Ganga's Catharsis
It started with a look of desire...
Ganga spent most of her
time watching humans from heaven. She was particularly interested in
the humans who were in love. She watched couples play, laugh, and
tease all day. She wanted this for herself. She wanted to know how it
felt to be wanted. Most importantly, Ganga wanted to know how
it felt to be in love.
Ganga spent many restless
nights trying to figure out how she could fall in love. She
thought of every god in heaven and did not find one appealing. She knew
she could easily have any god with her grace and beauty, but she
wanted more than a physical attraction.
She woke up one night and
decided to take a walk in Vishnu's beautiful garden. The night air
cooled her skin and the fragrant lavenders calmed her. Vishnu heard
Ganga in his garden and went to visit her.
"My beautiful Ganga, what are you doing here at
this time?"
"I came to calm my mind. Your garden has such
soothing affects."
"What has been bothering you, my child?"
"I want to be in love. Real true love. How do I
find that?"
"Ah, that is what every human seeks. Love cannot be
found if you are searching for it. Love has to find you. My wife and
soul mate Lakshmi found me on Earth when I was not looking for her. The
instant I gazed into her eyes I knew she was my soul mate. Dearest
Ganga, love will come to you but you must be patient."
Ganga left Vishnu's garden
feeling refreshed and reassured. She stopped watching humans and day
dreaming. She did not want to live through other people's lives. She
began visiting Brahma everyday. They would walk around beautiful
forests with golden trees and jeweled flowers.
Brahma explained to her
all the riddles of creation and everything humans have no answer for.
She enjoyed her time spent with Brahma, but felt a longing in her heart
that she could not cure.
Days later Ganga woke up
with a stronger feeling in her heart. She immediately went to Brahma's
living corridors but he was instead entertaining other gods. As she
turned to leave she saw the god Mahabhisha. Her heart
immediately jumped into her throat. She could hardly contain herself.
She felt attracted to him and something else...something more....
Hearing her gasp, Mahabhisha
turned around to look at her. The instant he met her gaze, he felt the
same intense longing that she had previously felt. He walked over to
her and without saying a word took her hand and led her away from the
onlookers. Mahabhisha said "Ganga, when I look at you I
feel more alive than I have ever felt. I am full of emotion for you!"
As he said this, Mahabhisha
began to perspire and his garland faded around him. His soul was being
taken to earth to be reborn.
Ganga could not live
without Mahabhisha: where ever he went, she would
follow. She followed him all the way to earth, where they were
incarnated as humans in love.
Author's Note: In this story I wanted to examine the
character of Ganga and the concept of love. Ganga goes through a
transformation in the story. In the beginning she does not fully
understand love and lives through the humans she watches. She then goes
through a stage where she is so obsessed with the idea of love that it
is physically painful. I brought the character of Vishnu back because
this story somewhat parallels my first story of Rama and Sita.
When Ganga meets the eyes of her true love, she has a
catharsis, realizing that love has found her. In this story
I implied that Ganga and Mahabhisha
were soul mates. The point of mentioning soul mates is
making the assumption that there is only one soul mate for each
soul. In Buck's version of this story I believe they were more
physically attracted than in love. My story also mentions love as being
more than lust, and also being lifelong. Ganga and Mahabhisha
were
together in heaven and earth. Ganga's love for Mahabhisha was so
great that she followed him to earth. She gave up being a god for Mahabhisha.
Through this act I hoped to convey how selfless Ganga's love is
for Mahabhisha.
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Bibliography:
Buck, William. Mahabharata. Berkeley: University of Californa Press,
1973.
Pictre One- Ganga, The River Goddes. Websource: Divine Society of
South Africa
Picture Two- Lavendars WebSource: Green
Heart Canopy Walk Way
Picture Three- Ganga and Mahabhisha. Websource: Stories
About Shiva
