to srini about Ganga Mata

[Guest guest]

srini wrote:

 

The story of Ganga from Swamiji's Swami Purana is now available for you to

download and

read at

 

http://www.shreemaa.org/drupal/node/118

 

It's called Story of Ganga Devi.

 

 

 

Dear srini ~ I have the book and so I read the story before taking my nap

today. I am still a digest behind and am hoping to get through this one before I

crash. Anyway, what a wonderful story. I could "hear" Swamiji telling it, in

certain parts, just the way he so enthusiastically tells stories and shares

information. One of the surprises for me was to learn that Saraswati is

associated with Rajas. I never would have thought that, although to bring out the

fruit of knowledge and the arts and music, in some way this makes sense.

 

Reading that the Ganga was born from the union of Sri Krsna and Radha was so

wonderful. Also that Ganga was/is a "person/Goddess" and a river. In Native

American Spirituality, everything that is, is thought to possess a "personal"

spirit, even a deer, or an ant, or the moon ... and hence, the term, "all my

relations," for everything that exists is within this belief, a personal

relation ... sister, brother, cousin, wife, husband, aunt, uncle ... to

everything else. Reading the story of Ganga reminded me of this.

 

I have to admit I was a bit surprised to read of Sri Krsna inciting all

these Goddesses to want to unite with Him and thus upsetting his wife, Radha. And

how each of the Goddesses left Her Body and became something else, (a river

in the case of Ganga, the Quality of Radiance in the case of Sobbha, and the

quality of Peace in the case of Shanti) out of fear of Radha or embarrassment

at being caught. Although, I am very familiar with the stories of Krsna and

the Gopis, so I know He is completely irresistible. : )

 

The story is quite colorful ... even after Saraswati and Ganga become the

wives of Narayana, along with Laksmi, still there is more jealousy and fighting,

and mutual curses being lobbed about. I am still trying to understand what

is the message here. So in the end, each of the Gods ends up with one wife.

So, this is the story of the birth of the River Ganges? And/or it is the story

of why monogamy is better than polygamy? Or is there some larger lesson,

Swami is imparting that I'm missing?

 

Jai Swamiji! ~ Linda