The Glory of Ablution in the Ganga

Vasu said:

1. “O MohinI listen. I shall recount to you the meritorious benefit of seeing the Ganga as mentioned in the Puranas by sages, the seers of the Truth.

2. Just as the serpents become devoid of poison at the sight of Tarksya (Garu^a), so also one is liberated from sins at the sight of the Ganga.

3. By seeing, touching and plunging into the Ganga, a man redeems seven subsequent generations, seven earlier generations as well as other manes beyond them.

4. By seeing, touching, and drinking the waters of the Ganga and by glorifying the name Ganga, a man sanctifies hundreds and thousands of persons in his family.

5. The benefits originating from seeing the Ganga are perfect knowledge, unequalled lordship and prowess, establish­ment of auspicious Asramas (stages of life), longevity and renown.

6. By the mere sight of the Ganga, all these (the following) perish viz. — the frivolousness of the sense-organsy vices, sins and ruthlessness.

7. Violence towards others, crookedness, looking at others’ faults etc and the hypocrisy of men, perish by the mere sight of the Ganga.

8. If a man wishes for the permanent unchanging region (Moksha) may he see (the Ganga) frequently; may he touch it with devotion again and again.

9. By the sight of the Ganga one attains the same merit as one gets elsewhere through the digging and construction of tanks, wells, lakes, watering sheds, asylums, etc.

10. By looking at the Ganga with devotional feelings, one attains the same benefit as is obtained in visualizing the great Atman.

11-12a. The great sages say that in the Kali age, by the mere sight of the Ganga, a man obtains the same benefit as one obtains by resorting to taking bath in or touching (the sacred waters) in Naimisa, Kurukshetra, Narmada and Puskara.

12b-13a. Henceforth, О beautiful wife of the king, I shall recount to you the benefit of remembering the Ganga as glorified in the Puranas.

13b-14a. Even when it is remembered from a far distance, the Ganga uplifts people falling into the hell or sinking into the ocean of worldly existence and endowed with inauspicious Karmans.

14b-15a. Man who remembers the Ganga from the distance of thousands of Yojanas away from it, attains the greatest salvation, although he may be a man of vicious activities.1

15b-16a. Through the remembrance of the Ganga, the cage of multitudes of sins breaks into a thousand pieces like a mountain when struck with the thunderbolt.

16b-18a. He who always remembers the Ganga while walking, standing, sleeping, meditating, waking, eating, laughing or crying becomes liberated from bondage.2 Those who devoutly remember the Ganga though stationed a thousand Yojanas away, and shout out “Ganga, Ganga” are released from sins.

18b-19a. Those who remember the Ganga, those who are devotedly attached to the Ganga are liberated wholly from great sins. There is no doubt in this.

19b-20a. These are the benefits of remembering the Ganga viz. obtaining houses of variegated nature, different kinds of ornaments, women, absence of ailments, and plenty of riches.

20b-21 a. The man who mentally remembers the Ganga even while staying far off, certainly attains the benefit of observances of a thousand CaNarayana rites.

2lb-22. One who repeats the name “Ganga, Ganga” even when stationed a hundred Yojanas away, is liberated from all sins.3 He goes to the world of Vishnu. By glorifying the Ganga, he is liberated from sins. By seeing the Ganga one derives auspiciousness.

1. VP. II. 8. 121; Pd. P. VI. 8; Brahma 175.82 with slight variations.

2. The same as Skanda IV. 1. 27. 37.

3. Mt. P. 104.14.

23. By taking bath into the Ganga and by drinking its water, a man sanctifies up to the seventh generation in his family. He sanctifies seven earlier generations, seven subsequent generations and seven generations beyond these.

24-25a. When glorified even casually, the Ganga redeems persons. Even he who carelessly or with lack of faith mentions the name of the holy river Ganga becomes the beneficiary of heavenly pleasures.

25b-26a. Whatever may be the plight one is in, even if one is devoid of ail holy acts and rites, one attains auspicious goal and salvation merely by glorifying the Ganga.

26b-27a. Even if he is a Brahmana-slayer, or the murderer of his preceptor or the slaughterer of a cow or one who is defiled by all sorts of sins, a man is liberated from sins by drinking the water of the Ganga.

27b-28a. “When shall I see the Ganga? When shall I be able to take my bath in it?” If a man desires earnestly like this, the Ganga redeems a hundred families.

28b-30a. Henceforth, О gentle lady, I shall recount to you the meritorious benefit of ablution in the Ganga. On hearing this, one is liberated from all sins. There is no doubt in this. О MohinI, the sin of a person who takes his bath in the waters of the Ganga perishes immediately. He will imme­diately acquire unprecedented merits.

30b-32a. The prosperity that is attained by those men of pure souls who take bath in the pure waters of the Ganga is not obtained even by hundreds of sacrifices. Just as, on rising, the sun dispels dense darkness and shines brilliantly, so also one who is sprinkled with the water of the Ganga dispels sins and shines brightly.

32b-33. О beautiful wife of the king, a man certainly derives the benefit of horse-sacrrfice even with a single bath in the Ganga, if it is taken in accordance with injunctions. By the mere ablution n the Ganga, the sins of a man accumulated i i irany births, perish.

34. He becomes the object of merit immediately. Sins committed in other places perish on the banks of the Ganga.

35. Sins committed on the banks of the Ganga perish as a result of the bath in the Ganga. One gets the merit of a horse-sacrifice by taking bath assiduously in the Ganga by day or by night or during Sandhya (twilight).

36-37a. One can take one’s bath at home with the water taken from the Ganga. There is no doubt in this that a man derives from bath in the Ganga that benefit which one gets in all the holy centres and favourite temples.

37b-38. A man burdened with great sins or with all sins is liberated from all of them through bath in the Ganga duly performed. There has never been a greater ablution than one in the Ganga nor will it ever be.

39. Especially in the Kali yuga, the Ganga dispels sins after destroying defects originating from lust, mentally, physically or verbally.

40-4la. By taking bath in Ganga with great devotion, one rejoices in heaven like a god. The man who devotedly bathes in the Ganga for a year, can stay in the world of Vishnu for a Kalpa.

41b-42. The man who takes bath in the Ganga every day till his death is absolved of all sins. In the company of all the members of his family, he is honoured in the world of Vishnu and is blessed with all sorts of pleasures.

43-44a. He is honoured there for the period of two Parardhas. No doubt need be entertained in this regard. He who continuously and daily takes bath in the Ganga is a liberated soul during his life-time. When dead, he attains Vishnu’s region.

44b-45. The merit of bath at midday is ten times that of bath in the morning. The bath in the evening has hundred times the merit. In the presence of Shiva the merit of the bath is infinite. The bath in the Ganga excels even a crore of charitable gifts of tawny-со loured cows.

46. Wherever you perform ablution in it, the Ganga yields the same benefit as the ablution at Kurukshetra. It bestows more benefit when bathed at Haridvara, Prayaga and at the place where it meets with the sea.1

47. These are the words of the sun. “O Ganga those who take bath in your waters heated by my rays, pierce my disc and attain salvation.”

48. Varuna said to Ganga.

“He who glorifies you while taking bath in his house, goes to the heaven.”

CHAPTER FORTY

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