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Gangaa River
[Branched from V-Raamaayan, 1/10/35]

Gangaa is the elder daughter of Himvaan (Himaalaya), and thus the elder sister of Umaa or Paarvatee. Once she bore a son for Shiv Jee through Agni Devtaa, that was Kaarttikeya. Thus Kaarttikeya is the son of Gangaa too.

There are several stories about her origin. According to Vishnu Puraan, Gangaa was originated from Vishnu's left big toe nail. According to Vaaman Avatar story, when as Vaaman Avataar Vishnu expanded Himself to measure three feet land and His big toe touched Brahm Lok. Seeing Vishnu's foot in Brahm Lok, Brahmaa Jee washed His foot with his Kamandal water and the same water flowed as Gangaa River. In another version when as Vaaman Avataar Vishnu expanded Himself to measure three feet land, His big toe touched the outermost layer of Brahmaand and it got tore from His nail, so the outside water seeped in, this is that Divine Gangaa.

How Did She Come to Prithvi?

Later Bhageerath (Raajaa Sagar's son was Asmanjas, his son was Anshumaan, his son was Dileep and his son was Bhageerath) brought Gangaa on Prithvi to wash the sins of Sagar's 60,000 sons who were burnt by Kapil Muni, because they blamed Muni for stealing their father's Ashwamedh Yagya horse.

Gangaa is also known as 'Divine Gangaa', 'Bhaageerathee' (because Bhageerath brought her from Swarg), 'Tripathagaa' (since she flows in three worlds - Swarg Lok, Bhoo Lok and Paataal Lok', 'Jaahnavee' (as Devtaa gave Var to Jahnu Muni that Gangaa will be known as his daughter "Jaahnavee")  when Gangaa flowed all Yagya materials with her flow, and Jahnu Muni drank her all waters and then released it through his both ears on the prayer of Devtaa.

She is ever holy because -
(1) she doesn't have the 'Rajswalaa' Dosh (sin), while other ordinary rivers have it for four months of rainy season. Gangaa is beyond this Dosh - by Maarkandeya Puraan.
(2) Its water doesn't get spoilt even after storing for years together,
(3) Because it has its origin from Vishnu's foot and because of that she landed on Shiv's head. Besides both her rapidity and speed alone are enough to sanctify her, because a swift flowing water cleanses itself. Because of this (from coming out of Vishnu's foot and her speed and rapidity) even Shiv himself also became sanctified.

Gangaa is called Tri-Pathagaa also. Tri-Pathagaa means "with three paths". Her three paths can be interpreted in several ways -
(1) She flows in Dev Lok as Aakaash Gangaa or Dev Gangaa, then on Prithvi as Mandaakinee, and she flows in Paataal Lok as Jaahnavee.
(2) She came from Heaven to Shiv's head, from Shiv's head to Prithvi and then followed Bhageerath's chariot to Saagar.
(3) She has three streams - one towards West as Sindhu; one towards East as Brahmputra, and the main one to South behind Bhageerath, that is Gangaa.

[Branched from   V-Raamaayan, 3/10/24]
Although Mandaakinee is another name of Gangaa, but otherwise there are five rivers which are known as Gangaa - they are called Panch Gangaa (five Gangaa) - Kaaveree, Tungbhadraa, Krishnaa, Gautamee (Godaavaree), and Bhaageerathee, all in southern India. They are considered at par of Gangaa.

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