17. Story of Bhageeratha (Devotional)

      There was a king in the dynasty of Ikshwaku (Refer Birth of Gods and Demons) by name Sagara. He was a great ruler who performed 99 Ashwamedha yagas. If anyone conducts 100 Ashwamedha yagas, he will be elected for Indra's position. Who ever conducting Ashwamedha Yaga, will leave a horse with some note on it. where ever that horse roam in one year, all that land will belong to the one who is conducting the yaga. If anyone stops that horse, they should fight with who ever conducting the yaga. If they loose, they should leave the horse again. If the one conducting yaga got defeated, yaga will be a failure. Sagara was conducting his 100th Ashwamedha yaga during which his sons roamed about the earth leading the horse as a sign of regal supremacy over all kingdoms. Indra not wishing to loose his position took the horse and left it near sage Kapila's hermitage in Pathala (underworld). Sagara's sons were searching all over for the horse and finally came to Kapila's hermitage and were prepared to fight with him. Kapila was in deep meditation from several years. As sagara's sons disturbed him, he opened his eyes burning them to ashes.

       The wandering sage Narada reported this news to Sagara. Sagara felt very sad about his sons' death and yaga was failed. Sagara had a grand son named Amsuman. Amsuman's son was Dileepa. Dileepa's son Bhageeratha knew about what happened to his ancestors during his childhood. He knew from Sagara that as their ashes fall in Pathala, they wont get moksha (liberation from life & death cycle). Sagara requested Bhageeratha to bring river Ganga somehow from divine world to the earth and to Pathala so that his sons' ashes will be mixed in river Ganga and his sons will get moksha. Bhageeratha set out to the Himalayas while he was still very young. He spent years in deep meditation, praying to the holy Ganga. Finally the river appeared as goddess before him and agreed to flow down to earth but there was a problem. Her force would be such that nothing would withstand the fall of water from heaven. It needed someone powerful enough to receive the stream falling down from heaven and hold it. Ganga herself suggested the name of Lord Shiva for the purpose.

      Bhageeratha started meditating on Shiva who appeared in due course and agreed to receive Ganga falling from heaven in his matted hair. Bhageeratha had to pray to Ganga again and request her to flow down to earth. The heavy down pour of the sacred river travelled all the way from heaven to the matted hair of Shiva. Then Shiva lifted some locks of his hair causing Ganga flow on earth slowly. The water that fell from the Lord’s hair started flowing as the mighty Ganga. The river asked Bhageeratha to show her the way to his ancestors. So Bhageeratha sped fast on his horse ahead, asking the river to follow him. A sage by name Jahnu was in meditation along the path of the mighty Ganga. He was infuriated when the river flooded his hermitage and drank the whole river dry. It took years of meditation for Bhageeratha to please the sage. The sage pacified and let the river flow out through his ears not wishing to leave it through mouth which may impure Ganga. Thus Ganga was called Jahnavi. The river finally reached the underground where the ashes of Bhageeratha's ancestors lay scattered. The contact with the holy river purified the sons of Sagara and gave them immediate salvation. This way Bhageeratha faced so many challenges selflessly and finally brought Ganga from heaven to the earth. This story tells us that human can achieve anything with perseverance.