Gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgama (Gautamī)

Gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgama · gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgama, “the confluence of the Gaṅgā with the sea”

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

Gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgama is the confluence (saṅgama) where the Gaṅgā of the south, the Gautamī or Godāvarī, joins the eastern sea. Here the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa ends its account of the river. Brahmā tells Nārada that when the Gautamī came to the sea, all the devas followed her and the great ṛshis praised her, and seeing the river meet the sea, Bhagavān Śiva and Bhagavān Hari revealed themselves to the ṛshis; the two are ever established there. The Godāvarī destroys every pāpa everywhere, but especially where she joins the ocean: whoever bathes at this confluence is full of puṇya, redeems his pitṛs from naraka and goes to the city of Śiva. Here King Dhanvantari performed tapas at the feet of Bhīmeśa, and Bhagavān Śiva himself said that mantra, tapas and yoga bear fruit at this confluence above all others.

The Gautamī meets the sea

Brahmā tells Nārada that the Gaṅgā, the Gautamī, worthy of honour even by the devas, joined the eastern sea, and all the devas followed her. She was praised by the ṛshis and the Maruts: by Vasishṭha, Jābāli, Yājñavalkya, Kratu, Aṅgiras, Daksha, Marīci and the Vaishṇavas, the devotees of Vishṇu; by Śātātapa, Śaunaka, Devarāta, Bhṛgu, Agniveśya, Atri, Manu, Gautama and others, with Kauśika, Tumburu, Parvata and others, whose pāpas were wholly destroyed; and by Agastya, Mārkaṇḍa and others devoted to yoga, with Gālava, Pippala, Vāmadeva, and the Āṅgirasas and Bhārgavas, learned in the smṛtis and the Vedas. All of them went to the divine river Gautamī. Versed in the Purāṇas, they prayed with mantras and many lovely Vedic passages, content and joyful in their hearts.

Seeing the river meet the sea, Bhagavān Śiva and Bhagavān Hari revealed themselves to the ṛshis. The devas began the stuti (praise) of the two, who take away the distress of all, while the pitṛs looked on with reverence; the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Maruts and the guardians of the quarters joined their palms and prayed to Hari and Śaṅkara. “O Nārada,” Brahmā says, “these two are ever established in the seven well-known confluences and at the meeting of the ocean and the Gaṅgā.”

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 104

Tīrthas at the meeting with the sea

In the same chapter, the last of the Gautamī Māhātmya, Brahmā goes on to name these tīrthas:

  • Gautameśvara, where Bhagavān Maheśvara is called Gautameśvara, and Mādhava, Bhagavān Vishṇu, is ever present with Ramā.
  • Brahmeśvara, the liṅga of Bhagavān Śiva that Brahmā himself installed for the good of all people and for his own purpose.
  • Cakrapāṇi, Bhagavān Vishṇu, praised there by Brahmā with the devas, and present there with the devas and the gaṇas of the Maruts.
  • Aindratīrtha, also called Hayamūrdhaka, where Bhagavān Vishṇu is installed as Hayamūrdhan, the horse-headed.
  • Somatīrtha, where Bhagavān Śiva is called Someśvara, and where Soma was won for Indra.
  • Āgneyatīrtha, where Agni pleased Brahmā with great yajñas, and where Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva stay for ever.
  • Āditya tīrtha, where Sūrya comes every day for pūjā, at midday in some other guise.
  • Bārhaspatya tīrtha, where Bṛhaspati was honoured by the devas.
  • Adritīrtha, on the mountain Indragopa, where Himālaya installed a great liṅga.

Thus, Brahmā says, the Gautamī rises from Brahmādri and goes to the ocean, and a few of her tīrthas have been told. Other tīrthas become holy only at certain times, but the Gautamī is holy everywhere and always; who could tell all her greatness? Only Vishṇu, the husband of Lakshmī, and Śiva Someśvara, perhaps. So the account closes with namaskāra to her.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 104

Dhanvantari’s tapas

Long ago, at the beginning of the kalpa, King Dhanvantari, the son of Āyus, came to the highest vairāgya (detachment) after many yajñas and gifts. He knew that tapas, homa and japa bear everlasting fruit above all at a holy confluence. Taking refuge at the feet of Bhīmeśa, he performed a great tapas at the place where the Gaṅgā joins the ocean, constantly engaged in japa and homa and in seeking the knowledge of Brahman.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 52

Bhagavān Śiva’s word on this confluence

Bhagavān Maheśvara, the primordial maker, said: “Mantra, tapas and yoga give siddhi even when practised at any confluence; the ṛshis know this. What then when they are practised at the confluence of the Gautamī with the ocean, or in mountain caves, or at the confluences of rivers!”

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 59

Bathing at the confluence and its phala

The Godāvarī destroys all pāpas and bestows supreme wealth, always and everywhere, but especially where she joins the ocean. Any embodied being who bathes there, at the confluence of the Godāvarī and the sea:

  • is full of puṇya;
  • redeems his pitṛs from terrible naraka;
  • goes to the city of Śiva.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 103

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapters 52, 59, 103–104