Tīrthas of Gaṅgādvāra
Gaṅgādvāra means “the gate of the Gaṅgā”. It lies in the region of present-day Haridvāra, where the Gaṅgā comes down from the Himālaya onto the plains. It is one of the holiest groups of tīrthas in Bhārata. The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa names five main tīrthas in this group: Gaṅgādvāra, Kuśāvarta, Bilvaṃka, Nīlaparvata and Kanaṭhala. It says that a bath at any of them destroys all pāpa (sin) and frees the bather from rebirth.
The holiness of the place is tied to the Daksha yajña. At this site Vīrabhadra and Bhādrakālī destroyed the adhvara (yajña) of Daksha, and Bhagavān Śiva himself named the five tīrthas supremely holy.
The five tīrthas
The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa names five sacred sites at Gaṅgādvāra:
| Tīrtha | What the text gives |
|---|---|
| Gaṅgādvāra | The gateway of the Gaṅgā; the first of the three Gaṅgā sites that are hardest to reach |
| Kuśāvarta | A sacred site within the Gaṅgādvāra group |
| Bilvaṃka | Named for the bilva tree; within the group |
| Nīlaparvata | The “blue mountain”, within the group |
| Kanaṭhala | The tīrtha at Kanaṭhala |
The text says that a bath at any of these five tīrthas removes all pāpa, and there is no further punarjanma (rebirth). It also says that Bhagavān Brahmā, Bhagavān Vishṇu, Bhagavān Śiva and all the divine gaṇas live in this group of tīrthas. Mahādeva himself gave Vīrabhadra his permanent place here. (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 235)
The order of holy waters
The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa gives seven steps in the holiness of water, ending at Gaṅgādvāra:
- Water raised from the earth (well water): the least holy.
- Water flowing from a spring at the foot of a mountain.
- Water running down a mountain slope.
- Water flowing from a mountain stream (nirghara).
- River water.
- Gaṅgā water in general.
- Gaṅgā water at Gaṅgādvāra: supremely holy.
The three Gaṅgā sites that are hardest to reach (rare and sacred) are Gaṅgādvāra, Prayāga and Gaṅgāsāgara saṅgama, where the Gaṅgā meets the sea. Of these, Gaṅgādvāra is the first. (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 235)
The Daksha yajña at Gaṅgādvāra
The holiness of Gaṅgādvāra rests on the Daksha adhvara. Daksha Prajāpati performed a great yajña at Gaṅgādvāra. He left Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī out of the invitation on purpose. Pārvatī’s fury and the anger of Bhagavān Śiva sent Vīrabhadra and Bhādrakālī against the yajña, and it was destroyed. Bhagavān Śiva came to the site as Bhādrakarṇeśvara, one of His local names, to see the matter through to its end.
When Sārasvatī was invited to Daksha’s yajña at Gaṅgādvāra, she merged into the Gaṅgā. For this reason the Gaṅgā–Sarasvatī saṅgama (meeting of rivers) at this site is especially holy. A bath there makes the bather the lord of the gaṇas of Bhagavān Śiva.
After this, Bhagavān Śiva gave Vīrabhadra his permanent place at this site. He made the five tīrthas supremely holy. He declared that Bhagavān Brahmā, Bhagavān Vishṇu and Bhagavān Śiva all live here for ever in this group of tīrthas. (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 235)
A later Mahābhārata event at Gaṅgādvāra
A much later event of the Mahābhārata, apart from the Daksha yajña history above, is also set at Gaṅgādvāra. Dhṛtarāshṭra, Gāndhārī and Kuntī died in a forest fire during their last vānaprastha tapas (the forest life of the old). (Mahābhārata, Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapters 37, 39)
Sources
- Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 235
- Mahābhārata, Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapters 37, 39