BHAGIRATHA

Bhagiratha was a great king who brought the River Ganges, personified as the river goddess Ganga, to Earth from the heavens. Bhagiratha was the king of Kosala, a kingdom in ancient India.

The name Bhagiratha has come down in Indian literature and legend typing herculean efforts to be made for achieving great projects. Once upon a time in the mysterious past, the sons of a great emperor Sagara numbering sixty four thousand were burnt to death by the indignation of the sage Kapila in the low lands of the globe. Bhagiratha first performed penance to please the goddess Ganga for several years. The gratified Ganga manifested herself before Bhagiratha and said to him, "I am pleased with your tapas, please tell me your wish and I will fulfill it." Bhagiratha said , "I requested you to come down to earth and flow on the ashes of Sagara my great ancestors so that their tormented souls go to heaven."


The goddess Ganga replied, "I am granting your wish, but the whole earth will be inundated if I come down to earth abruptly. Proper arrangements must be made with meticulous care for my descent. Approach Lord Shiva who is the only person who can contain me in his locks of hair." Bhagiratha had to perform penance second time in order to please Lord Shiva who graciously agreed to receive the torrential Ganges safely into his braid. Again Bhagiratha undertook penance to make Lord Shiva to release Ganges from his locks. Again Bhagiratha made superhuman efforts to carve out the route to be taken by the Ganges from the Himalayan ranges down the slopes to the low lying lands of the earth. Thus the sea was refilled with water once upon a time drunk by the sage Agastya.