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Aspects of Brahmanical Influence on the Faina Mythology
around Aştapada and started filling it with the waters of the Ganga by splitung its bank with the staff-jewel (Danda-Talna). But the influx of the waters into the moat, which was dug down to the habitat of the serpents, caused great upheaval among them and infuriated their lord Dharanindra to the degree that he burnt them to ashes with his fiery glance
The Brahmanical epic-Purānic textses tell the story of the destruccion of Sagara's sons almost in similar way. The legend in brief is that the 60,000 brothers were directed by their father, Sagara, to follow his sacrificial horse. But during its wandering the horse disappeared into the carth Now to search out the horse the princes dug down the ocean to the lower region (Patāla), where they found the horse near the hermitage of sagt Kapıla The insolent princes accused the sage of the theft, which enraged him to such a degree that he reduced them all, except four, to a heap of ashes Later, Sagara's great grandson, Bhagiratha25 through his severe penance, effected the descent of Gangā on earth and caused the celesual river to flow tơ the ocean where she sanctified the remains of Bhagiratha's forefathers and conveyed their souls to beaven The legend further adds that during its course from Sankara's head to the earth and thence to the ocean, the river inundated the sacrificial ground of the royal sage, Jahnu26, who thereupon drank up its waters, but being entreated by the sages be released the stream through his ears. We are further told that as the Gangā was brought down on earth by Bhagiratha, so she earned the name Bhägirathi.2? And as she was,
24 Vāgup 88 141-48. HV 114 2181 Ves p 4 4 4-22 MBL. 3 107,4-33.
Rámi 1 88 to 1 41. 25. Dayup 47.24-40, 88 167-704. V4 p 4.4 85. HV 1 15.15-16 MBb.
3 107.67 to 109 19 Rāmā. 1 38-41 26 Väyup 91 54-582 , HV I 27 4-8 , Veş p. 473-6, MB., 13 4 3. Bd.
m 66 25-28 , Br 10.15-19, 18 83-86. 27. tas at TSTATYTHTF fi तस्माद् भागीरथी गगा कथ्यते वशवित्तमै ॥
Payu, 88,169, HV. 1.16.10.
