Goddess Ganga of the River Ganges
This week as I began to read the Public Domain Ramayana, I was struck by the story of how the goddess Ganga came down from the heavens. Others before had tried for 30 thousand year reigns to bring her down from the heavens, but had failed. With the help of Shiva, after severe and strict austerities, Bhagiratha was finally able to bring her down. Shiva, thwarting her arrogant thought that she would tumble down majestically to the earth and straight on Shiva's head, caught her up in his long hair, causing her to twist and turn and stay in his tangles for a while. Bhagiratha began new, fresh austerities to Shiva, and it was then that he finally allowed her to tumble down to earth. She had many tributaries, and finally reached the Ocean, then crossing into the underworld, where she cleansed the ashes of Bhagiratha's dead family, allowing them to finally ascend to heaven.
This tale absolutely fascinates me! For one, I have visited the river Ganga and watched thousands of people dip themselves in the holy water, light candles to send down river, and to burn their dead family members and then sprinkle the ashes into the waters. It's also a bit terrifying, as today it is incredibly polluted, including dead bodies from families who wish their relatives to reach heaven, but who cannot afford the funeral pyre that is customary for burning them to ash first.
My thoughts on changing up this story and turning it into my own first started with Shiva's long and tangly hair. However, I may ponder this a bit more, and explore her crossing through the Ocean and into the underworld, as I absolutely love the mythological ideas intertwined with the idea of the Ocean.
I also would like to include Indra: lord of Svargaloka, or a level of Heaven in Hinduism. Deva of rain and thunderstorms, wields lightning thunderbolt, rides on a white elephant, He holds up the sky, releases Ushas (dawn) from the Vala cave and slays Vrtra.
The idea that the Dawn is released from a cave each morning is magnificent to me, and it sheds light on all of the rituals I witnessed my old landlady in India, who would perform to the dawn sunlight every morning.
Ramayana story reference: Bhagiratha and Ganga, from The Great Indian Epics by John Campbell Oman (1894).
Image Information: Goddess Ganga, titled "She Who Is Of Good Fortune." (1815) Himachal Pradesh, India. Opaque watercolor on golden paper. Binney Collection of the San Diego Museum of Art
