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The only way to cleanse one of sins permanently is to bathe in the Atman. What does bathing in a Tirtha mean?
Tirtha
Tuladhara said, ‘ All rivers are as sacred as the Saraswati, and all
mountains are sacred. O Jajali, the Soul is itself a Tirtha. Do not
wander about on the Earth for visiting sacred places. A person, by
observing these duties ( that ...
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As per the scripture, river Ganga is considered sacred because it has arisen from the feet of Vishnu and destroys the sins of a person:
caraṇābjasamudbhutā gaṃgā nameti viśrutā
pāpāanāṃ sthūlarāśīnāṃ naśinī śeti nārada [Padma Pu. - 6.22.3]
Meaning
O Narada, renowned as Ganga, it has arisen from the lotus like feet (of Vishnu) and destroys ...
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There are some Shloka found in Parashar Smriti, 12th Chapter source1 source2 source3 source4.
प्रभासादीनि तीर्थानि गंगाद्या सरितस्तथा।
विप्रस्य दक्षिणे कर्णे वसन्ति मनुरब्रवीत॥
According to Manu Prabhas and other teerthas, Ganga and other rivers reside in Brahmana's right ear.
अग्निरापश्च वेदाश्च सोमः सूर्योऽनिलस्तथा।
सर्वे देवास्तु विप्रस्य कर्णे तिष्ठन्ति ...
answered Sep 11 '16 at 9:09
Triyugi Narayan Mani
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This is neither a sectarian literature nor an unpopular story. Ramayana has many versions. One of them is from Padma Purana. The story mentioned is present in Padma Purana Uttara Khanda chapter 242.
271-273. Then Rama, killer of his enemies, having gone to the Pampa lake killed there the demon Kabandha of a fierce form. The very vigorous one, having ...
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Puranas don't contradict with it. One must also have internal Purity while taking dip in holy waters. The significance of taking dip in Ganga is mentioned in many scriptures. Not only Ganga, taking dip in any holy-water body (be it Pushkaram or Kumbha Mela or some other occasion) with internal purity will wash our bad karma. Skanda Purana describes many such ...
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The origin of Godawari river is given in Vaman Purana (Chapter 13 , Shloka 30 - Description of Bhuvan Kosha)
Here are the Sanskrit Shlokas-:
शिवा पायोषनि निर्विन्ध्या तापी सनिषधावति॥28॥ वेणा वैतरणी चैव
सिनिबाहु: कुमुद्वती । तोया रेव महागौरी दुर्गन्धा वाशिला तथा
॥29॥ विन्ध्यपादप्रसूताश्च नद्य: पुण्यजला: शुभा: ।
Shiva Payoshani Nirvindhya Tapi ...
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Valmiki Ramayana states that Ganga is considered sacred because it came by touching Anga (Head) of Lord Shiva:
तत्र ऋषि गण गन्धर्वा वसुधा तल वासिनः १-४३-२६
भव अंग पतितम् तोयम् पवित्रम् इति पस्पृशुः |
And asserting that the water as holy, because it descended touching the body of Shiva, viz., the head of Shiva, the assemblages of sages, gandharva-s, ...
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A dip in Ganga river does remove all the sins when it is done with śraddhā and bhakti. To do so, the words śraddhā and bhakti should be understood.
Bhakti is well known to everyone. Narada Bhakti Sūtras talks about nine forms of Bhakti. Ādi Śaṅkarācārya says mokṣa sādhana sāmagryāṃ bhaktireva garīyasi meaning Bhakti is the main tool among all in the practice ...
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Yes the location is mentioned at multiple places in the holy books. According to various Hindu scriptures it originated in the Himalayas and ran a full course through the modern states of Haryana, Rajasthan and the adjoining region of Pakistan till it emptied itself into the ocean at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat. I shall share with you all the details I could ...
answered Jan 19 '18 at 12:36
Dr. Vineet Aggarwal
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Looks like there are statements not to name them after rivers.
Manu gives some characteristics of a woman a twice born man should not marry.
naṛkṣavṛkṣanadīnāmnīṃ nāntyaparvatanāmikām |
na pakṣyahipreṣyanāmnīṃ na ca bhīṣaṇanāmikām || 9 ||
Nor one bearing the name of an asterism, or a tree, or a river; nob one having her name after a low caste or ...
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Yes the story is mentioned at various places but it is not Shiva's energy but that of a rishi Aurva that turns into the Vadavagni.
SECTION CLXXX of the Adi Parva of Mahabharat gives the detailed story:
There was a celebrated king of the name of Kritavirya. That bull among the kings of the earth was the disciple of the Veda-knowing Bhrigus. That king, O ...
answered Jan 18 '18 at 13:12
Dr. Vineet Aggarwal
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Please see SECTION CXXXV of Mahabharata
Lomasa said, 'Here, O king, is visible the river Samanga, whose former
name was Madhuvila, and yonder is the spot named Kardamila, the
bathing place of Bharata. The lord of Sachi, when fallen into misery
in consequence of having slain Vritra, became freed from his sin, by
performing his ablutions in this Samanga. Here,...
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According to Śrimad Vyāsa Mahābhārat 3.136.24 (Kumbakonam) the river was the sacrificial ground of Varuṇa Dev, where the Vāndin (son of Varuṇa Dev; the one who used to debate in the court of King Janaka) used to cast the Brāhmaṇa-s who were defeated by him in debate (which included, Śri Aṣṭāvakra's father) to commence a sacrifice in the river:
अहं पुत्रो ...
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Yes, the Purāṇas do contradict each other and they also contradict itihāsas like Rāmāyana and Mahābhāratha on this topic.
The same Padma Purāṇa at a different place for example says:
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - The Greatness of Narmadā
(Vol. III)
Yudhisthira said:
1-3. O Nārada, I desire to ...
answered Oct 9 '16 at 21:27
Say No To Censorship
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The Devi Bhagavata Purana and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana mention the process of worshiping Ganga.In the context of Bhagiratha's penance to bring the holy river on earth.
It was the Grandson of Asamanja and the son of Ansuman- the
illustrious Bhagiratha, who made persistent efforts to meditate Devi
Ganga, Vishnu and Sankara and finally succeeded in ...
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There are different stories related to different rivers but most of them land up in the mortal plane because of certain curses. According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana Yamuna was born from Viraja, a cowherdess living in Goloka Vrindavan after a curse by Radha ji.
Ordered by Lord Krsna in Goloka, Yamuna, the best of rivers circumambulated the Lord and was ...
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During the course of Hinduism, the local elements played a crucial role in forming the sacred.
During the Rigvedic Ages, Saraswati and Indus played a crucial role in forming the hymns and myths.
During the Vedic Ages, mainly Upanishads and Puranas, which occurred in the Gangatic Planes, Ganga and it's tributaries gained more prominence and importance.
...
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There is a Saraswati river in gujarat, near sidhhpur.
Saraswati River, Gujarat, Wikipedia
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Gangotri with Shiva's locks - 2004 or 2005
Speaking from personal experience, having been to Gangotri and Gomukh, at Gangotri there are rock formations that resemble long locks of hair. I think the story 'grew' around the formation of rocks, in other words, the rocks were there first. But remember, Gangotri and Gomukh are the source of Mother Ganga - not ...
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The legend of the Bāhudā river and the two Ṛṣi-brothers Sankha and Likhita finds mention in Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva, Ch. 23.
The story in short from the website kanipakam.com:
The legend behind Bahuda River
Long ago there lived two brothers Sankha and Likhita. They were on a pilgrimage to Kanipakam. As the journey was tiring, the younger brother ...
answered Sep 17 '16 at 22:46
Say No To Censorship
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Manu Smriti:
Let him not marry..
..Nor one named after a constellation, a tree, or a river, nor one
bearing the name of a low caste, or of a mountain, nor one named after
a bird, a snake, or a slave, nor one whose name inspires terror.
People generally look to Lalitha-Sahasranama, or Lakshmi-Ashotra when naming girl-children, and Vishnu-...
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The shloka mentioned in the question is as follows.
प्रस्थे हिमवतो रम्ये मालिनीमभितोनदीम् |
जातमुत्युज्य तं गर्भ मेनका मालिनीमनु'॥
Malini is the river originating in Shivalika mountain range in the state of Uttarakhand (India) and is flowing through Uttar Pradesh merge with holy river Ganga flowing through cities Bijnor and Najibabad . Actually ...
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It appears in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana.
After descending from Heaven on the head of Shiva and from there to Earth, Ganga started following the course Bhagiratha took.
As she inundated the field, where Sage Jahnu was performing a Vedic ritual, the latter got angry and drank the entire water of Ganga.
ततो हि यजमानस्य जह्नोरद्भुतकर्मणः ||१-४३-३४ ...
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Yes many aquatic species are mentioned in the texts including doplhins, sharks, turtles and whales. The Dolphin (or Śiśumāra) is in fact associated with many gods including Varun, the Lord of the Ocean & Shri Krishna/Vishnu:
Vaman Puran Chapter 9 Verse 17 (Page 44 in this document) mentions:
Śiśumāra called jaladhi is the carriage of Varuna. It was ...
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A line in Valimiki’s Ramayana verses highlights
the force by which Ganga emerged from Shiva's locks.
Many species such as animals, fish and the
Shishumaar—the dolphin were borne of this force.
Reference
In many temples, a half fish or seal with the head of an
elephant is depicted. It could also be shown with the head and jaws
like a crocodile, an elephant ...
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Yes, bathing in Ganges washes away the effect of your sins to a certain extent.
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna / Volume 2 / The Master and Buddha:
DR. SREENATH (to his friends): "Everything is under the control of Prakriti. Nobody can escape the fruit of past action. This is called prarabdha."
MASTER (Sri Ramakrishna): "Why, if one chants the name ...
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SIVAPURANA: VIDYESVARA SAMHITA: Chapter 12 mentions the fruits of bathing in different rivers in different solar months. Here is the relevant verse for bathing in Kaveri in the Tulā month:
[Suta said]
The great river Kaveri flowing from the mountain Sahya is very holy and is said to have twenty-seven mouths. It accords all cherished desires. Its ...
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Keeping in mind the various points of view expressed in the OP and the comments above, it would be best if we approach this from the point of view of etymology.
The word "sarasvatī सरस्वती" etymologically means one who has a lot of speed and flow, from the root dhātu "sṛ सृ".
So the word would be originally used to describe a mighty river ...
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Appearantly, the “Sindhu” is also regarded as a male river:
sindhu m. and f. (prob. fr.1. sidh-,"to go") a river, stream (especially the indu-s, and in this sense said to be the only river regarded as m.See -nada-, column 2) etc. View this entry on the original dictionary page scan.
http://sanskritdictionary.com/?iencoding=iast&q=sindhu&...
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