Let me tell you a sacred tale as sung in the ancient Purāṇas, where the wise are guided to virtue and liberation. First, it is taught that one should abandon all evil intentions and, firmly established in one’s own duty, offer proper food and gentle massage to those who are weary. It is also right to provide clothes and blankets to the poor and virtuous, to listen with devotion to the divine stories of Hari and the origin of the holy Gaṅgā. By proceeding in this way, one attains the full merit of visiting a sacred ford. Once, the three-eyed Lord Tryambaka spoke to the sage Gautama, who was surrounded by other great sages. “O Gautama,” he said, “at every two arm-lengths along this river, sacred fords will arise, for I am present everywhere, granting all desires. The Narmadā, the best of rivers, flows from the Amarakantaka mountain; there, the Yamunā joins her, and at Prabhāsa, the Sarasvatī. Where the Kṛṣṇā, Bhīmarathī, and Tuṅgabhadrā meet, O Nārada, that ford grants liberation to men. Where the Payoṣṇī joins, that place too bestows liberation. But this Gautamī, dear child, is wherever I command her to be. For all people, at all times, bathing here will grant liberation. At certain times, some fords are most holy, especially when the gods descend. Yet for all, at all times, Gautamī is the sacred ford—there is no doubt. She stretches for three and a half crores, two hundred yojanas. O best of sages, sacred fords will arise here, O Gautama. This is the Maheśvarī Gaṅgā, also called Gautamī and Vaiṣṇavī. Brāhmī, Godāvarī, Nandā, Sunandā—the wish-granting river—were all brought forth by Brahma’s energy, and each destroys all sins. By mere remembrance, she destroys heaps of sin and is always dear to me. Among the five elements, water has attained supremacy, and among waters, those that are sacred fords are considered supreme. Among them, Bhāgīrathī is the best, and Gautamī is her equal. The Gaṅgā was brought with matted locks; nothing else brings such auspiciousness. Whether in heaven, on earth, or in the netherworld, the sacred ford grants all aims, O sage. Thus, O son, this was told to the great-souled Gautama directly by Hari, who was pleased, and I have now conveyed it to you. In this way, the Gautamī Gaṅgā is considered superior to all; her true nature has been described—what more could one wish to hear? She is described as twofold, though she is one, O best of the gods. One division has been told, brought by a Brahmin. Another portion was brought by a Kshatriya and remained in the matted locks of the god of gods, Bhava. Tell me about that. In the lineage of Vaivasvata, descending from the Ikṣvāku dynasty, there was once a king named Sagara, exceedingly righteous. He was devoted to sacrifice and giving, always engaged in the practice and reflection on dharma. He had two wives, both devoted to him, but he had no progeny and became anxious. He invited the sage Vasiṣṭha to his house, honored him properly, and then spoke to him about his wish for sons. Hearing the king’s words, the sage contemplated and then addressed Sagara: “O king, always, together with your wives, be devoted to honoring the sages.” Having spoken thus, the sage departed to his own place. Later, that treasury of austerity, the sage, came again to the royal sage’s house. Sagara performed worship for the sage, who, being satisfied, said, “Ask for a boon, O highly fortunate one.” The king requested sons. The sage then granted this boon: “May one wife bear a son who continues the lineage, and may the other have sixty thousand sons.” After granting the boon, the sage departed, and in due course, sons were born by the thousands. Sagara performed many sacrifices, including great horse-sacrifices with abundant gifts. In one such horse-sacrifice, the king was duly initiated, and he assigned his sons, along with their armies, to guard the consecrated horse. At one point, Indra seized the horse. Though the sons searched, they could not find it. These sixty thousand sons, skilled in various forms of warfare, saw demons among themselves as they watched. Taking the consecrated horse, the demons went to the netherworld, but the Sagaras could not see them, for the demons were endowed with illusion. Not finding the horse, the mighty sons of Sagara wandered here and there, but still did not see the animal. They went to the world of the gods, searched mountains, lakes, and forests, but found nothing. The king, having completed the auspicious rites and received blessings from the priests, became anxious because he did not see the beautiful sacrificial horse. All the sons, called the Oceans, wandered and reached the world of the gods, searching for the horse, but even there it was not found. They returned to earth, to the mountains and forests, but still did not find it. At that moment, a divine voice spoke: “The horse is bound in the netherworld, not elsewhere, O Oceans.” Hearing this, the Oceans, desiring to reach the netherworld, dug up the entire earth all around. Hungry, they ate dry earth day and night, and digging, they quickly reached the netherworld. When the mighty and accomplished sons of the king—the Oceans—arrived, the terrified demons fled to the sage Kapila.