Gaṅgāvataraṇa, Jāhnavī and Vishṇupadī

This is a group of linked accounts from the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Chapters 17 to 22. They follow the Ikshvāku line from Dhundhumāra to Sagara. They tell how Bhagīratha brought the Gaṅgā down to earth by tapas (austerity), how King Jahnu drank the river and released her so that she was called Jāhnavī, and why she is called Vishṇupadī. They end with the way she spreads through every loka and dvīpa under many names.

The Sagara Upākhyāna

The line from Dhundhumāra to Sagara

From Dhundhumāra the Ikshvāku line went on through Dṛḍhāśva, Haryaśva, Nikuṃbha, Suhita, Bhṛśāśva, Māndhātā, Purukutsa (born by divine arrangement), Saddaśva, Śubhu, Anaranya, Dṛshadaśva, Sumanasa, Dhanvu, Tayāraṇi, Satyavrata (known as Triśaṅku), Hariścandra, Rohitāśva, Harita, Sāgara (Hāgara), Vijaya, Alarka, Pṛku and Bāhu. Anaranya was famous as the conqueror of the three worlds, and Rāvaṇa killed him.

Bāhu was far too fond of strong drink, wealth, hunting and gambling. His enemies, the Haihayas, the Tālajanghas and hordes of Mlecchas, used his weakness. They joined together and took his kingdom. Bāhu fled to the forest. His faithful wife followed him on foot. A co-wife had given her poison, and while she was sick and living in the forest she gave birth to Sagara. The king died. His faithful wife wished to follow him onto the funeral pyre, but she was held back.

The ṛshi Cyavana performed all the saṃskāras (rites of life) for the young Sagara and taught him the use of weapons. When Sagara came of age, he took up the sword with Cyavana’s blessing. He destroyed the Haihayas and the Tālajanghas, won back Ayodhyā, and ruled without a rival. He married two wives. By the grace of Bhagavān Śiva, won through tapas, one wife bore him sixty thousand sons. The other bore one good son, Aṃśumant.

The sixty thousand sons and Kapila

Sagara’s sixty thousand sons were born by divine arrangement, but they were cruel and caused trouble. They harassed the devas and the brāhmaṇas. The devas gathered and went to Brahmā. Brahmā told them that Vāsudeva would appear as the maharshi Kapila and destroy all of them.

Sagara then began an Aśvamedha yajña. His sons led the horse across the earth. Kapila took the horse. The sons followed it to the place where Kapila lived and came near him with their weapons raised. Kapila’s glance burned all sixty thousand to ashes at once. They had tormented the devas and the brāhmaṇas, and so they went to naraka (hell).

Nārada brought Sagara the news that his sons were destroyed. Sagara sent the good Aṃśumant to Kapila. Aṃśumant bowed before the ṛshi, who was pleased and gave back the horse. Kapila also told Aṃśumant: “Your grandson will be able to satisfy your forefathers, who are thirsty for water. When the Gaṅgā comes and floods the ashes of the sons of Sagara, they will reach svarga (heaven). More than that, whoever’s bone falls into the water of the Gaṅgā will also live in svarga-loka. There is no doubt.”

Aṃśumant brought the horse back to Sagara, and Sagara finished the Aśvamedha. The great stretch of land dug up by the sons became known as the Sāgara dvīpa, and it was filled with the salt water of the sea. This made the salt ocean (lavaṇa samudra). Sagara gave the kingdom to Dilīpa and reached svarga. Dilīpa gave the kingdom to Bhagīratha and did great tapas in the forest.

Gaṅgāvataraṇa

Bhagīratha knew that his forefathers were in naraka. He gave the kingdom to another and for ten thousand years did hard tapas for Gaṅgā Mahādevī. He kept ahiṃsā (non-harm), satya (truth), dayā (kindness) and strict niyamas (vows), and he ate no leaves or any other food. Gaṅgā Mahādevī was pleased and eased his distress. She appeared and said: “The earth cannot bear the speed of my fall from the sky. So quickly please Śaṅkara. He alone can hold up under my speed.”

Bhagīratha then did fierce tapas for Bhagavān Śiva. Parameśvara appeared and said: “O king, I am pleased with your hard tapas. I give you bhakti for your forefathers that will never die, and glory that will last for ever.” Gaṅgā knew that Bhagīratha’s task was now in Śaṅkara’s hands, and she fell from the sky.

Brahmā, Yama, Indra, Varuṇa, great ṛshis, nāgas, gandharvas, vidyādharas, mahoragas, suparṇas, kinnaras and hosts of apsarases all gathered. The sky was crowded with their vimānas (flying chariots). Flowers were scattered, and the sweet air rang with divine sound. Gaṅgā fell from the sky with a fierce plan. She meant to split Śiva in two with her speed and carry him down to pātāla.

Parameśvara saw her wicked plan and held her in his jaṭāmukuṭa (crown of matted hair). She wandered there for a long time. The drops of the falling river made the holy place called Bindu Sarovara. At last Śiva saw Bhagīratha’s distress and let her go from his matted hair. Gaṅgādharā disappeared from sight (antardhāna).

The divine river had flowed from the head of Bhagavān Maheśvara and entered Bindu Sarovara. She came out and flowed in seven streams. Three flow east: Hlādinī, Pāvanī and Nalinī. Two flow west: Sītā-vastra (Sītā) and Sindhu. One flows south: Bhāgīrathī.

In some places the river ran with great speed and in others gently. Here she was rough with foam, there deep and murmuring, and elsewhere full of the calls of swans. She was made pure by Śiva’s touch. She had risen from Vishṇu’s foot, and so she is Vishṇupadī. She destroys all pāpa (sin). She flowed through the Vindhyas, entered the eastern ocean, reached the terrible pātāla, and flooded the ashes of Sagara’s sons. When the ashes were flooded, all of Sagara’s sons reached svarga and live there happily with the devas.

In this way the holy river came to Bhūloka. The best of the ṛshis attend her, and her power is great. She is the daughter of Jahnu and is called Jāhnavī. She is the divine stairway (niśchreṇikā) to the higher worlds.

Gaṅgā becomes Jāhnavī

In the middle of Bhāratavarsha lies the Pāñcāla country, where people keep to their varṇāśrama dharma. There stands the great city of Mahodaya, also called Kānyakubja, built by Kushastupha. Its king was Jahnu, a king who followed dharma fully, and his fame filled the brahmāṇḍa.

When Bhagīratha led the Gaṅgā through Jahnu’s land, the river flooded Jahnu’s yajñaśālā (hall for the yajña). Jahnu was angry. He said: “O Gaṅgā, in your pride you have flooded my yajña ground. You will pay for it!” With the power of his yoga and tapas, he drank the whole river in one draught.

The great ṛshis were troubled and begged Jahnu until he was pleased. He let Bhāgīrathī go from his ear and took her as his own daughter. For this reason the holy river was given the name Jāhnavī. The great king filled his own yajñaśālā with water through Jāhnavī and became famous. So Vishṇupadī, who was born on the Himādri and enters the ocean, shines as Jāhnavī and as Bhāgīrathī. She takes away all sorrow and gives varas (boons).

Gaṅgā as Vishṇupadī

Vajra asked why the Gaṅgā is called Vishṇupadī. Mārkaṇḍeya told him.

In the Svāyaṃbhuva Manvantara there were four groups of devas: Jaya, Ajita, Śukra, and a fourth that is not named. Devendra was the ruler of these groups, and the asuras were his rival kinsmen. The king of the asuras was Bāshkali. He attacked Indra and took his kingdom. Indra took shelter with Brahmā. Brahmā went to Cakrahasta (Vishṇu) and told him what had happened.

Vishṇu promised to win back Indra’s kingdom quickly. He took the Vāmana avatāra and came to Bāshkali’s court. Bāshkali was delighted to see this strange dwarf form. He honoured both Vāmana and Indra, who had come with him, with pādya (water for the feet) and other offerings. Indra explained that his rule over the three worlds had been taken. Bāshkali had already set aside a space of three paces for the sacred fire of Vāmana. The short Vāmana told Indra that he did not wish to live in Bāshkali’s great kingdom.

Then the Vāmana form gave up that disguise. As Vishṇu himself he set about the devas’ work. His first stride was placed in the deva-loka. His left foot was placed in the dānava realm. His second stride reached Dhruva. With his third step Hari struck the brahmāṇḍa. It split open and a hole formed. The waters that lie outside the brahmāṇḍa rushed in through that opening, driven like a śataghnī (a weapon that kills a hundred). The holy water that came in through the hole made by the touch of Hari’s great toe became the divine river Vishṇupadī. That divine river spread through the whole brahmāṇḍa. This is the cause of wonder, the aṇimādi-vibhūti (power of becoming as small as an atom and the other powers) of Vishṇu. It is the cause of grace to all the worlds.

By this Trivikrama deed the three worlds were taken from the asuras and given to the devas. Bāshkali lives at ease in pātāla, and Indra rules the worlds. Hari had won the three worlds and then disappeared. For this reason the Gaṅgā is called Vishṇupadī, because she fills the three worlds. Whoever hears this account of the Gaṅgā’s descent is freed from all pāpa and reaches the world of the virtuous and svarga.

The spread of the Gaṅgā through the worlds

The Gaṅgā, Vishṇupadī, who fills the three worlds, first entered the brahmāṇḍa. She passed through Vishṇuloka, Brahmasabhā, Taparloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Svargaloka and the Candra-maṇḍala. From there she came down to Bhuvarloka, where she is known as the Ākāśagaṅgā (Gaṅgā of the sky). She followed the Milky Way across the clear sky and fell on Meru in the middle of the earth. From Meru she flowed, in some places seen and in others hidden, through all the varshas and all the dvīpas.

• Uttarakuru: called Jayā, with the pools Śāntā and Sādhvī.
• Hiraṇyavarsha: Jyotsnā and Mṛdaṅga. In Puṇḍarīka and Payoda (Ramyaka-varsha): Bhadrā, Gāndharvī, Manojṅā and Jāṃbavatī (Ilāvṛta-varsha).
• Ketumāla: Nirmalā.
• Harivarsha: Manasvinī and Jyotishmatī.
• Kiṃpurushavarsha: Raṃbhā and Candravatī.
• Nāgadvīpa: Indradyumna, Payoda, Kokamatī, Pāvanī, Manojaka, Tāmraparṇī, Gabhastīmatī, Calinī and Nāgavatī.
• Saumyadvīpa: Somaprabhā.

She then entered Rudraloka and Brahmaloka. In Gandharvaloka she is called Gāndharvī. In Varuṇaloka she is called Varuṇa-hradā. Her streams in Bhāratavarsha are known as Varshiṇī, Sitacakshus (flowing to the western ocean) and Sindhu, and by many other names among the peoples of the Āmara, Nishadha, Dhīvara, Ṛshika, Ushṇa, Pāvaraṇa, Karṇapāvaraṇa, Lodara and Cikarṇa countries. The Hodinī flows through Śakadvīpa in seven forms. In Śālmala, Gomeda and Pushkara dvīpas she gives up the form of a river and becomes the ocean itself.

When she had filled the whole earth, she entered pātāla with its layers of black soil. She flowed to Bhogavatī, near the white earth (śveta-bhauma), red earth (rakta-bhauma), stone earth (śilā-bhauma) and golden earth (rukma-bhauma). From the golden earth she takes the fierce tejas (radiance) of Rudra. She then enters pralaya, goes on to Vārāhaloka, and from there passes through the brahmāṇḍa back to the place of her birth, through the hole she remembers. So Gaṅgādevī fills the whole universe and is present for ever. Those who think on her glory are freed from pāpa.

Sources

• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 17–22
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17 (the line from Dhundhumāra to Sagara)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 18 (the sixty thousand sons and Kapila)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 19 (the descent of the Gaṅgā)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 20 (Gaṅgā becomes Jāhnavī)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 21 (Gaṅgā as Vishṇupadī)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 22 (the spread of the Gaṅgā through the worlds)