Kaveri - The Dakshina Ganga

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!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

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Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Saraswati,

Narmade Sindhu Kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru

In this water, I invoke the presence of holy waters from the rivers Ganga,

Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri

 

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Kaveri is one of the most important rivers in India, it also forms part of the

Sapta Sindhu or the 'Seven Sacred Rivers'. Kaveri originates from the

Brahmagiri, Talakaveri in the Coorg district where the Western Ghats form a

sharp angle with the Bengunad range. The Kanike, another stream which also rises

nearby, joins Kaveri at the foot of the hill in the Bhagamandala village.

Sujyothi, a third river, is also said to join Kaveri here unseen, like the river

Saraswati, which is believed to merge with the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag.

 

According to another popular legend, the river Ganga also joins Kaveri

underground once a year during the Tulamasa in order to purify herself from the

pollution caused by the crowds of sinners who bathe in her waters all the year

round.

 

People believe Kaveri to be as sacred as the Ganga throughout its course, with

the same power to wash off all one's sins. Bhagamandala, where the three rivers

meet, is believed to be the most sacred spot of all. There are temples all along

the banks of the river visited by thousands of pilgrims. Kaveri is joined by

several rivers at different places. Some of the important ones are Kakkabe,

Kadanur, Kummahole, Hemavathi, Lakshmanatirtha and Shimsha. Finally it flows

into the Bay of Bengal in the Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu.

 

There are several legends about how the river Kaveri was created. Chapters 11-14

of the Skanda Purana (also known as the Kaveri purana) relate many of them.

According to one of the most popular versions, when the Great Ocean was churned

by the devas and the asuras in order to obtain amrita, the elixir of life, Lord

Vishnu created Mohini, a non-pareil of infinite charm and appeal, to distract

the asuras and restore the elixir to the devas. Goddess Lakshmi also sent along

Lopamudre, an incarnation of Parvathi, to assist Mohini.

 

After the elixir was successfully restored to the devas Mohini retired to

Brahmagiri and turned into a rocky cave. Lord Brahma himself adopted Lopamudre

as his daughter. After some years Kavera, a sage of renown, came to the

Brahmagiri to meditate. Kavera was lonely and prayed to Lord Brahma that he

might be blessed with a child. Brahma was pleased by Kavera's devotion and gave

him Lopamudre for a daughter, renaming her 'Kaveri'.

 

Kaveri was very keen that her adopted father should have every happiness and

prosperity in life as well as a land full of good and happy people. So she

returned to Brahmagiri and prayed to Lord Brahma that she might turn into a

river and flow through the country, pouring her blessings on the people and

turning the land green and fertile. She also prayed that her waters might be so

holy that all those who took a dip in it might be freed from all their sins.

Brahma granted her both the boons readily and Kaveri was happy.

 

But something else was to happen to her before the boons could be fulfilled.

Sage Agastya happened to see Kaveri when she was deep in meditation on the

Brahmagiri. He fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. Although her

heart was set on turning into a river of blessings, Kaveri could not refuse sage

Agastya. But she made him promise that if ever he left her alone too long she

would have the right to forsake him and go her way. Agastya promised and kept

his word faithfully for some time.

 

But one day he got busy in a theological discussion with his disciples and lost

track of time. Kaveri waited patiently for a while. After many hours had passed

and there was no trace of the sage she jumped into Agastya's special holy tank

and flowed from there like a river. As soon as the disciples of Agastya saw what

had happened they tried to stop her from flowing away. But Kaveri promptly went

underground and appeared again at Bhaganda Kshetra and flowed on toward

Valambari and finally into the Bay of Bengal. And it has been worshipped as a

sacred river throughout its course ever since.

 

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Ganapati & Kaveri ---

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To bring water to the arid areas of South, Sage Agastya with the blessings of

Brahma obtained water in his Kamndalu (the vessel used to hold water for rituals

of worship) from Shiva. He then came down south wanting to find the ideal spot

from which the river could flow, and reached the Kodagu (Coorg) hills. He called

out to a little boy (Ganesha in disguise), and asked him to hold the vessel

carefully while he searched around for a good spot. Ganesha, in his wisdom,

selected the right place for the origin of the river, and left the Kamandalu on

the ground at that spot. A crow came and sat on the vessel and when Agastya

returned and saw it, he shooed it away. When it flew of, it upset the Kamandalu

and the water gushing forth was the sacred River Kaveri flowing from the spot

now known as Talakaveri. There is a shrine near the kundike and a big tank in

front of it where devotees baths before offering prayers. There are 2 temples, a

Shiva temple and with a rare and ancient Shiva Linga, and another temple

dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This temple has a holy Ashwantha tree where,

according to legend, the Trimurti's - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh gave Darshan to

sage Agastya. According to a different version of the above legend, Vishnu Maya

became a dwarf and Agastya carried her in a small mud pot to south India. In

south India, God Ganesha turned the pot upside down. Immediately, Vishnu Maya

emerged out of the pot and assumed the form of the river Kaveri !

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Hare Krishna

Hare Rama

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