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The Birth of the Ganges The divine river spilled over in a shattering descent from the lotus feet of Vishnu - Swami Jyotirmayananda |
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In ancient times there lived a great emperor Sagara who ruled over many states. Sagara had two wives, Sumati and Keshini. Sumati gave birth to 60,000 sons and Keshini had a single son Asamanjasa. With the help of the 60,000 sons of Sumati, king Sagara began to perform the Asvamedha Yajna, a ritual that allowed a powerful king to establish his supremacy over the other kings in his vicinity. |
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Indra’s Fear |
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If a person were to perform a hundred of these, he would become Indra. That is, he would become the ruler of the heavenly world. The moment Indra saw that Sagara had successfully performed 99 such yajnas, he began to fear for his position. To prevent the hundredth sacrifice from being completed, Indra stole the horse of the yajna and took it down a cavern deep in the netherworld where sage Kapila, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, practiced austerities and deep meditation. There Indra tied the horse next to the place where sage Kapila sat deep in meditation. |
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© "Tattvaloka" (November, 2003) published by Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal Education Trust, Abhinav Centre, # 4 (Old 19), Co-operative Colony, Chennai 600 018. Website: www.tattvaloka.com. Reprinted with permission. |
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