly come down to earth and sprinkle the bodies of those sixty thousand sons of Sagara with your water. Otehrwise there is no salvation for them. Ganga was very pleased by the humility and sincerity and told Bhagiratha that she would come down to earth for his sake. However when she would fall from heaven to earth nobody would be able to withstand the tremendous force with which she would come down and that flow would cause everything to wash away unless her force is contained by somebody. Only Shiva, the Lord of the gods could hold her mighty force. So Bhagiratha should first undertake penances for propitiating Shiva who could fulfill his desires.

Bhagiratha started his penances all over again, this time to propitiate Mahadeva in the Kailasa hill. After a course of severe penance Shiva appeared and asked him what favour he sought. At this Bhagiratha told the God who is ever pleased that he wanted him to contain the force of Ganga's descent for the benefit of mankind. The God who was always ever kind to devotees and was always concerned about their welfare, readily agreed and asked Bhagiratha to pray for Ganga. When Bhagiratha concentrated his thoughts on godess Ganga, she leaped from heaven to earth and her tremndous force was contained in Shiva's mattlocks (hair). Ganga then emerged from Shiva's head with a lot less force and fury and flowed across the mountains, dancing with "kulu kulu" sound. She divided herself into three different flows. Wherever she went the place became pure and beautiful. Thus sanctifying all the earthly spots she told Bhagiratha to show the way where his forefathers were burnt so that she could flow over that place and merge in the sea. Bhagiratha led her to the spot where sage Kapila's ashrama was and immediately she purified the remains of the forefathers. After Bhagiratha offered his customary oblations to the Pitrs, the forefathers ascended to the heavens and had many a blessings for their grandson who brought their salvation. Ganga finally met the sea and the sea, who was dried by sage Agastya, got replenished with water again. Sharks, crocodiles, fishes and other water creatures could roam around freely again. Thus Bhagiratha the great king brought Ganga on the earth and became kind of father of Ganga on earth. Hence Ganga was renamed as Bhagirathi after him.