As a whole, however, the G. is incapable of being definitely described. It varies not merely from season to season, but also from year to year. From year to year it exchanges old passages for new ones, more particularly in the alluvial basin of its lower sections. Even as far Ili') as Futtehpore, immediately above Allahabad, this characteristic is remarkably exemplified. The river has in this part a bed of the average.width of 4 m., within the limits of which it changes its course annually, in the lapse of four or five years shifting from the one limit to the other. Between season and season, again, the fluctuations are still more conspicuous. To take Benares as an instance, the stream ranges; according to the time of the year, from 1400 ft. to 3,000 ft. in breadth, and from 35 ft. to 78 ft. in depth. Lower down, the vicissitudes, without being more striking in themselves, produce more striking results. About the close of July, a considerable proportion of the delta forms an inundation of more than 100 tn. in diameter, present. ing nothing to the eye but villages and trees, and craft of every sort. To prevent or mitigate this evil, expensive dams have been constructed, having collectively a length of above 1000 miles. The influence of the tides extends, at the dry season, a distance of 240 in. from the sea. The minimum quantity of water delivered per second fins been estimated at 36,330 cubic ft., and the maximum at 494,209 cubic feet. Like all rivers that overflow their banks, the G. holds in suspension a large admixture of mud and sand —foreign elements eminently unfavorable to steam-navigation, as causing quick wear and decay of time cocks and valves of the engines. It has been Computed that it delivers, on an average, annually into the sea 534,60,000 tons of solid matter.
Amongst the rivers which at the classical and the Parank period of India were held in peculiar sanctity by the nation, the G.—or, as it is called, the Gangd (feminine)— undoubtedly occupied the foremost rank. In the vedic poetry. it is but seldom mentioned; and whenever its name occurs, whether in the hymns of the Rigreda or the ritual text of time Yajurreda, no legendary fact or mythical narrative is connected with it. Nor does the law-book of Mann justify the conclusion that its author was acquainted with any of the myths which connect this river in the epic poems and In the Pnrfinas with the Pantheon of India. The earliest, and by far the most poetical legend of the G., occurs in that masterpiece of Sanserit poetry, the Bdukiyuna. We give its substance, because it explains the.prineipal by which this river is spoken of, or invoked.
in-ancient and modern Hindoo poetry, and becapse it may be ]coked upon as the type of the many fables which refer to the purifying and supernatural properties of its waters. There lived, says the Rciintiyana, in Ayodhyit (the modern Oude), a king, by the name of Sagara, who had two wives, Kesint and Sumati; but they bore him no issue. He therefore repaired to the Himalaya; and aftera hundred years' severe austerities, Bhrigu, the saint, became favorable to his wishes, and granted him posterity. Kesint bore him a son, who was named Asamanjas, and Sumati brought forth a gourd, whence sprang 60,000 sons, who in time became as many heroes. Asarnaujas, however, in growing up, was addicted to cruel practices, and was therefore banished by his father from the king dom. His sou was Ansumat, who thus became heir to the throne of AyodhyS. Now, it happened that Sagara resolved to perform a great horse-sacrifice; and in accordance with the sacred law, chose for this purpose a beautiful horse, which be confided to the care of Ansumat. But while the latter was engaged in the initiatory rites of the sacrifice, a huge serpent emerged from the soil, and carried off the horse to the infernal regions. Thereupon, Sagara, being informed of the obstruction which had befallen his pious undertaking, ordered his 60,000 sons to recover the horse from the subterranean robber. These then set to work, diggiug the earth, and striking terror into all creation. Having explored, for many years, the infernal regions, they at last found the sacred horse graz ing, and watched by a fiery saint, in whom they recognized the serpent, the cause of their troubles. Enraged, they attacked him; but the saint, who was no other being than Vishnu, at once reduced them to ashes. Waiting in vain for the return of his sons, Sagara sent his grandson, A.usumat, in search of them and the sacred horse. Ansumat went, and soon ascertained the fate of his relatives; but when—mindful of his duties— he wished to sprinkle consecrated water on their ashes, so as to enable their souls to rise to heaven, Garuda, the bird of Vishnu, and brother of Somali, came in sight, and told Ansumat that it was improper for him to use terrestrial water for such a libation, and that he ought to provide the water of. the Gangs, the heavenly daughter of Himavat (the Himalaya). Ansumat, bowing to the behest of the king of birds,. went home with the horse to Sagara; and the sacrifice being achieved, Sagara strove to cause the descent of the Ganga, but all his devices remained fruitless; and after 30,000 years. he went to heaven. Nor was Ansumat more successful in his attempt with the austerities he per formed for the same purpose, nor his son Dwillpa, who, obeying the law of time, after 30,000 years, went to the heaven of Indra. Dwillpa had obtained a sou, named Bliag.1 ratha. He; too, was eager to obtain the descent of the Gang3; and having completed a course of severe austerities, he obtained the favor of Brahman, who told him he yield to his prayers, provided that Siva consented to receive the sacred river on his head, as the earth would bo too feeble to bear its fall when coming front heaven. And now Bliagiratha recommenced his penance,- until Siva consented, and told the Gargil to descend from heaven. The river obeyed; but, enraged at his command, she assumed a form of immense size, and increased her celeriti, thinking thus to carry him off to the infernal regions. Yet the god becoming aware of her intentions, caught and entangled her in his matted hair, out of which she could find no means of extricating herself though erring there for many Nor would the have been released, had not Bhagtratha, by his renewed penance, appeased the god, who then allowed her to descend from his head in seven PtIvini, and Nalini, which went east wards; and Suchakshus, and Sindhu, which went westwards, 'whilst the seventh stream followed Bhaglratha wherever he proceeded. But it so happened that the king on his journey passed by the hermitage of an irascible saint name was Jahnn. The latter seeing the Ganga overflooding in her arrogance the precincts of his slier: tidal spot, and destroying his sacred vessels, became impatient, and drank up all her waters; thereupon all the gods became terrified, and promised him that, in future, the Gangil would pay him filial respect, and become his daughter, if he would restore her again to existence. Quieted by this promise, Jahnu then allowed her to flow out
from his ear, and therefore she is still called Jiihnavi, or the daughter of Jahnu. But, because Bhagiratha, by dint of his exertions, enabled his ancestors, now sprinkled with the waters of the GangS, to ascend to heaven, Brahman allowed him to consider her as his daughter, whence she is called Bhftgirathi. And she is also called the river of "the three paths." because her waters flow in heaven, on earth, and pervaded the subter ranean regions.—Such is the account of the Reirndyana, and its substance is repeated by the Mallabhdrata and several of the Purilnas, though they differ in the names of the streams formed in her dekent by the GangS, some (for instance, the Videmt- and tqpi Purtina) restricting their number from seven to four, called by the Vishrtu-Petrana MakanandS, Chakshu, and Bhadril. A further deviation from the original myth was caused by sectarian influence; for, whereas in the Rebnagana. the Ganga springs from the Himavat (Himalaya), whose daughter. therefore, she is, and whereas Siva plays the most prominent part in her descent to earth, the Viehnu-Purdna assigns her source to the nail of the great toe of Vishnn's left foot, and allows Siva merely to receive, one of her branches on his head. The following passage from this Fur:ma will show the ideas of the Vishnuite sect on the history and the properties of this river: "From that third region of the atmosphere, or seat of Vishnu, proceeds the stream that washes away all sin, the river Gangs, embrowned with-the unguents of the nymphs of heaven, who have sported in her waters. Haying her-source in the nail of the great toe of Vishnu's left foot, Dhruva (Siva) reverses her, and sustains her clay and night devoutly on his head, and thence the seven Rishis practice the exercises of austerity in her waters, wreathing their braided locks with her waves. The orb of the 'moon, encompassed by her accumulated current, derives augmented luster from her contact. Falling from on high, as she issues from the moon, she alights on the summit of Meru, and thence flows to the four quarters of the earth, for its purification. The SIttl, Alakanandit, Chakshu, and Bhadrii, are four branches of but one river, divided according to the regions towards which it proceeds. The branch that is known as Alakanandil was borne affectionately by Siva; upon his head, for more than a hundred years, and was the river which raised to heaven the sinful sons'of.Sagara by washing their ashes. The offenses of any man who bathes in this river are immediately expiated, and unprecedented virtue is engendered. Its waters, offered by sells to their ancestors in faith for three years, yield to the latter rarely attainable gratification. Men of the twice-born orders, who offer sacrifices in this river to the lord of sacrifice, PumshOttama, obtain whatever they desire, either here or in heaven. Saints who are purified from all evil by bathing in its, waters, and whose minds are intent on Kcsava (Vishnu), acquire thereby final liberation. This sacred• stream, heard of, desired, seen, touched, bathed in, or hymned day by day, sactifics all beings; and those who, even at a distance of a hundred leagues, exclaim 'Gana, Gangti,' atone for the sins committed during three previous lives." How far the belief expressed in the latter passage was carried at a period pfobably succeeding that of the composition of the Vishnu‘Purdna may be seen from a legend which occurs in the Kriyayoonsikra,. the sixth division of the Padma-Puriina. This Purina relates that a king, Manobhadra, having grown old and weak, resolved upon dividing his kingdom between his two song. He therefore convoked a council of his ministers, when, of a sudden, a vulture and his mate flew into the hall, to the surprise of the whole assembly. Questioned about the purpose of their visit, they replied that, having witnessed the evil luck of the two princes in a former birth, they now came to rejoice in their happiness. The king's curiosity having been roused, the male vulture then said, that in the age called Dwripara, the two princes had been two men of low caste, called Gara and Sangara, and when dead, were brought before Yama, the judge of the dead, who sentenced them to be thrown into a fearful hell. Their lives had indeed been faultless; no sin had been corn. witted by them, but whenever they gave alms they did not offer them to a Brahmana, and thus robbing the latter of the property which otherwise would have come to him, they became candidates for hell. Ile, the vulture, had come to the same place, because, when being a noble Brahmana, Sarvasa, he slighted his parents. Now the period of their sentence having expired, he was reborn as a member of the vulture tribe, which is living on the flesh of the dead, whereas they became a couple of locusts. Once, how ever, a hurricane arose, and threw the locusts into the G.; there they died; but having found their death in the water of the river which destroys all guilt, the servants of Vishnu came with heavenly chariots to conduct them to his town. Having stayed there up to the end of the third Kalpa, they were by Brahman to enjoy themselves iu the paradise of Dut•a; and after a certain time they were reborn in the family of Manob hadra, ultimately to rule his country. , All the hymns addressed to the G.—and a remarkable one occurs in the same division of the Padma-Pardnapartly allude to the legends mentioned before, or to other feats of purification worked by the sacred water of this river. Its efficacy is deemed, however, greatest at the spot where the G. joins the Yaniunii, or Jumna, at Allahabad, and—the latter river having previously received the Saraswati below Delhi—where in reality the waters of the three sacred rivers meet. In some representations of Siva, the Gangff is seen, in his hair, and the river issuing front her mouth; site is also pictured, as Moor tells in the Hindu Pantheon, as part of the Trirenf or sacred triad of the rivers just named, when she is white, and bears the forehead mark of Siva; on her right is Saraswati, red, and with a roll of paper in her hand; on her left, Yamunii, as Lakshmi, the deity of this river, blue, and holding a golden jar. The whole group is riding on a fish; the fish, the clothing of the goddesses, and the glory encircling their heads, being of gold.—Gangii is also considered as the mother of the god of war. See KARTIKEYA.