Srimad Bhagavatam – day 512
Padmanābhāya namah
Maharishi Kapila decided to bless Anśumān. He said, “O Prince, this is the sacrificial horse which your grandfather seeks. Please free it and take it with you. Your uncles have been reduced to ashes in this place. Only by offering oblations in the waters of River Ganga they can be uplifted. There is no other means to uplift them”.
Anśūmān circumambulated around Maharishi Kapila, lowered his head and offered obeisance to the great sage and thus pleased him. With his permission, he took the horse and returned to grandfather Sagara who then completed the remaining rituals pertaining to the Ashwamedha yāga.
Emperor Sagara then handed over the kingdom to grandson Anśumān. Sagara, who was freed from desires in entirety, followed the austerities as preached by Maharishi Aurva. With this he broke free from the shackles of spiritual ignorance and obtained liberation.”
Swamiji says: we should all strive to obtain liberation. Our efforts should not be limited to six months or one year. Birth after birth we should strive for the same goal. Only then liberation is attainable.
With this the eighth chapter of the ninth canto comes to an end.
Ninth Canto Chapter Nine
In this chapter, the descent of River Ganga has been explained. We should unfailingly listen to this.
Maharishi Śuka said, “Like grandfather Sagara, Anśumān also performed intense austerities for a very long time in order to bring River Ganga to earth. Nevertheless he failed to bring her down. In course of time Anśumān died, and his son Dilipa undertook very severe austerities to bring River Ganga to earth, but was unsuccessful. Dilīpa’s son was Bhagīratha”.
Swamiji says: It is said that listening to the story of Bhagīratha destroys our sins. It is a wonderful story.
“Bhagīratha performed very severe austerities to bring River Ganga to earth. Pleased with his austerities, Mother Ganga appeared before Bhagīratha and offered to bestow any boon he chose. In all humility Emperor Bhagīratha explained the desire in his mind. He also sought that his fore-fathers who were burnt in the fire should be uplifted.
Mother Ganga replied, “O Emperor! It is necessary for someone to hold me when I fall from the skies with full force upon Earth. If this is not done, due to my force, Earth will be shattered. Piercing the Earth I shall travel to the lower planetary system Rasātala.
O Emperor! There is yet another point. As I flow across the Earth, people will bathe in me to wash away their sins. As such I do not want to come to earth. How will I free myself from these sins of people which get transferred to me?”
Devatas fear coming to earth. They fear that they will get trapped in fruitive activities and in spiritual ignorance. Freeing themselves from these bondages is a herculean task for them too.
“When people bathe in my waters, their sins accumulate in me. How should I free myself from these sins. Please provide a solution to this problem of mine.”
Emperor Bhagīratha replied, “The great saints, who have renounced the society in totality, who are free from desires and all material bondages, who are established in the Self and who are peaceful in nature always uplift the ignorant people on Earth. When such saints bathe in your waters, you will be freed from all sin. This is because Srihari, the dispeller of sins, eternally resides within these great saints.
Lord Rudra is the Self who resides within every living entity. Just as a cloth consists of many threads woven together, this entire universe is situated within Him. Only Lord Rudra has the capacity to withstand your force”. With these words Bhagīratha pacified Mother Ganga.
Bhagīratha now performed intense austerities and pleased Lord Rudra. In a very short time Lord Śiva was pleased with Bhagīratha.”
Swamiji says: Just like Ganapati, Shiva is kshipra prasadi. It means he is quickly pleased. Just uttering the mantra ‘Om namah Śivāya’ he will be pleased. The only pre-requisite is that the mantra should be chanted with total devotion.
“When Lord Śiva heard Bhagīratha’s request to hold the forceful River Ganga as she descended to earth, He instantly agreed. “Ok, let it be so”- He said.
Lord Śiva let his locks loose and held in it the forceful water of River Ganga, that had been purified due to washing Lord Srihari’s lotus feet. Only Śiva has the ability to withstand the force of Ganga. The saintly-king Bhagīratha took River Ganga to the place where his forefathers’ ashes had fallen”.
Swamiji says: The force of Angel falls which falls from a great height is such that the head will crack. If this is the force of a river which originates on Earth, then what would be the force of Ganga that originates in space? Lord Śiva let loose his matted hair and held Ganga as she descended to earth.
“Bhagīratha mounted his chariot and drove swiftly at the speed of wind. River Ganga rapidly flowed behind him purifying different lands as she flowed through them”.
Puruśottamāya namah