Reading Notes: Ganga, The Divine Beauty

This is another comic book on reserve at Bizzell. The title is misleading because this is less about Ganga than it is about returning the Sagara sons to heaven. The current reading guide is also quite confusing.

I vaguely remember this story from another reading, but it's nice to have more details. Basically, Sage Agastya drinks the entire ocean so that the devas can defeat evil asuras who were terrorizing people. To refill the ocean and rivers, King Sagara and his descendants must call upon the goddess Ganga. Sagara has 60,000 sons from one wife and one grandson from his other wife. When a sacrificial horse is stolen, the 60,000 sons go in search of it, but they disrespect Sage Kapila and are all burned. When the one grandson, Amsuman comes upon the ashes, he is told that he must pay penances to the gods in order to bring Ganga to earth and send his uncles' souls to heaven. It takes a long time and multiple descendants, but finally Bhagiratha is able to refill the ocean while sending Sagara's sons to heaven.

The elephants that hold up the earth are an interesting detail in this story that are very creative. I like when animals are used to explain natural occurrences like this.

I am also very interested in adding Ganga to my storybook although I'll need to do more research. From this comic, I can tell that she is a strong, independent woman who is seemingly untamed. Although she has many "fathers" she doesn't seem to have a husband (other than King Shantanu whom she leaves).

Bibliography: Ganga: The Divine Beauty (Vol 515)
Image: Shiva stops Ganga who is falling from the sky, Wikimedia Commons