Sagara was the king of Ayodhya during the Iksvaku dynasty . He had two wives , Sumathi and Kesini . Sumathi had sixty-thousand sons while Kesini had only one son , Asamanja . Sagara arranged for an Asvamedha ( horse-sacrifice ) ritual . As part of the ritual , the consecrated horse was set free to be captured by anyone . The king would fight that person and recover the horse , defending his authority and sovereignty .
Lord Indra , threathened by Sagara's Asvamedha sacrifice , stole the horse and hid it in a cave . Kesini's sixty-thousand sons went in search of the horse and found it in a cave Sage Kapila was meditating nearby the cave . Mistaken that Sage Kapila stole the horse , Kesini's sons rushed to kill the sage . Offended , Sage Kapila cursed them to become ashes .
Ansuman ( son of Asamanja ) , Sagara's grandson went to search
for the horse and his uncles . He located the horse at the cave and also
saw Sage Kapila . The devoted Ansuman saw Lord Visnu in Sage Kapila and glorified him . The sage , pleased with Ansuman , asked Ansuman to take the horse with him . He also narrated the fate of Ansuman's uncles to Ansuman .
"Only the holy waters of Ganga can redeem their sins , " Sage Kapila told Ansuman .
King Sagara completed the the Asvamedha sacrifice . He installed Ansuman on the throne and left to forest to love a life of prayer and contemplation . Ansuman and his successor , Dilipa tried to bring Ganga to Earth but they failed . Bhagiratha , Dilipa's son , was very committed to bring Ganga to Earth . He gave his ministers the mandate to rule the kingdom and went to forest to perform severe penance .
Goddess Ganga , pleased with Bhagiratha's penance , agreed to descend to Earth . But , she was worried that her powerful descend might break open the Earth and she will flow into the nether world . Then , the nether world people will bathe in her , washing their sins and make her impure . Bhagiratha promised Goddess Ganga that he will find a way to hold Ganga's forceful descend .
" Even if the people of nether world wash their sins in you , dear Goddess , you will remain eternally pure because the holy men of Earth will also bathe in you " , he added .
Bhagiratha then worshiped Lord Siva , seeking the Lord's help to hold the forceful descend of Ganga . Lord Siva granted Bhagiratha his request . As Goddess Ganga flowed from the heaven , Lord Siva contained her force by folding her in his matted locks . He then gradually released her as a river on Earth . Bhagiratha led Ganga to the spot where Sage Kapila cursed his ancestors to ashes . Purified by the holy waters of Ganga , Sagara's sons arose and ascended to heaven .
Originating at Gomukh in the Himalayan ranges , Ganga flows through Gangotri ( place where Bhagiratha performed penance ) and passes the citied of Rishikesh , Haridwar , Allahabad and Varanasi ( Kasi ) . A temple for Goddess Ganga has been built at Gangotri .
It is believed that a dip in the holy waters of Ganga river will purify one from all sins and grant the person moksa or liberation .
Signing off ,
~Dhesegaan~
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