Bhadrā Saṅgama (Gautamī)

Bhadrā Saṅgama · bhadrā-saṅgama, “the confluence of the Bhadrā”

Bhadrā has other meanings too: see all meanings of Bhadrā.

Bhadrā Saṅgama is the confluence (saṅgama) of the river Bhadrā with the Gautamī (the Godāvarī). The Brahma Purāṇa names the Bhadrā last in its list of the rivers that came to the Gautamī for the sake of Soma and joined her, when the devas held a great yajña on the southern bank of the Gautamī at Devagiri and bought back Soma from the gandharvas by giving them Vāk (Sarasvatī). Brahmā tells Nārada the account in the Gautamī Māhātmya. Bathing at these confluences, or offering japa, homa and pitṛ-tarpaṇa there, fulfils every desire and gives both enjoyment and moksha.

How Soma was bought

Brahmā tells Nārada of Somatīrtha, which delights the pitṛs. Long ago Soma, full of amṛta, was the king of the gandharvas and not of the devas. The devas came to Brahmā and said: “Soma, who gives the prāṇas (vital breaths) to the devas, has been taken by the gandharvas. The ṛshis and devas are in great distress. Let some means be found by which Soma may be ours.”

Vāk (Sarasvatī) said to the devas: “The gandharvas are ever fond of women. Give me to them and bring back Soma.” The devas answered: “We cannot give you away. We cannot live without Soma, and we cannot live without you.” Vāk said: “I shall come back. Let an excellent yajña be performed on the southern bank of the Gautamī; let the devas come there, and exchange me for Soma.” The devas agreed.

Through messengers they invited the devas, yakshas, gandharvas and nāgas to the sacred mountain, and from then on that mountain was named Devagiri (it is also called Devaparvata). Devas, gandharvas, yakshas, rākshasas, siddhas, ṛshis and the eight kinds of devayonis assembled. While the ṛshis performed the great yajña on the banks of the Gautamī, the thousand-eyed Indra honoured the gandharvas and, in Sarasvatī’s presence, said: “Exchange your Soma, whose self is amṛta, for Sarasvatī.” The gandharvas gave Soma to the devas and took Sarasvatī. But every day she came secretly to the devas, saying, “Let it remain a secret.” So the devas had both Soma and Sarasvatī, and the gandharvas neither. Brahmā adds the rule that comes from this: while buying Soma, one should speak in a low voice.

The rivers that joined the Gautamī

For the sake of Soma there came to the Gautamī the cows, the devas, the mountains, the yakshas, rākshasas, siddhas and ṛshis, the guhyakas, gandharvas, Maruts and nāgas, the medicinal herbs (oshadhis), the Mātṛs, the guardians of the quarters, the Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, the Aśvins and the other devas who share in the yajña. Twenty-five rivers joined the Gaṅgā. The place where the full offering of ghee (pūrṇāhuti) was given is Pūrṇatīrtha.

The rivers that joined the Gautamī have tīrthas in their names. Brahmā names them in this order: Somatīrtha, Gāndharva, Devatīrtha, Pūrṇatīrtha, Sala, Śrīparṇā-saṅgama, Ilā-saṅgama, the holy confluence of Kusumā, Pushṭi-saṅgama, the auspicious Karṇikā-saṅgama, Vaiṇavī-saṅgama, Kruśarā-saṅgama, Vāsavī-saṅgama, Śivaśarya, Śikhī, Kusumbhikā, Uparathya, Śāntijā, Devajā, Ajā, Vṛddhā, Surā and Bhadrā. “All these joined the Gautamī.”

These and many other holy rivers of the world went to Devaparvata for the sake of Soma and joined the Gaṅgā in due order. Some flow east, some west; some are lakes, others streams; each tīrtha is well known by its own name. Brahmā sums up: twenty rivers between Pūrṇā and Pravarā, and five divine rivers, his own daughters; twenty-five in all.

The phala

• Bathing in these tīrthas, or performing japa, homa and pitṛ-tarpaṇa (water offering to the pitṛs) there, fulfils all the cherished desires of men and gives bhoga (enjoyment) and moksha.
• Those who read about these tīrthas or remember them are freed from all pāpas and go to the loka of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 35

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 35