How Ganga Came Down to Earth

Long ago, King Sagar ruled in Ayodhya. His sons had made a big mistake, and they had left this world. Garud, the king of birds, said, "Their souls will find peace only when the holy water of Ganga, the river of heaven, touches their ashes." But Ganga ji flowed in heaven. Who could bring her down to earth?

King Sagar's grandson Anshuman tried very hard. Then his son Dilip tried all his life. But Ganga ji did not come down. At last, Dilip's son Bhagirath made up his mind: "I will bring Ganga ji to the earth."

Bhagirath left his kingdom and did hard tapasya for many years. Brahma ji was pleased and said, "Ganga will come to earth. But she flows with great force. If she falls straight onto the earth, the earth will not be able to bear it. Only Shiv ji can hold her."

So Bhagirath began to pray to Shiv ji. For a whole year he stood on the tip of his big toe, thinking only of Shiv ji. Shiv ji was pleased and said, "I will hold Ganga on my head."

Ganga ji was very proud of her force. She thought, "I will fall so hard that I will sweep even Shiv ji away to the underworld." Shiv ji knew what was in her mind. When Ganga ji came rushing down from the sky with all her force, Shiv ji caught her in his thick, matted locks. For a long time Ganga ji kept flowing round and round inside his locks, but she could not find a way out. Slowly her pride melted away.

Bhagirath prayed to Shiv ji again. Lovingly, Shiv ji opened one of his locks, and Ganga ji's streams flowed calmly down onto the earth. Bhagirath rode ahead in his chariot, and Ganga ji followed behind him, gurgling happily.

At last Ganga ji reached the place where the ashes of King Sagar's sons lay. As soon as her water touched them, their souls found peace. Bhagirath's heart was filled with calm.

Since then Ganga ji is also called "Bhagirathi". And when someone works very hard with great dedication, people call it a "Bhagirath prayas", an effort like Bhagirath's. Because he holds Ganga ji in his locks, Shiv ji is also called "Gangadhar".