Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/128

122 you the boon you ask," and a moment later he had vanished from King Bhagirath's sight. The Lord Brahmadeva went to Vaikunth to speak with the Lord Vishnu and obtained from him a promise to send down the Ganges River to earth. A few moments later the inhabitants of King Bhagirath's kingdom saw a more wonderful sight than they could ever have imagined. Above their heads the skies opened. A gigantic column of water miles wide shot forth with terrific speed from the heavens towards the earth. It was teeming with life of all kinds and in the mass of waters the people of Ayodhya could distinctly see fish in myriads and water-tortoises and crocodiles. But they held their hands before their faces in terror, because they feared that the mass of water would destroy all things living upon the earth.

Suddenly they saw a mighty figure standout upon one of the mountains to the north of Ayodhya city. As he stood, his hairs grew until they stretched to every point of the horizon. And as the foaming mass neared the earth the hairs drew together the falling waters and held them firmly imprisoned. Thus the Lord Shiva stopped the Ganges River. It was in vain that for a whole year the mighty stream dashed in and out of the great god's locks. Nowhere could she find an outlet. At last she prayed to the great god to release her and promised that if he would, she would not plunge through the earth but would flow over its surface until she lost herself in the ocean. After the Ganges had made the promise the god Shiva shook his head. Then streams splashed out in all directions from the god's locks to the earth. But the bulk of the heavenly river fell to the east and then flowing through the northern plains rolled mild and peaceful towards the sea.