The festival of Ganga Dhaaraa, also known as Ganga Dussehra, will be observed on June 12, 2019.
From ancient times, the Ganga River has carved an indelible path through the Indian landscape. These waters, emerging from Gowmukh, in the town of Galgotri, in the snowy Himalayan mountains, eventually converge with the Yamuna River and the subterranean stream Saraswati, in a sacred confluence at Triveni in Prayag.
River Ganga has been honoured by people of all religions in India as not only an unending source of nourishment, but also as part and parcel of their culture. Its grandeur is no less unbounded today as it is central to life’s rituals, from physical sustenance to spiritual purification. However, in our age, the rise of industrialisation and material expansion has led to significant challenges with pollution.
River Ganga, considered by the Hindu world to be the embodiment of all sacred waters, also finds its prominence mythologically as it cascades from atop the coiled hair of Bhagavan Shiva himself. Symbolically, Ganga is the stream of bhakti or devotion, defined as the pure, unconditioned love for the Divine that gives of itself and asks for nothing in return. Shivaji is representative of the principle of vairaagya or dispassion. In essence, dispassion is a necessary pre-requisite of devotion, where the spiritual aspirant inculcates the qualities of detachment and equanimity that distance him from the attachments and aversions of the world. With these virtues, the journey towards realising one’s true nature then becomes smooth sailing along this stream.
In the scriptural narrative, Srimad Bhagavatam, author Ved Vyaasji reinforces the significant role of dispassion and wisdom in the development of pure devotion. He personifies Gyaan (wisdom) and Vairaagya (detachment) as two children of Bhakti. The young mother was distressed over the feeble, ailing condition of her children, who appeared to be much older than her. The only remedy for their illness was sincere prayer and intense sacrifice by listening and imbibing of the glories of the Lord. At the end of seven days of worship as prescribed by the sages, the two sons were resuscitated and Bhakti was relieved of her distress. No doubt, wisdom and detachment, accompanied by saadhan or spiritual discipline are necessary for the flow of devotion in its pure form.
Yajurveda states, “Yatha pinde tatha brahmande, yatha brahmande tatha pinde,” that is, “As the microcosm so is the macrocosm; as the macrocosm, so too, the microcosm.” Contextually applied, these three sacred rivers that flow through India also flow metaphysically within the subtle body of man. The Ida Naadi, Pingla Naadi and Sushumna Naadi are three major Naadis or channels of bio-energy that are a source of sustenance to man. They are symbolic of these rivers and signify devotion, knowledge and disinterested action. As the three rivers merge in Triveni at Prayag, so too, within us, these Naadis merge at Ajnaa Chakra in the forehead. Here, the harmonised, rhythmic flow of devotion, accelerated by wsdom and disinterested action merges into a unifying flow of swatantrataa (independence) and blessedness.
This blessedness resulting from devotion is also stated in Shri Raamcharitramaanas, where Shri Tulsidasji says that that land is blessed wherever Ganga flows.
Intensely pursuing the path of devotion in accordance with scriptural injunctions is indeed akin to diving into the purifying depths of the Ganga, and is most conducive to the attainment of the state of oneness with the Divine.
To cultivate this supreme love towards God, we are guided in the Shrimad Bhagavatam by the discourse of Prahlad to his father the asura king, Hiranyakashipu on navdhaa bhakti or the nine ways of connecting with God. Lord Raam’s explanation to the devotee, Shabri in the Raamaayan is similarly espoused in the following practices that are suggested for all in this age:
Satsang – Keeping the company of the holy ones.
Sravanam – Listening to glories of the Lord.
Guru-Seva – Performing selfless service to the Guru.
Kirtanam – Singing the praises of the Lord’s virtues.
Mantra-Jaap – Chanting His name with steadfast faith.
Archanam – Practising self-control, good character, detachment and dharma.
Samadrishti – Practising equanimity of mind and perceiving the world as God himself.
Santosh – Attaining a state of contentment and desirelessness.
Bharosa – Having full faith in the Divine.
(Published in National Council of Indian Culture Commemorative Magazine 2016, Paramacharya of SWAHA, Pt. Hardeo Persad)
