From Sumeru, Bhagirath went towards Kailasha where Shiva was.From there, Ganga would enter the earth. If Ganga as Alaknanda came on earth, the earth would not be able to withstand the force and would collapse.
Ganga said only Shiva had the power to hold her force.
Leaving Ganga there, Bhagirath went to pray and please Shiva.
Shiva wanted to know why he had come again.
Bhagirath said the earth would not be able to stand the weight of Ganga and needed his help to control her speed.
Shiva and Durga both agreed to help.
Ganga jumped on Shiva's head.
Shiva's head had huge locks of matted hair and Ganga got lost trying to find her way out.
Bhagirath again went back. Mother how do I get you out of this predicament.
Bhagirath prayed to Shiva who parted his locks and Ganga came out of Shiva's locks, in a place called Haridwar.
A branch of Ganga, made a crack in the earth and went under as Bhogawati.
Soon Ganga came and met two other rivers, Yamuna and Saraswati. The spot where Ganga met became known as Triveni.
Ganga and Bhagirath then reached the city of Varanasi.
Once Shiva had kill a brahman. Shiva had the sin of killing a brahman on his head. Ganesh, Kartikeya amd Durga were grieved by this. Shiva said Do not worry. Ganga is on the earth. A dip in the river, and I will be free of the sin.
Riding a bull. Shiva and Durga went to the place where Ganga was flowing then. Using a blade of the Kusha grass, Shiva sprinkled some water on his head.
This area became known as Varanasi.
Progressing, Ganga reached the place the sage Jahnu was meditating. His hut was made of twigs and leaves. Now able to withstand the force, the hut got swept away. The sage was meditating. He was angry and swallowed the entire river.
Going some distance, Bhagirath and looked back. He could not see the river. He saw the sage below a banyan tree. Bowing before him, Bhagirath wanted to know if he had seen Ganga. The sage said he had swallowed the river as she had destroyed his house.
Bhagirath prayed to the sage who was pleased. He said, if he released the river through his mouth she would not be considered pure. He released Ganga from his right thigh. As had resided in Jahnu for sometime, she became known as Jhanavi.
Travelling slight towards north, they came across the ashrama of the rishi Kandara. He was a sinner. From childhood he would mix with prostitutes, of them he liked a particular woman and lived most of his time in her house. One day he was in the forest when a tiger attacked him and killed. The messengers of Yama came to take him away.
The tiger had eaten his flesh, but his skeleton was left on the ground. A crow picked up a bone to fly away with. An eagle spotted the crow and chased it. The bone slipped from the crow's beak and fell in Ganga.
As soon as this happened, messengers of Narayana came took Kandara away from the messengers of Yama. The messengers went to Yama with their complaint. Yama asked the same of Narayana.
Narayana said - this is the greatness of Ganga.
Ganga said only Shiva had the power to hold her force.
Leaving Ganga there, Bhagirath went to pray and please Shiva.
Shiva wanted to know why he had come again.
Bhagirath said the earth would not be able to stand the weight of Ganga and needed his help to control her speed.
Shiva and Durga both agreed to help.
Ganga jumped on Shiva's head.
Shiva's head had huge locks of matted hair and Ganga got lost trying to find her way out.
Bhagirath again went back. Mother how do I get you out of this predicament.
Bhagirath prayed to Shiva who parted his locks and Ganga came out of Shiva's locks, in a place called Haridwar.
A branch of Ganga, made a crack in the earth and went under as Bhogawati.
Soon Ganga came and met two other rivers, Yamuna and Saraswati. The spot where Ganga met became known as Triveni.
Ganga and Bhagirath then reached the city of Varanasi.
Once Shiva had kill a brahman. Shiva had the sin of killing a brahman on his head. Ganesh, Kartikeya amd Durga were grieved by this. Shiva said Do not worry. Ganga is on the earth. A dip in the river, and I will be free of the sin.
Riding a bull. Shiva and Durga went to the place where Ganga was flowing then. Using a blade of the Kusha grass, Shiva sprinkled some water on his head.
This area became known as Varanasi.
Progressing, Ganga reached the place the sage Jahnu was meditating. His hut was made of twigs and leaves. Now able to withstand the force, the hut got swept away. The sage was meditating. He was angry and swallowed the entire river.
Going some distance, Bhagirath and looked back. He could not see the river. He saw the sage below a banyan tree. Bowing before him, Bhagirath wanted to know if he had seen Ganga. The sage said he had swallowed the river as she had destroyed his house.
Bhagirath prayed to the sage who was pleased. He said, if he released the river through his mouth she would not be considered pure. He released Ganga from his right thigh. As had resided in Jahnu for sometime, she became known as Jhanavi.
Travelling slight towards north, they came across the ashrama of the rishi Kandara. He was a sinner. From childhood he would mix with prostitutes, of them he liked a particular woman and lived most of his time in her house. One day he was in the forest when a tiger attacked him and killed. The messengers of Yama came to take him away.
The tiger had eaten his flesh, but his skeleton was left on the ground. A crow picked up a bone to fly away with. An eagle spotted the crow and chased it. The bone slipped from the crow's beak and fell in Ganga.
As soon as this happened, messengers of Narayana came took Kandara away from the messengers of Yama. The messengers went to Yama with their complaint. Yama asked the same of Narayana.
Narayana said - this is the greatness of Ganga.
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