Mountains, Rivers, Fire and Rain

• Waters as the life-creating and life-sustaining feminine principle- RV refers to the water as the
goddess; Creation from the primordial waters from the which the cosmic Purusha emerged;
waters also seen as having a sacred, purificatory character – a medium for spiritual
enlightenment

Rivers (Godavari & the cow)

 Parvati jealous of Ganga; Ganesha, Skanda and their attenedant Jaya decide to help; famine;
Gautama holding a sacrifice at brahmagiri; sages assemble; jaya takes the form of a cow; cow
grazes Gautama’s field; Gautama beats the cow and the cow dies; ganesha appears in the form
of a Brahmin and asks him to get ganga there to wash away his sin of gauhatya; gautama’s
propitiates shiva; shiva gives the boon to bring ganga; ganga divides herself, comes down and
touches the dead cow; the cow comes alive;

Sarasvati (Mbh version)

 Several rishis from all over bhartavarsha came to attend the yagna conducted by Shaunaka at
Naimisharanya. As there was not enough space to accommodate all the rishis, the Sarasvati
changed her course to flow towards the east to to enable building of ashrams along her banks to
accommodate the rishis
 cow; the cow comes alive;

Sarasvati (the disappearance of the river)

 Lord Vishnu asked Sarasvati to carry the badwanal or badawagni (subterranean fire caused by
the severe penance of sage Aurva- Padma Purana) and dump it in the ocean near Prabhasa
kshetra. Sarasvati is believed to have entered the patala loka and carried the badwanal to the
oceans – clearly a reference to a geological phenomenon

 This story also has in it an etiological tale that explain why tides are formed. Sarasvati asked
Badwanal to become as small as the eye of the needle and keep sucking the ocean. Badwanal
complied and his sucking of the ocean waters and subsequent release causes the tides in the
oceans.

Ganga (Avataran)

 Quarrel among Vishnu’s wives: Devi Bhagwatam – Vishnu’s wives started to quarrel after Ganga
cast lustful eyes on Vishnu and Vishnu reciprocated; This was seen by Sarasvati who beat Ganga.
Lakshmi tried to stop her. Sarsvati cursed her to be born on earth. Ganga was upset that
innocent Lakshmi had been cursed. She in turn cursed Sarasvati that she be born on earth as a
river. Sarasvati in turn cursed that Ganga be born on earth as a river. Vishnu then ordained that
the three goddesses be born on earth and Ganga and Sarasvati will respectively become the
consorts of Shiva and Brahma and return to the heavens after spending some time on the earth.
 Curse by Brahma: Mahabhishek went to satyalok after he had attained heaven. Ganga too
happened to be there. There they fell into lustful love for each other.Observing this, Brahma
cursed that they be born on earth and marry each other. Mahabhishek was Shantanu and
 Ganga married him. Ganga could however return to the heavens after delivering the
ashtavasus.

 Bhagiratha & Ganga: King Sagara’s sons born in the Ikshvaku dynasty were evil. Once they went
looking for the missing sacrificial horse of the Ashwamedha yagna performed by Sagara. They
met Kapila in Patala. They were about to attack the sage thinking that he had stolen the horse.
Kapila burnt them to ashes. Anshuman, Sagara’s grandson was assured that Anshuman’s
grandson would bring Ganga on earth and thus help perform the purificatory rites of Sagara’s
dead sons. Bhagiratha prayatna. Tapas for a 1000 years to Shiva. Shiva was pleased. Ganga came
down to the earth and washed over the ashes of Sagara’s sons.

Tapati (Tapati-Sagara Sangama)

• The confluence was considered so holy that the ocean god, Varuna, taking the form of a
Brahmana while asking for dana, requested Rama not to have a bath there because he would
gain enormous merit that he would never be separated from his wife and the purpose of his
incarnation to annihilate demons would remain unfulfilled

Narmada (Tapati-Sagara Sangama)

• Once, Ganga fell exhausted by washing aways the sins of sinners. She performed a penance on
the banks of the Narmada at Gangavahaka. Vishnu appeared before her and told Ganga that she
should flow through a place called Shankoddhara into the Narmada and bathe there. Thus she
could share her burden with Ganga.

Rains

• Vedic concept of rains: Rains were a gift from gods. Gods repaid their debt to the humans for
the food they received from them as offerings; a symbiotic relationship; If gods are well-fed
from the sacrificial offerings, they ensure that the rains fall on time to enable a good harvest

• Vishnu’s sleep & Chaturmas: In the Vaishnava parampara, Lord Vishnu goes to sleep on his
Shesha naga in the Ksheerasagara on Shayani Ekadashi and wakes up four months later on
Prabodhini Ekadashi. This four month period called the Chaturmas coincides with the monsoon
months from mid July to mid November.

Rains

• Indra’s pride humbled by Agastya: (Indra jealous of Agastya’s sacrifices did not send
rain; Agastya assured everyone that if Indra did not send the rains, he himself would
become Indra to protect the subjects; Indra got scared and relented)

• Indra & Kamadhenu: Kamadhenu cried for her suffering children – cattle that worked
on the fields. Indra sent heavy rains that stopped ploughing activity and gave rest to the
cattle working in the fields
Fire

• Agni story from Shathapatha Brahmana: chosen as the Hotr priest passed away thrice and
hence they are mentioned as three fires (garhapatyam, dakshinam,Ahvaniyam); the fourth agni
concealed himself in the waters; the gods searched for him and found him. Agni told them to
revive the other 3 agnis so he could become their Hotr priest once again; hence the placement
of the paridhis (fence) on each side of the altar; the fourth side is the east side which is
protected by the sun. (So, no protecting paridhi on the eastern side) (early evidence of the
concept of agni as dikpala?)

Fire (Agni & Puloma)

• Bhrigu lived with PulomA; PulomA was left in the protection of Agni; An asura in love with
PulomA carried her away after finding out from Agni that the sage had not followed the proper
marriage rites; Bhrigu cursed Agni to become an omnivore…

• Ashamed, Agni hid himself in the oceans; Waters became too hot; frogs complained to the
devas; Agni cursed them to have tasteless tongues; Gods found him hiding in the Shami tree;
Brahma modified the curse – agni became a purifier

Videos

• https://www.templepurohit.com/agni-the-fire-god-of-hindus/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYvkYk7GvJ0 – Altar of fire (Frit Staal)

• https://www.ancient.eu/Agni/ - watch video