Table of Contents
Ganga splits into four
Recap
Bhagiratha was ridiculed for not having a father. He promised his mothers he would get Ganga down and left to pray and please the gods. Vishnu gave him Ganga, and Bhagiratha left with Ganga.
Ganga gets lost in Sumeru Mountain
Bhagiratha was happy. His goal was accomplished. Now he would take Ganga with him to earth.
Having left with Ganga, Bhagiratha rode the chariot given to him by Brahma, Ganga following him. He soon reached the great Sumeru mountain. This was a massive mountain; the circumference of the mountain was thirty-two thousand yojanas. The peak was about sixty thousand yojanas. The peak was wider than the base, and this mountain was shaped like a flower. It was not a smooth mountain and had multiple caves and grottos inside it. While Bhagiratha travelled along the summit carefully, Ganga slipped and got lost in the multiple caverns in the mountain. Bhagiratha waited for Ganga to appear, but she did not. Days passed, and Bhagiratha patiently waited at the base of the mountain. When twelve years had passed like this, Bhagiratha stood at the base of the mountain and began praying to the river asking her to come out and follow him down to earth. He said, “O Mother, you travelled with me from the land of Brahma. Once you reached this great mountain, which is the centre of the universe, you have hidden yourself. Please, O Great One, show yourself. If you do not leave this mountain, my ancestors will not get salvation.”
Ganga was trapped inside the mountain. For twelve years she had been struggling to find a way out, but had been unsuccessful. From inside the mountain, Ganga spoke, “My child, where do I go? I am lost inside this mountain and I cannot find a way out. There is only one person who can help me. Indra’s mount Airavata is huge and strong, with his four tusks, he can make way for me to come out. If you want me to come out, bring Airavata here.”
Airavata’s pride broken
Bhagiratha took leave of Ganga and travelled back to the summit of the mountain. There he reached out to Indra and told him what had happened and asked for his help. Indra called out to Airavata. When the elephant came, Indra climbed up on the elephant and asked Bhagiratha to lead the way.
They were near the base of the mountain when Airavata suddenly realized that only he could help Ganga. The elephant’s ego took over. He said to Bhagiratha, “You have asked for my help and I will help you. I need to be rewarded for my efforts. So, this is what I need. If I am able to release Ganga from the mountain, then she will have to spend a night with me.”
When Bhagiratha heard this, he could not believe the elephant’s words. He went to the base and stood there, not sure what to say to Ganga. Ganga, inside the mountain sensed something was wrong. She could feel the vibration of the elephant’s feet yet no sound from Bhagiratha. From inside the mountain, she said, “Bhagiratha, are you there? What has happened? Did you fail to bring the elephant? Is there something you are hiding from me?”
Bhagiratha said, “Mother, as per your wish, I went to Indra and told him we need Airavata’s help. Indra came here riding Airavata. The king of Devas has given permission to use Airavata. Unfortunately, Airavata has asked for something in return for his help. I feel ashamed to tell you what that is.”
Ganga understood. She said, “I know what that is. Airavata has become extremely proud and he needs to be taught a lesson. Tell that pachyderm, if he can withstand my two and a half waves, I will spend seven nights with him. Tell him exactly this.”
Bhagiratha was not sure what Ganga had meant but he went and conveyed the message to Airavata. The elephant was excited; he had wanted a night and here he was getting a week. He took a step back. Then running as fast as he could, he pierced the mountain with his four tusks. As soon as he did that, Ganga came out of the mountain in four streams. These were Vasu, Shweta, Bhadra and Alaknanda. From Sumeru Vasu flowed east, Bhadra towards the north, Shweta towards the west and Alaknanda went towards the earth. As was decided, Ganga as Alaknanda flung a wave at Airavata. Airavata was caught off balance. Water entered his nose and he fell down. Ganga flung another wave and Airavata fainted. When he recovered his senses, he begged for forgiveness and hiding his face, left the place.
Analysis
This passage talks about ego and entitlement. Airavata realizes he has strength and only he can (using his four tusks) release Ganga from the mountain. This fuels his pride. What happens later proves that power without humility leads to moral degradation.
Let us look at the mountain Sumeru. The widening peak is like the expansion of the mind. At the base (the material world), our perspective is narrow. As we move up towards the summit (the spiritual plane), our awareness broadens, opening up like petals to grasp the whole of reality. The caves represent the subconscious mind. Ganga getting lost shows how easily intent can be swallowed by the internal complications, doubts, and hidden distractions.
Ganga needs to go to earth to liberate the souls of the departed. Prior to that, she needs to remove an obstacle – the ego of Airavata.
Where this passage originates
This specific passage is not part of the Valmiki Ramayana. So where did this come from? Some of it is from folk tales and imagination, some from other Puranas. So, what do the Puranas say?
Varaha Purana, Chapter 82, says something which is very similar to the Airavata incident. It says, on the summit of mount Meru (Sumeru), Airavata keeps swirling the waters with his trunk, which causes the river to split into four streams. The names there are Sita, Chakshu, Bhadra and Alaknanda. These names are also mentioned in Vishnu Purana. This combined with the fact that Airavata is said to have four tusks could have given rise to the part of Airavata’s ego. Elephants are there in Bengal and I am sure there would have been many more centuries back. Elephants getting angry, screaming, and looking proud could have given rise to the incident. One more thing is the names. Most Puranas say the river streams were Sita, Chakshu, Bhadra and Alaknanda. Probably, adding Sita here would confuse the audience; this may have prompted Krittibas to borrow the names from Vayu Purana.
Here is a tabular representation of this:
| Direction | Common Names (Vishnu/Bhagavata Purana) | Vayu Purana | Region Watered |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Sita | Vasu | Bhadrasva-varsha |
| West | Chakshu | Shweta | Ketumala-varsha |
| North | Bhadra | Bhadra | Kuru-varsha |
| South | Alaknanda | Alaknanda | Bharata-varsha |
- Bhadrasva-varsha is a land where the inhabitants are often depicted as having a white complexion. The Ganga as Sita/Vasu enters here after passing through Meru/Sumeru. Bhadra means Auspicious/Blessed, and Asva means Horse and this place is supposed to be associated with Vishnu in the form of Hayagriva. It is named after Bhadrasva, a son of King Agnidhra. Here Ganga as Vasu flows East till she goes to sea, from where the sun rises.
- Ketumala-varsha is located west of Sumeru. The Ganga as Chakshu/Shweta flows through this region before reaching the western sea. It is often associated with high mountains. Ketu means a sign or light, and Mala means a string or garland. It means a string of light. This lies to the West of Mount Sumeru. It is named after Ketumala, another son of Agnidhra. The name suggests a land that is decorated, described as a place where the people are strong and long-lived. This is the sea where the sun sets.
- Kuru-varsha, also known as Uttara Kuru is a land of peace, where people live incredibly long lives. The river Bhadra flows through this region toward the Northern Ocean. Named after the progenitor Kuru. While we often associate "Kuru" with the Mahabharata, this refers to Uttara Kuru. This is a utopia, a sacred land where trees yield whatever is desired and there is no sorrow or old age.
- Bharata-varsha comes from Bhara (to support) and rata (devoted). It is named after King Bharata. The root Bha refers to spiritual knowledge, so it is the Land of Light. This is the land of action.
Planes and dimensions
I want to touch on the dimensions mentioned. Brahma-Loka is where Brahma is, and that is the place where Bhagiratha got Ganga. From Brahma-Loka, Bhagiratha is travelling down from the land of truth (Satyaloka) towards Swargaloka (on the summit of Sumeru).
| Plane | Description |
|---|---|
| Earth (Bhuloka) | The terrestrial plane where humans reside; also referred to as Jambu-Dvipa. |
| Mount Sumeru | The central pillar that starts on Earth and ascends through the higher dimensions. Also said to be the place where the devas live. |
A yojana is an Indian unit of distance used in scriptures to describe the scale of the universe and geographical features. A yojana is a distance of roughly 12-15 kilometres/8-9 miles.
And next week, the tale that most are familiar with: Ganga getting trapped in Shiva's locks.
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