Information on Hinduism for Kids River Ganges is one of many holy places Who is the founder of Hinduism? Hinduism has no founder, it developed out of Brahminism. Hinduism is the oldest religion, it may date to prehistoric times. What is the symbol of Hinduism? Aum is the main symbol of Hinduism. It is the sound heard in deepest meditation and is said to be the name most suited for God. Hindu Artefacts Where does the name Hindu come from? The word "Hindu" comes from the name of the river Indus, which flows 1800 miles from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the sea. How is Hinduism different from other faiths? Hinduism has no founder, single teacher nor any prophets. Hinduism is not a Single Religion. Hinduism is the practices of a variety of different religious groups which come out of India. What do Hindus believe? For many Hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of beliefs. It's more what you do, than what you believe. Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called Brahman.

Brahman takes on many forms that some Hindus worship as gods or goddesses in their own right. Hindus believe that there is a part of Brahman in everyone and this is called the Atman. Hindus believe in reincarnation - a belief that the soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes, in one body after another. The soul is sometimes born in a human body, sometimes in an animal body and sometimes in a plant body etc.. Hindus believe that all forms of life contain a soul, and all souls have the chance to experience life in different forms. Samsara means going through the cycle of repeated births and deaths (reincarnation). Hindus believe that existence of this cycle is governed by Karma. What is Karma? Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived. (Similar to Buddhist beliefs) Karma is the cause of our particular destiny. Misfortunes in our present life are the result of acts that we have committed in the past. In the same way, our actions in our present lives will determine our fate in the lives that follow.

Hindus therefore aim to live in a way that will cause each of their lives to be better than the life before. What is Moksha? The spiritual goal of a Hindu is to become one with Brahma. This freedom is referred to as moksha. Until moksha is achieved, a Hindu believes that he/she will be repeatedly reincarnated in order that he/she may work towards self-realization of the truth (the truth being that only Brahman exists, nothing else). What is the Hindu way of life? For many Hindus there are four goals in human life (purusharthas); 1 Moksha - the release of the soul (Atman) from the cycle of rebirth. The individual soul (Atman) unites with Brahman the universal soul. There are different ways to Moksha. spiritual - involves acquiring spiritual knowledge through yoga and meditation. devotion to god working selflessly for the good of society. How a person is reincarnated is determined by karma. 2 Dharma - the code for leading one's life. Respect for elders is considered important and many consider marriage as a son's religious duty. 3 Artha - the pursuit of material gain by lawful means.

4 Karma- through pure acts, knowledge and devotion, you can reincarnate to a higher level. The opposite achieves the contrary result. How do Hindus achieve Moksha? There are four different paths to achieve Moksha which a Hindu can take. The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths they are: 1 The path of knowledge - Jnana-Yoga Spiritual knowledge -leading to the knowledge of the relationship between the soul (atman) and God (Brahman) 2 The path of meditation - Dhyana-yoga The idea is to concentrate so you can reach the real self within you and become one with Brahman 3 The Path of Devotion - Bhakti-yoga Choosing a particular god or goddess and worshipping them throughout your life in actions, words and deeds. 4 The path of good works - Karma-yoga This involves doing all your duties correctly throughout your life. Why are there so many Hindu Gods? Hindus actually only believe in one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different forms of Brahman. These gods are sent to help people find the universal God (Brahman).

Most Hindus have a personal god or godess such as Shiva, Krishna or Lakshmi to whom they pray regularly. The three most important Hindu gods (forms of Brahman) are: Brahma - known as the Creator. India's Sacred Rivers: Purity and Pollution - EdenKeeper India’s Sacred Rivers: Purity and Pollution Sunset over the Ganges River Hinduism is an ancient and highly complex religion. Because it is practiced in so many varied ways by such a large population of people, it’s nearly impossible to give it one precise description. But one thing all Hindus have in common is their reverence of water . With water, Hindus attain purity and avoid pollution — they cleanse their bodies as they cleanse their spirits. There are seven principal holy rivers where Hindus can go to bathe, cleanse their sins, and receive other sacred gifts. But these rivers are threatened by pollution, development, and climate change. It may not be long before the gifts of the rivers dry up and disappear. India’s Holy Rivers Most people recognize the Ganges River as the most sacred river in India. But Hindus also bathe in the Yamuna, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus), and Kaveri rivers to wash away their sins.

(They would bathe in the Sarasvati if it actually existed — scientists think that the river dried up thousands of years ago .) Each of these rivers is associated with a goddess, with the exception of the Indus River which is associated with a god, and each river is linked to myths and legends. For example, the Yamuna is named after the goddess Yamuna — the daughter of Surya, the sun god and the twin sister of Yama, the god of death. It is said that when Yama left his family to rule over the underworld, Yamuna cried so much that her tears became the river. People who bathe in the river will not only be cleansed of their sins, but also spared a painful death. And the Godavari River is often linked with Sage Gautama. According to legend, Sage Gautama killed a cow unintentionally — a great sin for Hindus. Seeking redemption for his sin, he prayed to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. His ardent prayers made the gods bring the Godavari River to earth. When the waters descended over the dead cow, it came back to life and Sage Gautama was redeemed of his sin.

The Indus River, a Holy Namesake Indus River The Indus River, or Sindhu, is as holy as it is historical . In 1921, archaeologists uncovered evidence of an ancient civilization along the river, which today runs through northwest India into Pakistan. The Indus Valley civilization (also known as the Harappan civilization) may have originated as early as 7000 BCE, encompassed over 750,000 square miles at its height, and traded with the ancient Mesopotamians. Little is known about the Indus Valley civilization and the effect it may have had on Hinduism. Archaeologists have identified baths, which may indicate an early form of ritual bathing similar to what modern Hindus practice. And some believe that a seal, featuring a horned figure surrounded by animals, may be a prototype of Lord Shiva. Even the word “Hindu” is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word “Sindhu,” which is the local name of the Indus River. Sindhu means a body of trembling water.

Although the Indus Valley civilization began to decline around 1800 BCE, due possibly to flooding or drought, the river, which gave life to the ancient civilization, still remains sacred today. The Rigveda describes the Sindhu as a strong warrior amongst the other sacred rivers, which are seen as goddesses and compared to cows and mares yielding milk and butter. HE singer, O ye Waters in Vivasvān’s place, shall tell your grandeur forth that is beyond compare. The Rivers have come forward triply, seven and seven. Sindhu in might surpasses all the streams that flow. Varuna cut the channels for thy forward course, O Sindhu, when thou rannest on to win the race. Thou speedest o’er precipitous ridges of the earth, when though art Lord and Leader of these moving floods. [Rigveda, Book 10, Hymn LXXV. The Rivers ] The Threat of Pollution of the Sacred Rivers Cleaning the ghats by polluting the Ganges The 1,550-mile Ganges River is heavily polluted with toxins, chemicals, and dangerous bacteria.

The pollutants come from the chemicals that are produced by the factories and businesses that discharge 800,000 gallons of sewage into the river, toxic pesticides and fertilizers from farms, urban runoff, and the partially charred human bodies that are tossed into the river annually. According to the National Ganga River Basin, the amount of pollutants is now almost 3,000 times higher than what is considered safe by the World Health Organization. And that’s just the Ganges. The Yamuna is also suffering . As it meanders through Delhi over a 48-km stretch, it picks up huge quantities of chemical waste and toxins. Thousands of fish continue to die in Agra and Mathura and there have been mass deaths of Gharials in the Yamuna. A large number of groups have worked to clean up the Yamuna, but the problem is not easy to fix. The Godavari River is also reported to be grossly polluted . Noted water conservationist Dr. Rajendra Singh urged the government earlier this year to take urgent measures to curb industrial effluents and domestic waste. “There is a need to bring in drastic changes in the water purifying system,” he told officials.

The Threat of Human Development The viability of the rivers is threatened by more than pollution. India is considering the construction of 16 new dams across a 1,600-km stretch of the Ganges between Varanasi and Hooghly. There are also plans to develop the Ganges as a waterway for commercial activities. Experts believe that such development activities would kill the river and the proposed dams would convert the Ganges into 16 huge ponds. Probably the most controversial development project are the dams on the Narmada River . The project was first envisaged in the 1940s by the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, but was delayed until 1979. At that time it was proposed as the construction of some 3,200 small, medium, and large dams on the river. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada Movement), argued that the dam project would displace people, submerge forest farmland, disrupt fisheries, and possibly inundate the canals increasing the prospect of insect-borne diseases.

Hunger strike in protest of the Sardar Sarovar dam Although the World Bank withdrew from the Narmada project in 1993, the Indian Supreme Court gave the go ahead for the Sardar Sarovar dam, the most controversial of all the dam projects, in 2000. And earlier this year, the government was given the go-ahead to raise the dam even higher, despite protestors strong opposition. Problems are already arising. When the area was inundated with heavy monsoon rains and the dam began to overflow, the Narmada district administration was forced to issue a warning to 39 villages located downstream of the dam. The Indian government is also considering a river-linking project designed to bring more water to drought-stricken agricultural fields and villages. The Ganges, Godvari, and Narmada are just a few of the rivers that are included to be linked. Many are concerned. “Environmentalists, hydrologists and economists around the world have expressed deep concerns at the irreversible damage that this sort of mega project can do to the country’s environment and our water resources.

Massive civil works will be involved, lakhs of people will be uprooted and vast sums of money will be required,” Congress leader and MP Karan Singh said. The Threat of Climate Change Rivers that flow from the Himalayan glaciers , like the Ganges and the Indus Rivers, face another looming challenge: climate change. Glaciers provide the Indus with 70-80% of its water and the Ganges with 30-40%. When the glaciers melt, due to warming temperatures, flow to these rivers will no longer be moderated the way it is today. Communities and ecosystems along the river are, therefore, more prone to severe water shortages, variability, and potentially greater flooding. Maintaining the Sacredness of the Rivers India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has promised to clean up the Ganges, and even sought the advice of the country’s holy men . President Barack Obama of the United States has promised to give “concrete support” to Modi’s campaign to improve hygiene and sanitation throughout India. Countless nonprofits, activists, and environmental groups are working to make sure these words actually become action. But is it enough?

Tough pollution laws and water treatment plants may be able to clean up the pollution in these rivers. But as the threats of climate change become more apparent and India’s government seeks to improve the lives of farmers and drought-stricken villages with development projects, is there any real hope that these rivers will survive? Perhaps like the great Sage Gautama, it’s time for us all to pray for our sin — our sin of allowing these rivers to become so threatened. Maybe the gods will hear our prayers and fill the rivers with fresh, clean water so that we can purify ourselves again. Keep up to date with all the eco-spirituality news here on EdenKeeper. Subscribe to our newsletter to never miss a story. Tags: clean water , ganges , godavari , hindu , India , indus river , kaveri , narmada , sarasvati , sindhu , water , yamuna About the Author Robyn Purchia I'm an organic-eating, energy-saving naturalist who composts and tree hugs in her spare time. I have a background in environmental law, lobbying, and field work. I believe in God; however, I do not call myself a Christian or a Jew or a member of any religion.

I am merely someone who finds a spiritual connection to all humans and the environment. You can find me on Twitter , Facebook , and Google+ . Related Posts Hi Robyn, Thanks for another great article. As one who has been fortunate enough to have spent a couple months backpacking around India when I was younger. I can confidently state that to note that “the Ganges is polluted” deserves a nomination for the award of “History’s Greatest Understatement!” So it’s good to hear that Narendra Modi intends to clean up the Ganges. Your comment on our environmental sins and our consequent need to repent bought back earlier memories of the orthodox Christian teaching on the Fall of humanity into sin and its effects on our (now broken) relationships with: 1. God; 2. Our Neighbour; 3. Ourselves; and 4. Creation. Please consider Dr. Milne’s take on this issue: “In relation to the created order Humanity loses its harmony with the natural order and our God-given stewardship of the environment gives place to sinful plundering. This is manifest as exploitation, the needless destruction of the world without thought for its created beauty or intrinsic worth.

It is also manifest as pollution, the selfish and rapacious use of raw materials, contaminating the oceans and the very atmosphere, all too often in the interests of economic profit, luxury and self-indulgence.” — Dr. Bruce Milne Heart of Hinduism: Holy Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans Holy Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans The Goddess Ganga, riding her crocodile. She plays an important role at the beginning of the Mahabharata. Bathers in the Ganges, which is considered to wash away accumulated sins (image courtesy Prof. Robert Jackson) Near Vrindavan, Radha-Kunda (the pond of Radha) is considered especially sacred Water is of special significance in Hinduism, not only for its life-sustaining properties, but also because of its use in rituals and because of the stress given to cleanliness. Bathing also has religious significance, especially in rivers considered sacred. Mother Ganga (the Ganges) is considered to purify the bather of sins (papa – see The Law of Karma ). There are seven principle holy rivers, although others, such as the Krishna in South India, are also important.

Of the seven, the Ganges (Ganga), Yamuna, and Sarasvati are most important. According to different opinions, the Sarasvati is now invisible, extinct or running underground, and meets with the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayaga. Most rivers are considered female and are personified as goddesses. Ganga, who features in the Mahabharata, is usually shown riding on a crocodile (see right). Yamuna is shown in much iconography connected with the Pushti Marg sampradaya, and rides on a turtle. The famous story of the descent of Ganga-devi is connected with Vishnu and with Shiva, who is depicted with the Ganges entering the locks of his hair. Certain spots on the seashore are also holy. Puri is considered sanctified to Vaishnavas, and Cape Commorin (Kanyakumari) is sacred to followers of Shiva and devotees of Rama. Some lakes and ponds are also considered especially sacred. Particularly in the South, tanks (man-made ponds) are constructed so that worshippers can bathe before entering the temple.

The Seven Holy Rivers Yamuna – meets Ganga in North Godavari – South India Sindhu the Indus, now in Pakistan Kaveri – South India The Descent of Mother Ganga (STO-501) How Ganga came to earth. Krishna Defeats the Kaliya Serpent (STO-502) Krishna's dance in the middle of the Yamuna. All You Need to Know About Hinduism: Sacred Rivers All You Need to Know About Hinduism Hinduism is a mixture of sects, cults and doctrines which have had a profound effect on Indian culture. In Spite of this diversity, there are few of its aspects which do not rely in some way or the other on the authority of Indian religious literature – the Vedas, the Epics and the Puranas. Sacred Rivers In India rivers are given a divine status. The civilization of India was nurtured in the river basin of the Ganga and the Jamuna which has been the heart of ancient India. The two rivers have, therefore, been worshipped since ancient times. The Ganga has been known for its purity and divinity and the Hindus believe that a bath in her waters cleanses one of all sins.

The river Jamuna is known for her devotion. The river Saraswati was worshipped in ancient times when the Aryans lived in Punjab. The Saraswati changed its course in later ages and gradually disappeared in the deserts of Rajasthan. Apart from these three, the other rivers considered sacred are the Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus) and Kaveri (Cauvery). Some other sacred rivers are Saryu, Gomti, Gandaki, Sabarmati, Tamsa, Chandarbhaga, Shipra and Kratmala. Around the 4th century A. D. architects began to carve figures of Ganga and Jamuna, in human form, on the two sides of the temple door symbolizing purity (Ganga) and devotion (Jamuna). This was to emphasize that only the pure and devoted could enter the temples. At a later period ii became a common practice to represent the two river goddesses on the two sides of the shrine door in both North and South India.

Ganges in Hinduism - Wikiquote Ganges in Hinduism Ganges in Hinduism , is about the river Ganges , which is considered sacred and is personified as a goddess known as Ganga . Contents Quotes[ edit ] The vast expanse of the Ganges as it enters the Bay of Bengal near Calcutta . Mention is made of Ganga in Rig Veda . Krishna identifies himself as Ganga in Gita .... Shankaracharya considers Ganga as the chief of all Gods and Goddesses and is the ‘redeemer of the fallen’. Vivekananda carried the river water to the West with the faith that whenever in trouble a drop or two of Ganga water would soon be calm again. Ashok Chandra Shukla, Vandana Asthana, in Ganga, a Water Marvel (1 January 1995) , p. 43 Those who bathe at Ganga at least once in its pure water are protected from thousands of dangers forever and get rid of sins of generations and are purified immediately.

Srimad Bhagavatam (3.5.41), in Srimad-Bhagavatam - Prabhupada And again, Subhuti , suppose a woman or a man were to renounce all their belongings as many times as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges; and suppose that someone else, after taking from this discourse on dharma but one stanza of four lines would demonstrate it to others. Then this latter on the strength of that would beget a greater heap of merit , immeasurable and incalculable. Alexander Duff , in Passage to the Unreached , p. 137 There are few things on which Hindu India , diverse as it is, might agree. But of the Ganges, India speaks with one voice. The Ganges carries an immense cultural and religious meaning for Hindus of every region and every sectarian persuasion. Gangavatarana, in Journal of Religious Studies, Volumes 22-23 (1993) , p. 126 I am the shark among the fishes, and the Ganges ( Jahnavi ) among the rivers.

Lord Krishna , in Bhagavad Gita , in Tat Tvam Asi: The Universal Massage in the Bhagavadgītā (1 January 1998) , p. 425 My desire to have handful of my ashes thrown into the Ganga at Allahabad has no religious significance so far as I am concerned. I have no religious sentiments in the matter . I have been attached to the Ganga and the Jumna rivers since my childhood. As I have grown older, this attachment has also grown. I have watched their varying moods as the seasons changed, and have been though of the history and myth and tradition and song and story that have become attached to them through long ages and become part of their flowing waters. The Ganga, especially, is the river of India , beloved of her people, round which are intertwined her memories, her hopes and fears, her songs of triumph , her victories and her defeats. She has been a symbol of India's age long culture and civilization , ever changing, ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga.

She reminds of the snow-covered peaks and deep valleys of the Himalayas , which I have loved so much, and of the rich and vast plains below, where my life and work have been cast. Jawaharlal Nehru , in Devī: Goddesses of India , (1 January 1998)], p. 140 God creates the world as Brahma , sustains it as Vishnu , and destroys it as Shiva . One day, Shiva started to sing. Vishnu was so moved by the melody that he began to melt. Brahma caught the molten Vishnu in a pot . This was poured on earth . it took the form of the river Ganga . The Ganga nourished the earth. to bathe in the Ganga’s waters is to bathe in God. Ganga Mahatmya, in Myth = Mithya(2008) , p. 6 Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayag . Divine potency can also be a function of time. The confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna is for the Hindus more sacred than any other confluence of any other rivers.

Hence more pilgrims bathe at this sangam [confluence]. The flow of pilgrims rises dramatically when the planet Jupiter enters the house of Aries , and the Sun enters the house of Capricorn . The planetary alignment takes place once in twelve years, which is marked by Maha Kumba Mela , the great gathering of holy men, believed to be the largest congregation in the world . Dr Devdutt Pattnaik , in “Myth = Mithya(2008)”, p. 8 What need of expensive sacrifices , Or of difficult penances ? Padma Purana (V.60.39), in The Ganges in Myth and History (1 January 2001) , p. 14 Thilaka Ravi:The belief that the Ganges washes away sin entices millions of Hindus into the river each year, and huge crowds of pilgrims are currently passing through the town of Haridwar for the three-month Kumbh Mela bathing festival . Suppose a man becomes pure by chanting God ’s holy name, but immediately afterwards commits many sins . He has no strength of mind . He does not take a vow not to repeat his sins.

A bath in the Ganges undoubtedly absolves one of all sins; but what does that avail? They say that the sins perch on the trees along the banks of the Ganges. No sooner does the man comes back from the holy waters than the old sins jump on his shoulders from the trees. The same old sins take possession of him again. He is hardly out of the water before they fall upon him. Therefore I say, chant the name of God, and with it pray to Him that you may have love for Him. Pray to God that your attachment to such transitory things as wealth, name, and creature comforts may become less and less every day. The belief that the Ganges washes away sin entices millions of Hindus into the river each year, and huge crowds of pilgrims are currently passing through the town of Haridwar for the three-month Kumbh Mela bathing festival. Thilaka Ravi, in “ Most Polluted 'Sacred' River Ganges Causes Concern (26 January 2010)” Ganges water is considered by many to be blessed, and has for centuries served as an essential component of Hindu ceremonies, from childbirth to death -- when ashes are often scattered in the river after cremations.

Thilaka Ravi, in “ Most Polluted 'Sacred' River Ganges Causes Concern (26 January 2010)” Ganges water is well known for its extraordinary resilience and recuperative capacity, Thilaka Ravi, in “ Most Polluted 'Sacred' River Ganges Causes Concern (26 January 2010)” The Mississippi , the Ganges, and the Nile , those journeying atoms from the Rocky Mountains, the Himmaleh, and Mountains of the Moon, have a kind of personal importance in the annals of the world. The heavens are not yet drained over ... Henry David Thoreau (1873), in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers , p. 16 In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita , since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial; and I doubt if that philosophy is not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions. I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo!

there I meet the servant of the Brahmin , priest of Brahma , and Vishnu and Indra , who still sits in his temple on the River Ganga reading the Vedas , or dwells at the root of a tree with his crust and water jug. I meet his servant come to draw water for his master, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganga (Ganges). Henry David Thoreau , in Hindu Spirituality - What other say about it ( 24 July 2012) Panorama of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River - Mark Twain : The Ganges front is the supreme showplace of Banares ... The Ganges front is the supreme showplace of Banares.

Its tall bluffs are solidly caked from water to summit, along a stretch of three miles, with a splendid jumble of massive and picturesque masonry, a bewildering and beautiful confusion of stone platforms , temples , stair flights, rich and stately palaces...soaring stairways, sculptured temples, majestic palaces, softening away into the distances; and there is movement, motion, human life everywhere, and brilliantly costumed - streaming in rainbows up and down the lofty stairways, and massed in metaphorical gardens on the mile of great platforms at the river's edge. Mark Twain , in Archive for poetry Mother [Ganga] you girdle the earth and thereby lend it grace and beauty . You are the pathway, bedecked with banners of victory , to heaven . My only prayer to you is that I may live on your bank, watch your waves, repeat your name in my heart forever and die with my eyes fixed on you. Valmiki , in “Ganga, a Water Marvel (1 January 1995)”, p. 43 Gita and Ganga constitute, between themselves, the essence of Hinduism : one its theory , and the other is practice .

Swami Vivekananda, in “The Ganga A River Of Life”. Whether you bathe in the Ganga for a thousand years or live on vegetable food for a like period, unless it helps towards the manifestation of the Self , know that it is all of no use Swami Vivekananda :The holy sight of Ganga gives knowledge , splendours, name, fame etc. The gravest of sins like Bramhhatya (killing of a Brahmin ) and Gauhatya (killing of a cow ) get absolved by the mere touch of Ganga holy water . Darshanatsparshanatpanattatha Gangeti Keertanat Punatyapunyanpurushana Shatashotha The holy sight of Ganga gives knowledge , splendours, name, fame etc. The gravest of sins like Bramhhatya (killing of a Brahmin ) and Gauhatya (killing of a cow ) get absolved by the mere touch of Ganga holy water . Swami Vivekananda , in “The Ganga A River Of Life”. All the superior religions had their growth between the Ganga and the Euphrates .

Vivekananda : Paris is the fountain-head of European civilisation , as Gomukhi is of the Ganga. Paris is the fountain-head of European civilisation , as Gomukhi is of the Ganga. Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Writings: Prose and Poems/The East and The West/France-Paris Vivekananda :See what an atmosphere of holiness is here -- the pure air of the Ganga -- what an assemblage of Sadhus -- will you find anywhere a place like this! See what an atmosphere of holiness is here -- the pure air of the Ganga -- what an assemblage of Sadhus -- will you find anywhere a place like this! Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 7/Conversations And Dialogues/XI XI Fool indeed is he, who, living on the banks of the Ganga, digs a little well for water. Fool indeed is the man who, coming to a mine of diamonds , begins to search for glass beads.

Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Addresses on Bhakti-Yoga/The Need of Symbols The Need Of Symbols The vapour becomes snow , then water , then Ganga ; but when it is vapour, there is no Ganga, and when it is water, we think of no vapour in it. The idea of creation or change is inseparably connected with will. So long as we perceive this world in motion, we have to conceive will behind it. Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 8/Writings: Prose And Poems/Shiva In Ecstasy One day as this sage , Valmiki , was going to bathe in the holy river Ganga, he saw a pair of doves wheeling round and round, and kissing each other. The sage looked up and was pleased at the sight, but in a second an arrow whisked past him and killed the male dove. As the dove fell down on the ground, the female dove went on whirling round and round the dead body of its companion in grief. In a moment the poet became miserable, and looking round, he saw the hunter.

"Thou art a wretch," he cried, "without the smallest mercy! Thy slaying hand would not even stop for love!" "What is this? What am I saying?" the poet thought to himself, "I have never spoken in this sort of way before." And then a voice came: "Be not afraid. This is poetry that is coming out of your mouth. Write the life of Rama in poetic language for the benefit of the world ." And that is how the poem first began. The first verse sprang out of pits from the mouth of Valmiki, the first poet. And it was after that, that he wrote the beautiful Ramayana , "The Life of Rama.". Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Lectures and Discourses/The Ramayana The Ramayana There are men who practice Titiksha , and succeed in it. There are men who sleep on the banks of the Ganga in the midsummer sun of India , and in winter float in the waters of the Ganga for a whole day; they do not care. Men sit in the snow of the Himalayas, and do not care to wear any garment.

What is heat? What is cold? Let things come and go, what is that to me, I am not the body. Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Lectures and Discourses/The Free Soul With the Holy Mother as the centre of inspiration , a Math is to be established on the eastern bank of the Ganga... On the other side of the Ganga a big plot of land will be acquired, where unmarried girls or Brahmacharini widows will live; devout married women will also be allowed to stay now and then. Men will have no concern with this Math. Vivekananda , in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 7/Conversations And Dialogues/XVIII I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganga – astronomy , astrology , spiritualism , etc. It is very important to note that some 2500 years ago at the least Pythagoras went from Samos to the Ganga to learn geometry . Francis M. Voltaire , in What is India?

(5 May 2014) Devī: Goddesses of India[ edit ] Skandapurana : As a Gauri ( Parvati ) is, so is the Ganga. Therefore, whoever worships Gauri properly also worships the Ganga And as I am, so are you, O Vishnu . And as you are, so am I. And as Uma (Parvati) is, so is the Ganga. The form is not different. And whoever says that there is some difference between Vishnu and Rudra , between Sri and Gauri, or between the Ganga and Gauri is a very foolish person. O Mother Ganga, may your water , abundant blessing of the world , treasure of Lord Shiva , playful lord of all earth , essence of the scriptures and embodied goodness of the gods , May your water, sublime wine of immortality, soothe our troubled souls. Jagannatha in "Ganga Lahiri" quoted by Eck in the essay “Ganga: The Goddess Ganges in the Hindu sacred geography”, p.

137 Even the most hardened atheist of a Hindu will find his heart full of feelings he has never felt before the first time he reaches the bank of the Ganga. Rampratap Tripathi, in p. 139 The poet seers of the Vedas launched a tradition of praise for the blessings and purifying energy of the “goddess waters”... in poetic hymns of the Ganga such as "Ganga Lahiri". It is particularly the life , the movement, the activity of the waters of the Ganga that has attracted poets through the ages. Hers are not the motionless waters of the procreation seas, but running energetic waters of life. The traditional etymology of Ganga derives the name from the verb gam, “to go” Amarasimha , in pp.

143-44 Her hymns constantly emphasize the running, flowing, energetic movement of her waters, and they do so at times with elaborate alliteration and onomatopoeia , as in this line from the famous Ganga Lahriri; marullila-lolallahari-lulitambhoja-patala 9May your running waters …”covered with lotuses that rock in your waves and roll playfully in the wind”…weaken the web of my earthly life). Jagannatha, in "Ganga Lahiri", in p. 144 Mahabharata : According to some accounts, the Ganga split into seven streams as she emerged from the hair of Shiva , three flowing to the east, three to the west, and the Bhagirathi to the south... According to some accounts, the Ganga split into seven streams as she emerged from the hair of Shiva , three flowing to the east, three to the west, and the Bhagirathi to the south. This tradition recalls the seven rivers of the Vedic hymns and reminds us that the Ganga in essence waters the whole earth .

Indeed, when Bhagiratha brought the Ganga to earth, her waters not only restored the ashes of the dead but also replenished the ocean , which had been swallowed by the sage Agastya . Mahabharata , in p. 145 As a Gauri ( Parvati ) is, so is the Ganga. Therefore, whoever worships Gauri properly also worships the Ganga And as I am, so are you, O Vishnu . And as you are, so am I. And as Uma (Parvati) is, so is the Ganga. The form is not different. And whoever says that there is some difference between Vishnu and Rudra , between Sri and Gauri, or between the Ganga and Gauri is a very foolish person. Skandapurana which identifies Ganga as Parvati, female aspect of the Divine , in p. 147 She, the Ganga, is my supreme image, having the form of water, the very essence of Shiva ’s soul , She is nature ( Prakriti ) supreme and the basis of countless universe . For the protection of the world , I playfully uphold the Ganga.

Who is mother of the world, the supreme Brahman ’s embodiment . Skandapurana , in p. 148 O Agastya , one should not be amazed at the notion that the Ganga is really Shakti , for is she not the supreme energy of the eternal Shiva, which has taken the form of water? Ganga Mahatmaya, in p. 148 Om , Praise be to the auspicious Ganga, gift of Shiva, O Praise! Praise be to her who is Vishnu embodied, the very image of Brahma, O praise! Praise to her who is the form of Rudra, Shankara , the embodiment of all gods, the embodiment of healing, O praise! Ganga Mahatmaya, in p. 148 Essence of the scriptures and embodied goodness of the gods . Jagannatha, in "Ganga Lahiri", in p. 148 I come to you as a child to his mother I come as an orphan to you, moist with love I come without refuge to you, giver of sacred rest. I come a fallen man to you, up lifter of all . I come undone by disease to you, the perfect physician .

I come, my heart dry with thirst, to you, ocean of sweet wine Do with me whatever you will. Jagannatha, in "Ganga Lahiri", appealing to Ganga to cleanse his sins, in p. 150 This Ganga was sent out for salvation of the world of Sambhu , Lord of lords, filled with the sweet wine of compassion. Shankara, having squeezed out the essence of yoga and the Upanishads , created this excellent river because of his mercy for all creatures. Kasi Kanda of Skanda Purana , in p. 150 As a celestial stream flowing upon the earth she has her mythic origins in the world of the Vedas . As the tradition developed, she wound her way into the myth and ritual of Vaishnavas and Shaivas alike. She is hardly the best known consort of either Vishnu or Shiva, but she has acquired the position of consort to both of them, something no other goddess can claim. Even Brahma keeps close company with her, carrying the river in his water pot. Diana L.Eck , in p.

150 Aghor Medicine: Pollution, Death, and Healing in Northern India (3 February 2008)][ edit ] Ronald L. Barrett, in Aghor Medicine: Pollution, Death, and Healing in Northern India (3 February 2008) As one of India ’s largest and most sacred pilgrimage centers, Benares (Varanasi) has been revered for centuries by Hindus , Muslims , Buddhists , and Jains , millions of whom come to visit its innumerable temples and shrines and come to bathe along a three-mile stretch of steps leading to the Holy Ganga (Ganges) River. Whether coming for salvation, prosperity, or healing, most of these pilgrims have sought some form of ritual purification – a means of unloading their troubles and sins upon stars and holy men, the river Ganga, and the many sacred tanks fed by her springs and tributaries. Ronald L. Barrett, in p. 1 ...it is more than river . She is the Holy Mother . She is Ganga Ma . Ronald L. Barrett, in p.

39 The Ganga is the foremost of India ’s seven sacred rivers, winding fifteen hundred miles from the glaciers of Himalayas through twenty nine cities and seventy towns of the northern Indian plains and exiting into the Indian Ocean through the great delta that feeds into the Bay of Bengal on the eastern coast. V. K. Kumra 1995 in p. 39 The story of Holy Mother’s decent to earth has been recounted in numerous oral traditions , as well as in the Epic and Puranic literature . The story of Holy Mother’s decent to earth has been recounted in numerous oral traditions , as well as in the Epic and Puranic literature . Through the single minded austerities of the pious King Bhagiratha , Lord Brahma granted a boon that Ganga Ma would descend upon the earth so she might carry sixty thousand of his cursed ancestors to the netherworld . Her fall was broken by Shiva ’s matted locks, which prevented the earth from being destroyed by her impact, and locks channeled her downward flow from the Himalayas.

Once upon the plains, Ganga Ma sought out King Bhagiratha in Banaras, who led her to the remains of his ancestors in Bengal , where she swept them along to the other world . Eck (1983), quoted in p. 39 Skanda Purana : ... Banaras is the largest and most visited of these thirthas, presenting itself as Kashi (“the luminous”), an otherworldly abode that rests Shiva’s trident and grants instant liberation to all who die within its boundaries. Ronald L. Barrett:Just as Banaras is a prototype for sacred India , her sacred features are prototypes for the divine roles of the city as a whole. Foremost among these features are the Ganga and the two famous cremation grounds (Shmashans) along her banks...

When Ganga was brought to Haridwar , then all the Gods asked: ’We wash all sins , but who will wash us?’ Ganga said this to Lord Vishnu :’Lord Vishnu Bhagwan , tell us, what should we do?’ Then the Lord said: ‘As many sadhus and saints are living in this world , every time they will bathe in Ganga, all your sins will be washed away [automatically]. Although any point along the Ganga can serve as a pilgrimage site, a number of especially powerful thirthas (sacred crossings) along her banks allow pilgrims to cover multiple spiritual bases with a single visit. Banaras is the largest and most visited of these thirthas, presenting itself as Kashi (“the luminous”), an otherworldly abode that rests Shiva’s trident and grants instant liberation to all who die within its boundaries. Skanda Purana (IV.I.28:80), p. 40 One should not be amazed … that this Ganges is really Power , for is she not the Supreme Shakti of the Eternal Shiva, taken in the form of water?

This Ganges, filled with the sweet wine of compassion , was sent out for the salvation of the world by Shiva, the Lord of the Lords. Good people should not think this Triple-Pathed River to be like the thousand other earthly rivers, filled with water. Ganga Mahatmay, Kashi Khanda, p. 48 Eck describes the creative power of the Ganga as “liquid Shakti ”, evidenced by the fertility of fields along her banks and her position as a second consort and active principle of Shiva . In P.48 In discussing the unlimited grace of the Ganga, Eck cites a common Indian saying that “no child is too dirty to be embraced by its mother”. Indeed mother Ganga embraces everyone and everything that is put into her (or that she enters). Ronald L. Barrett, in p. 48 The mother keeps the baby in the stomach for nine months and then gives birth. She cleans her excreta and urine, and the child is [always] in this when he is small. Then that is [how] the mother takes care of the baby, doesn’t she? So she is Ganga Ma. All this trash, good things, bad things, everything, is in her.

So she will never be impure. The mother is never impure. A lady devotee, quoted in p. 48 There is a common saying that even a single droplet of Ganges water carried one’s way by the breeze will erase the sins of many life times in an instant. Eck (1983), quoted in p. 47 Just as Banaras is a prototype for sacred India , her sacred features are prototypes for the divine roles of the city as a whole. Foremost among these features are the Ganga and the two famous cremation grounds (Shmashans) along her banks. Pilgrims commonly say that Banaras is like the Mother Ganga, who accepts and purifies anyone and anything that come to her and transforms them into herself… each of these features, - the Ganga, the Shmashans and the city as a whole – functions as a kind of cosmic sink, a sacred dumping ground… Ronald L. Barrett, in p.

29, 34 When Ganga was brought to Haridwar , then all the Gods asked: ’We wash all sins , but who will wash us?’ Ganga said this to Lord Vishnu :’Lord Vishnu Bhagwan , tell us, what should we do?’ Then the Lord said: ‘As many sadhus and saints are living in this world , every time they will bathe in Ganga, all your sins will be washed away [automatically]. A tale narrated to Eck , in p. 46 I would never have imagined the River Ganga could get like this, with stinking water, green and brown colored. It's pure toxic muck. Joshua Hammer , In “A Prayer for the Ganges (November 2007)” For India's devout Hindus , the sacred River Ganges is always clean and always pure -- even if its waters are a toxic mix of human sewage, discarded garbage and factory waste. Ganges water is well known for its extraordinary resilience and recuperative capacity .

Thilaka Ravi, in “ Most Polluted 'Sacred' River Ganges Causes Concern (26 January 2010)” ...the Ganga is most pure… but what is put into it is polluted. An American student , in p. 45

Question: What is Hinduism's most sacred river?
Answer: Ganges