Chapter summary
गङ्गामाहात्म्यम् Gaṅgā Māhātmyam
The Glory of the Gaṅgā
**The revered Sadguru said:**
From the very nail of the big toe of Viṣṇu, in His form as Trivikrama, the divine Gaṅgā, also known as Viṣṇupadī, manifested within the water pot (kamaṇḍalu) of Brahmā. From Brahmaloka, this sacred river then journeyed to the realm of Dhruva, where Dhruva, the foremost among devotees, bathes in her waters daily. Likewise, the Seven Sages (Saptarṣis) continuously perform their ablutions in her purifying stream. Reaching the sphere of the Moon, she ascended to the celestial world, Svargaloka (v.1-3).
It was then that King Bhagīratha, a man of unwavering vows, undertook severe austerities, desiring the purification of his ancestors. Through his profound penance, he brought the goddess Gaṅgā to the earth. Pleased by his devotion and longing for the touch of a Vaiṣṇava, she, endowed with immense speed, descended upon the matted locks of Śambhu (Śiva) (v.4-5).
Hara (Śiva) then released the Gaṅgā upon the peak of Mount Sumeru. For the welfare of all worlds, she flowed forth in four distinct streams, renowned as Sītā, Alakanandā, Cakṣu, and Bhadrā. She delights the very locks (alakān) of Śambhu, the God of gods, the wielder of the trident; hence, she is celebrated throughout the world as Alakanandā. Later, having been swallowed in anger by the sage Jahnu and then released again, she came to be known as Jāhnavī, following the path carved by Bhagīratha (v.6-8).
Upon the majestic peaks of the Himālaya, she constantly sports with her companions, her waters imbued with the sweet fragrance from the heavy braids of celestial women. Her banks are graced and served by sages and ascetics, as well as by hosts of Suras, Asuras, Siddhas, Yakṣas, Vidyādharas, and other divine beings. She is teeming with swans and ruddy geese, adorned with fish and turtles, and resplendent with thousand-petaled lotuses, red water-lilies, and blue lotuses. Her bed is strewn with corals and pearls, and she is worshipped with various flowers. Endowed with jeweled steps, her beauty is further enhanced by numerous temples along her course. Playfully climbing peak after peak of the mountains, she cascades down and flows towards the ocean, sporting again and again in her joyous descent. Her sweet sound, auspicious with the tinkle of anklets, creates waves that are a delightful clamor, a true joy to the ears of the virtuous (v.9-14).
Known as Mandākinī in the heavens, the goddess Viṣṇupadī, having journeyed to the sacred region of Kedāra, reached the hermitage of Badarikā. There, this very Alakanandā, the purifier of all worlds, shines brightly, bathed in by the divine Nara and Nārāyaṇa, and by Nārada and other great sages. In that sacred hermitage of Nara-Nārāyaṇa, the ascetics who come daily for their purifying bath offer praise to the goddess Gaṅgā, the divine Viṣṇupadī (v.15-17).
They pray, "O Gaṅgā, born from the foot of Viṣṇu, traversing the three paths! O you who are renowned as the liquid form of Dharma! O Jāhnavī, please remove all my sins!" Uttering such prayers, these ascetics perform their holy ablutions, ever devoted to chanting the sacred name of Nārāyaṇa (v.18-19).
Indeed, whoever merely utters "Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā," even from a distance of a hundred yojanas, is freed from all sins and ascends to the world of Viṣṇu. The ancestors are eternally satisfied by the water offerings (tarpaṇa) made in the Gaṅgā, and they proceed to the world of Viṣṇu immediately; of this, there is no doubt. For just a single Tulasī leaf and a handful of Gaṅgā water, the Lord, who is ever affectionate to His devotees, sells His very self to them (v.20-22).
Gaṅgā, Gītā, Gāyatrī, Gopīcandana, and the chanting of Govinda—these five sacred things, all beginning with the syllable 'Ga', are exceedingly rare to obtain. Who, then, would not serve that divine Gaṅgā, born from the foot of Viṣṇu, brought to the earth by the strenuous efforts of Bhagīratha, and the destroyer of all sins? A single drop of Gaṅgā water, when drunk, instantly annihilates all transgressions. The bestower of knowledge, she grants the abode of Vaikuṇṭha without any arduous effort (v.23-25).
Therefore, in Badarikāśrama, great-souled saints, dedicated to bathing in the Gaṅgā, constantly worship Viṣṇu alone. The glory of Viṣṇupadī is truly beyond the reach of words, just as is the glory of Viṣṇu, the Lord of the world; so too is it for His divine daughter (v.26-27).
Thus the fifth chapter, named "The Glory of the Gaṅgā," in the First Part of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
