River Ganges is respected and adored as Mother Ganga. As a river she is the main source of water especially for the northern part of Bharat. Apart from being a source of water, she has unique properties. Since she flows down through the Himalayan ranges, she carries along with her the inherent and unique properties of the soil, minerals and foliage through which she flows which gives her waters distinctive features. A dip in her waters or to drink her waters is extremely beneficial. Her oxidation level is also very high and therefore the Ganges water can be stored for years together – it still remains fresh and uncontaminated.
King Bhagiratha of the Solar dynasty performed intense tapas to bring the sacred Ganges from the higher realms down to the plains to redeem his forefathers of their sins. Pleased with his tapas, Ganga appeared before him and told him that the force of her descent from the Higher Realms can be very devastating and everything within her reach will be totally wiped out. The only person who could withstand and contain the impact of her mighty descent was Lord Shiva. So Bhagiratha performed penance to propitiate Sankara. The Lord appeared before him. Bhagiratha narrated everything to Lord Shiva. The Lord agreed to take the tremendous impact of Ganga when she descends upon himself. Lord Shiva came to Gangotri and on the auspicious Ganga Dussehra day, Mother Ganges descended down from the higher realms with full force. Lord Shiva received Ganga into his open “Jata” (locks of hair). Subsequently the Lord released Ganga slowly in the form of small streamlets from His Jata. The Ganga from the Lord’s Jata followed Bhagiratha from the higher altitudes to the lower terristrial plains and then finally reached the lower realms to redeem the forefathers of Bhagiratha. After traversing the entire Northern plains known as the Gangetic Plains, Ganga reaches the ocean (Bay of Bengal) at Ganga Sagar and merges to become one with the ocean.
GAM means “knowledge”. GA means “to move”. Therefore GAMGA or GANGA represents “the eternal flow of Spiritual Knowledge”. She is the personification of Mother Sruti (scriptures). She is worshipped as AKASHA GANGA, wherein she represents the Highest, Subtle and Incomprehensible Spiritual Knowledge. The ‘vahana’ (vehicle) of Ganga is crocodile. The crocodile represents ‘spiritual ignorance’. Ganga signifies ‘Spiritual Knowledge’. Ganga seated on the crocodile represents the destruction of ignorance with the help of Spiritual Knowledge. To partake a DROP OF THIS KNOWLEDGE is to transcend and move beyond name, form, attributes, activity and reach the realm of Highest Experience: the State of Enlightenment. King Bhagiratha represents a spiritual seeker. BHAGA means “glories”. RATHA means “chariot”. BHAGIRATHA therefore means “personification of all divine qualities”. He is born in Solar dynasty meaning “he is endowed with spiritual knowledge”.
When the seeker invokes the spiritual knowledge within himself in his seat of meditation, it descends down with such an impact that in one sweep the entire world of plurality and multiplicity becomes non-existent for him, leaving behind only the experience of Absolute Oneness. The seeker in the present moment may not have the ability and capacity to take on the impact. Only Lord Shiva who represents the Highest State of Meditation can contain the knowledge and revel in the experience of Absolute Oneness. Therefore Ganga (Divine Knowledge) descends onto his head (intellect). Hence Shiva also represents the Guru who has not only the Knowledge of the Higher State, but has experienced it within himself. When the seeker approaches the Guru, depending upon the constitution of the seeker and his ability and capacity to absorb the Higher Knowledge, the Guru slowly initiates him which is represented by the flow of Ganga from Lord Shiva’s tresses. Just as Ganga on reaching the vast shoreless and depthless ocean, loses her individual identity to merge and disappear into the ocean and becomes one with it, so too the spiritual seeker (jivatma) slowly progresses on the path of meditation to reach and become one with the Highest State (Paramatma). This is the State of Mukti or Enlightenment.
Gange Hara Hara! Gange Hara Hara!!
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