By Dhirasanta dasa
Mother Ganges is not only an Indian river but it's a universal river. It flows throughout the universe purifying even the great sages and demigods. The river Ganges is famous for her purifying effect. Sometimes within the Ganges water there are many stools and other dirty things which are washed away from neighboring mills and factories, but still thousands of men take baths in the Ganges water, and they are very healthy as well as spiritually inclined. That is the effect of Ganges water.
The Ganges is glorified because it emanates from the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, if one takes to the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, or takes to Krishna consciousness, he is immediately cleansed of the many dirty things which have accumulated in his innumerable births. We have seen that in spite of the very black record of our past lives, persons who take to Krishna consciousness become perfectly cleansed of all dirty things and make spiritual progress very swiftly.
In Srimad Bhagavatam also, Sukadeva Gosvämi describes the glories of the Ganges River. The water of the Ganges is called patita-pävana, the deliverer of all sinful living beings. It is a proven fact that a person who regularly bathes in the Ganges is purified both externally and internally. Externally his body becomes immune to all kinds of disease, and internally he gradually develops a devotional attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
The nails of the Lord Vamanadeva pierced
through all the layers of the Universe and made a hole penetrating into the spiritual world. From this hole,
the water of the Ganges (Viraja) infiltrated into this material world.
The Ganges is the only celestial river which flows throughout the universe, and great sages benefit from it all over the universe. Whoever touches the water of the Ganges to their head surely touches the lotus feet of the Lord directly and can become free from all effects of sinful acts.
If after taking a bath in the Ganges or being washed of all sins, a man guards himself against, then certainly he is delivered. But if he again takes up sinful activities, his bath in the Ganges is as good as that of the elephant, who nicely takes his bath in a river but later spoils the whole thing by covering himself with dust on the land.
But have anyone thought of who purifies Mother Ganges? She purifies all sinful men and takes their sins on her head but how does she get purified? The answer to this question is also given in the Vedic Scriptures.
In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, in a conversation with Ganga Devi, Lord Krishna describes that after 5,000 years of Kali-yuga have passed, His devotee will appear and spread the chanting of Krishna's names (in the form of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra) not only in India but throughout the world.
Lord Krishna explains that by the chanting of His holy names the whole world will become spiritualized and everyone will be hari-bhaktas, engaged in the process of devotion to the Supreme. The purified devotees will visit the holy places and holy rivers of India and will purify them. They will also purify those with whom they come in contact.
Mother Ganga
