Mother Ganga

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

Mother Ganga

The Ganga is the most sacred river of India. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: “I am the Ganga
among rivers”. No germ can flourish in the waters of the Ganga. It is saturated with antiseptic
minerals. In the West, doctors prescribe Ganga water for rubbing in the treatment of diseases of the
skin. Ganga is not merely a river. It is a sacred Tirtha. It is possessed of mysterious powers which
are not found in any other rivers of the world. Even scientists have admitted the efficacy of the
Ganga water.
Dr. F.C. Harrison of McGill University, Canada, writes: “A peculiar fact, which has never
been satisfactorily explained, is the quick death (in three or five hours) of the cholera vibrio in the
waters of Ganga. When one remembers sewage, by numerous corpses of natives (often dead of
cholera) and by the bathing of thousands of natives, it seems remarkable that the belief of the

Hindus, that the water of this river is pure and cannot be defiled, and that they can safely drink it and
bathe in it, should be confirmed by means of modern bacteriological research.” A well-known
French physician Dr. D. Herelle, made similar investigations into the mystery of the Ganga. He
observed some of the floating corpses of men dead of dysentery and cholera and was surprised to
find that only a few feet below the bodies, where one would expect to find millions of these
dysentery and cholera germs, there were no germs at all. He then grew germs from patients having
the disease and to these cultures added water from the Ganga. When he incubated the mixture for a
period, much to his surprise, the germs were completely destroyed.
A British physician Dr. C.E. Nelson, F.R.C.S. tells us of another striking fact. He says:
“Ships leaving Calcutta for England take their water from the Hugli river which is one of the
mouths of the filthy Ganga and this Ganga water will remain fresh all the way to England. On the
other hand, ships leaving England for India, find that the water they take on in London will not stay
fresh till they reach Bombay, the nearest Indian port, which is a week closer to England than
Calcutta. They must replenish their water supply at Port Said, Suez or at Aden on the Red Sea. It is
no wonder that the Indian people should hold that the Ganga is very sacred and possessed of
mysterious powers.”
For a Hindu the word ‘Ganga’ has its own sacred association. Every Hindu thirsts for a dip
in the Ganga, and for a drop of water at the time of his death. Aspirants and mendicants build their
huts on the banks of the Ganga for practising penance, and meditation. Bhishma spoke very highly
on the glory of the Ganga in his parting instructions to the Pandavas from his bed of arrows.
Whenever a pious Hindu goes to take his bath, he invokes first the Ganga, and feels Her
presence in the water before he takes a plunge in the river. If he lives in a place far away from the
Ganga, he intensely yearns to see Her on some day and feels blessed by bathing in the holy waters.
He carries some water to his house and carefully saves it in a vessel so that he may use it for
purposes of purification.
Hindus believe that all their sins are washed away if they take a dip in the sacred waters of
the Ganga.
In the Satya Yuga, all places were sacred. In the Treta Yuga, Pushkara was considered as the
most holy place. In the Dvapara Yuga, Kurukshetra was regarded as the most sacred place. In Kali
Yuga, the Ganga has that glory. Devi Bhagavata says: “He who utters the name of Ganga even from
hundreds of miles afar, is freed from sins and attains the abode of Lord Hari”.
The Ganga comes out of the Supreme Being. She enters the feet of Lord Hari and reaches
Vaikuntha. She issues from Goloka and passes through the regions of Vishnu, Brahma, Siva,
Dhruva, Chandra, Surya, Tapah, Janah, Mahah, and reaching Indraloka flows as Mandakini.
The Ganga entered the matted locks of Lord Siva at the request of Bhagiratha who did
rigorous penance for the descent of Ganga to Patala for the redemption of his ancestors, the
thousand sons of Sagara, who had been burnt to ashes by sage Kapila.

Thereupon, She flowed down from the locks of Lord Siva. She was drunk up by the sage
Jahnu, as the water inundated the Yajnasala of the sage. Then again She issued out of the ear of the
sage and acquired the name of Jahnavi. She is also known by the name Bhagirathi, daughter of
Bhagiratha. The Ganga flowed into Patala as Bhagirathi. The ancestors of the king were raised to
Svarga by the touch of the sacred waters of the Ganga.
Ganga had to take a human form on account of Her own fault in behaviour in the presence of
Brahma. She became the wife of Santanu. Santanu also was a celestial being known as king
Mahabhisha. He had to take birth in the world for his fault in conduct in the presence of Brahma by
showing vanity. Ganga gave birth to Bhishma, the illustrious hero and sage.
Ganga consented to bear the seed of Lord Siva which was transferred to Her by Agni. She
gave to the world Lord Subrahmanya, the great commander of the army of Devas, who killed the
formidable Asura Taraka.
Ganga is the form of Vishnu. Her sight is soul-stirring and elevating. She flows in the
valleys and lives by the side of Parvati, daughter of Himavan. How magnificent She is when She
flows in the valley of Rishikesh! She has a blue colour like that of the ocean. The water is extremely
clear and sweet. Rich people from the plains get water from Rishikesh. They take it in big
copper-vessels to far off places in India.
To have a look at the Ganga in Rishikesh, is soul-elevating. To sit for a few minutes on a
block of stone by the side of the Ganga, is a blessing. To stay for some months in Rishikesh on the
bank of the Ganga and do Anushthana or Purascharana, is great Tapes which will take the aspirant
to the abode of Lord Hari. To live for ever on the banks of the Ganga and spend the life in meditation
is Sivanandam.
May Mother Ganga bless you all! May She help you to live on Her banks and practise Yoga
and Tapas!