Ganga Saptami

Ganga Saptami is celebrated on the Saptami Tithi (seventh day) of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) in the month of Vaishakha. On this day, devotees worship Goddess Ganga, and they also engage in charitable acts, bathing, and prayer. It is believed that on this auspicious day, Goddess Ganga emerged from the toe of Lord Vishnu, while her descent to Earth occurred on Ganga Dussehra. Hence, Ganga Saptami holds significant importance in Sanatan Dharma and is celebrated with great enthusiasm as the birth anniversary of Goddess Ganga.

On this sacred day, all devotees should vow to protect the purity of the Ganga River, as keeping Ganga clean is considered true worship. Those who take this pledge with devotion are believed to be freed from the sins associated with polluting water. Performing acts of charity and taking a holy bath on Ganga Saptami is considered highly auspicious. It is believed that these practices bring happiness to married life and bless one with the joy of parenthood.

Worship Method

On the auspicious occasion of Ganga Saptami, there is no specific ritual for worshipping Goddess Ganga. Instead, the main act of devotion is to take a vow to keep the waters of the Ganga clean. On Ganga Saptami, in honor of Goddess Ganga, all devotees should make a pledge to maintain the cleanliness of the Ganga, as rivers are indeed the source of life, and without water, life is not possible.

In ancient times, people relied on rivers for drinking water, bathing, and other needs. However, in today's world, many depend on tubewells, wells, and other sources for these purposes. Yet, we must not forget that the water in tubewells and wells still comes from these rivers. Therefore, it is our responsibility to keep these rivers clean.

If we do not become aware and take the initiative to maintain the cleanliness of these rivers, we risk losing this precious treasure bestowed by nature. This loss would make it difficult for all living beings on Earth to sustain life.

The Story of Goddess Ganga's Descent

This story is described in the Balakanda of the Ramayana, where Sage Vishwamitra narrates the tale to Lord Rama upon His inquiry. The story unfolds as follows:

Sage Vishwamitra begins by telling Lord Rama that long ago, a righteous king named Sagara, belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty, ruled in Ayodhya. He had two wives. His elder wife, Kesini, was the daughter of the King of Vidarbha. She was very pious and always spoke the truth. Sagara's second wife, Sumati, was the daughter of Arishtanemi Kashyapa and the sister of Garuda. Since neither of his wives had borne him a son, King Sagara, along with his wives, went to the Himalayas and began penance on a peak called Bhriguprastravana. Pleased with their penance, Sage Bhrigu granted the king a boon, saying that he would be blessed with many sons. He told the king that one of his wives would bear a single son who would carry forward his lineage, while the other would give birth to sixty thousand radiant, mighty, and powerful sons, as strong as thunderbolts. The queens then respectfully asked Sage Bhrigu to clarify which of them would have the one son and which would bear the sixty thousand sons. The sage replied that it was up to them to decide according to their wishes. The queen who desired a single son would have one, and the queen who desired sixty thousand sons would be blessed accordingly.Queen Kesini then wished for a single son to carry on the lineage, while Queen Sumati desired to have sixty thousand strong sons.

Queen Kesini gave birth to a son named Asamanja, while King Sagara's second wife gave birth to a single mass that eventually split into sixty thousand sons. As time passed, all the children grew into young men. Sagara's eldest son, Asamanja, used to catch the children of the city and throw them into the waters of the Sarayu River. He would then laugh as they struggled to stay afloat. Due to his cruelty towards innocent people, King Sagara banished him from the kingdom. After Asamanja was exiled, his wife gave birth to a son named Anshuman, who was known for his sweet speech, brilliance, and valor. Sometime later, King Sagara decided to perform a grand yajna (sacrifice). The ministers began making preparations for the ritual. The yajna was to be conducted in the sacred land of Aryavarta, between the Vindhyachal and Himalaya mountains.

A horse was set free for the Ashwamegha Yajna, and Anshuman was entrusted with the responsibility of guarding it. The horse wandered through many kingdoms, but no one dared to capture it; instead, they all chose to befriend Sagara. Seeing the success of the yajna, Lord Indra, the king of the deities, feared losing his own kingdom. He took the form of a demon, stole the horse, and hid it in the ashram of Sage Kapila. The theft of the horse caused the yajna to be interrupted, as it was necessary to have the horse present at the end of the ritual for its successful completion. The failure of the yajna was seen as an ominous sign, indicating impending misfortune. To find the horse, King Sagara ordered his sixty thousand sons to embark on the search. Following their father's command, the sixty thousand sons set out to locate the horse. In their search, they began digging up the earth with blows as powerful as thunderbolts. Each son took responsibility for digging up a specific portion of the land, and together they dug up sixty thousand yojanas of the earth. As they dug, they killed any living creatures they encountered. Seeing this destruction, the deities became alarmed and approached Lord Brahma, expressing their concern that if Sagara's sons continued to tear apart the earth, all living beings would perish, and the entire world would be destroyed, leading to the end of creation. Lord Brahma reassured the deities, explaining that Sage Kapila, who was immersed in divine meditation and residing in the netherworld, would be the one to stop them. As Sagara's sons continued their search, they eventually reached the ashram of Sage Kapila in the netherworld, where they found the horse. Mistaking Sage Kapila for the thief, they began hurling insults at him, saying, "He is the one obstructing our father's yajna; he has stolen the horse." With this, they rushed towards him, intent on attacking him. Their actions disturbed the sage's meditation. Enraged, flames began to emanate from his eyes, and as a result, all sixty thousand of King Sagara's sons were reduced to ashes by the fire.

When a long time had passed without any news of King Sagara's sixty thousand sons or the missing horse, King Sagara ordered his grandson, Anshuman, to search for them and retrieve the horse. Following his grandfather's command, Anshuman set out to find his uncles and the horse. Anshuman followed the path that his uncles had created by digging the earth. Along the way, whenever he encountered brave warriors or wise men, he respectfully greeted them, inquired about their well-being, and asked if they had any information about his uncles and the horse. Receiving the blessings of these wise and noble individuals, Anshuman eventually arrived at the place where his uncle’s lay reduced to ashes.

When Anshuman saw the ashes of his uncles, he was filled with grief. He also noticed the horse grazing nearby. Anshuman wanted to perform the water oblation (Jalanjali) to help liberate his uncles' souls, but he couldn’t find any water source in the vicinity. While searching for water, he encountered Garuda, the mighty bird and his great-uncle. Anshuman asked Garuda about the nearest water source. Garuda then revealed that Anshuman's uncles had been reduced to ashes by the divine fire of Sage Kapila’s gaze. He explained that only the sacred waters of the Ganga could bring liberation to their souls. Garuda advised Anshuman to take the horse back and complete the yajna and then to perform penance to bring the Ganga to Earth for the salvation of his uncles. Hearing Garuda’s words, Anshuman returned with the horse and informed King Sagara of his uncles' death and Garuda's advice. After completing the yajna, King Sagara pondered over how to bring the Ganga to Earth, but he couldn't decide on a course of action. Eventually, King Sagara passed away. Following his grandfather's death, Anshuman undertook penance on a Himalayan peak to bring the Ganga to Earth for the liberation of his uncles. However, after a long period of penance, he relinquished his mortal body and ascended to the heavens. Anshuman’s son was named Dilip. He also performed penance to liberate his ancestors, but in the end, he too renounced his body and attained Indra Loka, the realm of the gods. Dilip’s son was Bhagirath, who was very powerful, righteous, and radiant. Driven by the desire for a son and the liberation of his ancestors, Bhagirath also embarked on the mission to bring Goddess Ganga to Earth. He first pleased Lord Brahma through his penance. Lord Brahma, pleased with Bhagirath's penance, said to him, "I am highly pleased with your devotion. According to your wish, Goddess Ganga will descend to Earth with great force. However, only Lord Shiva can control her mighty flow. Therefore, you must perform penance to please Lord Shiva and request his assistance in this task. Following Brahma's advice, Bhagirath began his penance to please Lord Shiva. Satisfied with Bhagirath's devotion, Lord Shiva granted him the boon, assuring that he would indeed bear Goddess Ganga, the daughter of the mountains, on his head.

With Lord Shiva’s approval, Goddess Ganga took on a formidable form and descended from the heavens onto Lord Shiva's head with immense force. Upon reaching Lord Shiva's head, Ganga became proud of her powerful flow, thinking that she could carry Shiva along with her straight to the netherworld. However, Lord Shiva, recognizing her arrogance, transformed his matted hair into a tightly sealed cavern. As Ganga tried to descend to Earth with great speed, she became trapped in Shiva’s locks and could not escape despite her efforts. Seeing this, Bhagirath once again performed penance to please Lord Shiva. Pleased with his devotion, Shiva released Ganga from his hair and allowed her to flow down to Earth, directing her into the Bindusarovar. Upon reaching the Earth, Ganga split into seven streams. The three streams—Hradini, Pavani, and Nalini—flowed towards the east. The three other streams—Suchakshu, Sita, and the great river Sindhu—flowed towards the west. The seventh stream followed behind Bhagirath.

Finally, Goddess Ganga reached the spot where King Sagara's sixty thousand sons had perished. She cleansed their ashes, and through her holy waters, they attained liberation.