Ganga the redeemer- Alphabet G # a to z challenge

          

  Part - 1

  Mother

The many named one

Ganga, Bhagirathi, Thripataga

Sri Vishnu as Vamana

Pierced some other world 

With his toe

And you seeped through that hole

First washing over His feet

  Thus becoming ever venerated

     To settle in Swarga

          Swirling in your own waters

Until sent down to Earth by Brahma

On Bhagirath's plea

To free his ancestors

Accursed sons of Sagara

You came with 

A thundering majesty

Deciding to wash off  Martyaloka altogether

But wait

You were locked as you dropped

In the tresses of the Ascetic of Kailasa

And had to calm your flow

You had no other go

Before you redeemed those souls

And flowed down to Patala

You left behind a steady stream

Of blessings for us mortals.

Part - 2

Married to King Santanu
In beauteous mortal form
All of it pre-planned
To free the Vasus

On the condition that
You be not questioned
Love-lorn Shantanu agreed
But could not bear

The sight of you drowning
Son after son
And lost you when he
Stopped you at the eighth





 
 True to word you left,
Baby Devavrat in your arms
And brought him back when older
One who became the Pitaamaha
Of the mighty Kuru clan

One known for the toughest pledge
The one and only-Bhishma
Finally freed on the bed of arrows
In the Mahabharata war

You flowed pristine and shimmering
Blessing and redeeming
All your children through the ages
The masses still thronging
Half-heeding of the Sages

Mother you need our care today
We dare not turn our backs
For what sort of an offspring would that be
That smote thy loving hand.

* If interested check this out.
http://www.gangarights.org/what-you-can-do/learn/ganga-endangered/

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)