GANGAVATARANA - SEVEN

(This is the latter half of Chapter 41, BALAKANDA, VALMEEKI RAMAYANA related to the efforts of Sagara and his son on recovering the sacrificial horse, which lays the foundation stone for Bhageeratha to do hard penance and bring Ganga down to earth. It only opens our eyes how holy Ganga is. HAPPY READING AND REQUEST SHARE IT IF YOU LIKE IT. Again the picture is only nearest and not perfect.)

Raghava, after Sagara directed Amshumanta on all aspects, fast paced Amshumantha took the sword, bow and arrows as per the advice of his grandfather and went away to find the sacrificial horse. As ordered by the King, Amshumantha went to the underworld through the passage his great uncles had created. As radiant Amshumantha took the same route as his uncles had created and in the same manner as his uncles, he met Virupaksha, one of the Diggajas, which was being worshipped by gods, goddessesm Danavasm Asuras, evil spirits, Pataga and serpents, He circumambugated the Diggaja, enquired about its well-being and questioned it about the horse, abductor and his grandfathers (uncles). The most clever Virupaksha replied to Amshumantha:

“Oh son of Asamanja, you will very soon get success for your efforts and rejoin your grandfather, along with the horse.” Hearing the encouraging words of Virupaksha Diggaja, Amshumanja proceeded in the same direction, met Mahapadma, Saumanasa and Bhadra, the other Ashtadiggajas in the South, East and North directions respectively, offered them worship and questioned them in the same manner as he had enquired with Virupaksha Diggaja, earlier:

 “Where are my well-wishers? Where is horse? Where is the abductor of the horse? Please let me know.”

Amshumanta got honored by the Ashta Diggajas, which were able to read the mind by merely hearing the words, which had the special expertise in the manner in which they should converse with different people. Just like Virupaksha Diggaja had replied, each of the Diggajas told him: “You will soon go back to your grandfather along with the horse.” Hearing the words of the Diggajas, fast-paced Amshumantha went towards the north-east and within a shortwhile, he rused to the spot where his uncles were lying in the form of ashes. Seeing the mountain-like heap of ashes there, he was very much distressed.  After learning that the heap of ash was that of his uncles and they had been burnt by Kapila Maharshi, his grief only increased. When Amshumanta was mourning inconsolably the death of his uncles, he saw at a place very close to him the sacrificial horse moving up and down. Later, Amshumantha wanted to perform the Salilakriya¹ for his uncles and hence went in search of water for a long distance. But, he could not find any water body in that area. He looked around again to see if there is any water body. With his eyesight capable of noticing even a very distant object quite easily, he saw at a very long distance the cousin of his uncles, wind-paced and king of vultures Golden Eagle. Very strong Garuda quickly came near Amshumantha and told him:

“Amshumantha, you do not have to cry over their death. Their destruction is for the welfare of the universe. Oh knowledgeable, as these have been burnt by inimitable Kapila Maharshi, and you being aw

are of the subtleties of Scriptures, you cannot perform the Salilakriya for them with any water that is earthly². There is Goddess Ganga, the elder daughter of Himavanta, who sanctifies the three worlds. Perform the Salilakriya of your uncles in her holy waters. Having been transformed into a heap of ashes by a Brahmin, these persons can only be purified off their sins after immersion in the holy waters of the Ganga and then only they will go to the heavens. Now, you take the sacrificial horse and go back. Let the sacrifice begun by Sagara be completed.”

Hearing the words of Garuda, most brave Amshmantha took the sacrificial horse and quickly returned to the capital. After reaching the place where his grandfather Sagara was performing the sacrifice, Amshumantha narrated all the incidents that had occurred during his tour in detail, including the words Suparna had said. Hearing the dreadful and unbearable news of the death of his sons from Amshumantha, Sagara completed the sacrifice he had begun, in accordance with the Scriptures, norms of tradition and principles of custom and re-entered his city. However much he thought, Sagara was unable to think of a plan to bring Ganga, who was in the heavens, to immerse the ashes of his dead sons in her waters. Brooding over vainly the ways and means of bringing Ganga to earth, Sagara governed his kingdom for thirty thousand years and then moved to the heaven.