Ganga Dussehra 2023: In Hinduism, river Ganga has got the place of mother. Every year the festival of Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Shukla Paksha of Jyestha month. This year Ganga Dussehra is on 30 May. It is believed that on this day Mother Ganga descended on earth.
The relationship between mother and child is the most unbreakable and beautiful relationship in the world. For a mother, her child is like the whole world. That’s why even a small injury to the child is painful for the mother. It is not possible to describe the love of a mother in words.
But you will be surprised to know a story related to the mythological period, in which mother Ganga killed her 7 newborn children. River Ganges has got the status of mother and it is considered auspicious and holy river. But according to the Mahabharata, mother Ganga killed her 7 children by drowning them in the river. Let us know about this mythological story related to Maa Ganga.
Why Ganga killed her 7 children
King Shantanu had fallen in love with mother Ganga and Shantanu expressed his desire to marry her. Mother Ganga also agreed for this. But mother Ganga put a condition in front of the king that she would live as per her wish and no one would stop her. If she is stopped for some reason, she will leave King Shantanu and go away. The king loved Ganga, so he accepted his condition and promised that he would never stop Ganga on anything. But later this promise given to Ganga became a problem for him.
When Ganga and Shantanu got married, Ganga got pregnant. But after giving birth to a child, Ganga used to make every newborn child flow into the river. In this way Ganga killed her 7 sons by drowning them in the river. King Shantanu had promised mother Ganga that he would never question her about anything. That’s why he could not say anything to Ganga. He wept and lamented in private and suffered like a helpless fish without question.
Shantanu questions Ganga on being the 8th son
After shedding 7 children in the river, Ganga gave birth to the 8th son. Ganga was also taking him towards the river to shed. Shantanu was also following Ganga. As soon as Ganga was about to throw the 8th child in the river, Shantanu stopped her and said that she could not bear it anymore. Then Ganga said that you are committed. The king said that the one who had promised you was the Chandravanshi king and the one who is stopping you today is your father. You killed my seven sons one by one but now I will not let you kill my eighth child. Why are you doing this?
Ganga told the reason behind killing the children
Ganga told Shantanu that I did not kill my children but freed them from the curse. I, the Brahmaputri Ganga living in heaven, am living with you here on earth with a curse. Ganga told Shantanu that Maharaj was Mahabhishaka in his previous birth, who one day came to Indralok with the deities in heaven. Only then I (Ganga) and my father (Brahma Dev) reached there. Maharaj Mahabhishak was fascinated by my beauty and I too got lost in him. Seeing this, Brahma Dev got angry on Ganga and Mahabhishaka, after which he cursed both Mahabhishaka and Ganga to be born as humans.
On hearing this, Shantanu said, are all our children also a part of the same curse. Then mother Ganga said, no Aryaputra, your eight children are all Vasus. The senior sage had cursed him to be born on earth after stealing a cow. Then I had promised Rishi Senior that I would give birth to him from my womb and after that I would liberate him from the world of death. But the eighth son whom you have saved from death today, he will have to suffer the curse while living on earth. Because he had the main hand in the theft.
Bhishma Pitamah was the 8th son of Ganga and Shantanu
This eighth son of Ganga and Shantanu was none other than Devvrat who was called Bhishma Pitamah because of his vow. Bhishma Pitamah did not get any worldly happiness and had to suffer a lot from life to death.
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