# गंगा (gaṃgā)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ganga

गंगा (gaṃgā) is a Sanskrit word meaning the river Ganges, the Ganges personified as a goddess, an epithet of Shiva, the ocean, an epithet of Bhishma, an epithet of Kartikeya. Its 7 recorded definitions are grouped into 3 contexts, among them Gaṅgā: The River and Goddess, Beings Associated with Gaṅgā, Mythological Narratives and Divine Roles of Gaṅgā.

- **SLP1:** `gaMgA`  **IAST:** gaṃgā  **Devanagari:** गंगा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganga_%28goddess%29
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ganga/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** गांग (gāṃga), गाङ्ग (gāṅga), गङ्गा (gaṅgā), गङ्ग (gaṅga), काङ्गा (kāṅgā)

## Meanings by context

### Gaṅgā: The River and Goddess (4 definitions)
- The river Ganges  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गंगा (gaṃgā) [Printed book page 0446-a ] गंगा (gaṃgā) [ गम् - गन् (gam-gan); Uṇādisūtras 1. 120 ] 1 The river Ganges, the most sacred river in India; अधोधो गंगेयं (adhodho gaṃgeyaṃ) पदमुपगता स्तोकमथवा (padamupagatā stokamathavā) Bhartṛhari’s three Śatakas (the figures 1., 2., 3. after Bh. denoting Śṛṅgāraº, Nītiº, and Vairāgyaº) 2. 10; Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 2. 26; 13. 57; (mentioned in Ṛgveda (Max Müller’s Edition) 10. 75. 5 along with other rivers considered sacred in India)
- The Ganges personified as a goddess  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गंगा (gaṃgā) [Printed book page 0446-a ] गंगा (gaṃgā) [ गम् - गन् (gam-gan); Uṇādisūtras 1. 120 ] 2 The Ganges personified as a goddess. [Gaṅgā is the eldest daughter of Himavat. It is said that ( pb ) a curse of Brahmā made her come down upon earth, where she became the first wife of King Saṃtanu. She bore him eight sons, of whom Bhīṣma, the youngest, became a well-known personage, renowned for his valour and life-long celibacy. According to another account she came down on earth being propitiated by Bhagīratha: see भगीरथ (bhagīratha) and जह्नु (jahnu) also; and cf. Bhartṛhari’s three Śatakas (the figures 1., 2., 3. after Bh. denoting Śṛṅgāraº, Nītiº, and Vairāgyaº) 2. 10. ]
- 1. The river Ganges. 2. The Ganges personified as a goddess.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गंगा (gaṃgā) [Printed book page 229-03 ] गंगा (gaṃgā) f. 1. The river Ganges, इमं मे गंगे यमुने सरस्वति शतद्रु स्तोमं सचता परुष्या (imaṃ me gaṃge yamune sarasvati śatadru stomaṃ sacatā paruṣyā) R.V. x.75, R. ii.26 (this name is occasionally applied to several other rivers held sacred in India); 2. the Ganges personified as a goddess. [ ID=11417 ]
- A sacred river originating from the foot of Vishnu, brought from heaven to earth, and flowing in multiple streams.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > गंगा (gaṃgā) [Printed book page 1-501 ] Gaṃgā (I) — a R. source of, sacred to Hari; 1 brought to the earth from Heaven; a mahānadī from the Himalayas. 2 Originating from the foot of Viṣṇu and watering the region of the moon falls from heaven into Brahmā's city; issuing from the nail of the great toe of Hari's left foot; Dhruva holds her in his crown; the seven sages perform austerities with her waters; issuing again from the moon she falls on Sumeru and thence to the four quarters of the earth; hearing of her, the desire to go to Gangā, see, touch, bathe in her waters — all purify a person; falling in four directions, takes the names of Śītā, Alakanandā, Cakṣu and Bhadrā. 3 Effort made by Amśumān, Dilīpa and Bhagīratha and hence her name Bhāgīrathī. Held up by Hara and then let; flowed in seven streams through several territories in the four directions, sanctifying the regions and the people there. 4 Its waters drunk by Janhu, and let out by his ears and hence called Jānhavī. 5 The seed cast off by Śiva in the Page1-502+ 48 sky was borne by Gangā and was swallowed by Agni; phoetus left on the Himalayan slopes became gold, which was utilised in building the yagñaśāla at Naimiṣa. At her confluence with Yamunā (s.v.) was the avabhṛta of the sacri- fice of Prajāpatis. On its banks Bharata performed horse- sacrifice. 6 Here Yudhiṣṭhira had his avabhṛta bath after Rājasūya. 7 Here were done funeral rites of the dead children of Draupadī. 8 Here again Parīkṣit observed vow of fasting unto death. 9 Visited by Balarāma. 10 The Sagaras sent to heaven by the Ganges waters. 11 Gangā as devī. 12 Originally of three-fold path, the Chāyāpathā being in the nakṣatramaṇḍala; 13 addressed by Agni to bear Rudra's garbha, Gangā accepted the task and gave birth to Kumāra. 14 Gangā refilled the ocean, after Agastya drank it dry. 15 Manu put the growing fish in; washed off the city of Hastināpuram; contains 3(1/2) crores of tīrthas; forms the cure for all ills; released in seven streams by Śankara, three to the west, three to the north and one Bhagīrathī, sacred in Kanakhala. 16 Wife of the ocean; 17 Tripathagā; 18 a consort of Śiva, served by Trayambaka and other gods. 19 Fit for śrāddha; 20 the right side of the Veda; 21 particularly sacred at three spots — Gangādvāra, Prayāga and Gangā sāgara-sangama. 22 Page1-503+ 25 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. VII. 14. 29, VIII. 4. 23, Br. II. 16. 11, 24.] [ Footnote: 2) Vā. 42. 39-49: 71. 5.] [ Footnote: 3) Vī. I. 9. 103: II, 2. 334: 8. 108-13, 120-2: III. 14. 18 IV. 4. 26-30: 18-28.] [ Footnote: 4) Bhā. IX. 9. 1-13: Br. III. 13. 118: 55. 51: 56. 38-54.] [ Footnote: 5) Bhā. IX. 15. 3: Br. III. 66. 25-6: 73. 117: M. 12. 44: 121. 26.] [ Footnote: 6) Bhā. IV. 7. 63-4: Vā. 2. 17-18: 72. 28-32. Br. II. 16. 11 and 24. Bhā. VII. 14. 29; VIII. 4. 23 Vā. 42. 39-40: 71. 5. Bhā. IX. 9. 1-13. Br. III. 13. 118: 55.51: 56. 38-54. M. 15. 3. Br. III. 66. 25. 6: 73. 117: M. 12. 44: 121. 26. Bhā. IV. 7. 63-64. Vā. 2. 17-18: 72. 28-32. Bhā. IV. 2. 35. IX. 20-25: 22. 19: X. 10. 4.] [ Footnote: 7) Bhā. X. 75. 19.] [ Footnote: 8) Ib. I. 8. 1.] [ Footnote: 9) Ib. 3. 43; 4. 10; 12. 28; 18. 3.] [ Footnote: 10) Ib. X. 78. 20.] [ Footnote: 11) Ib. IX. 9. 14.] [ Footnote: 12) Ib. I. 19. 15.] [ Footnote: 13) Br. II. 18. 26-42, 50-52:] [ Footnote: 14) Br. III. 7. 355: 9. 4: 10. 30-5: 14. 84: 37. 5: 54. 49: IV. 9. 78.] [ Footnote: 15) Br. III. 63. 167.] [ Footnote: 16) M. 1. 23: 13. 25: 36. 5: 50. 78: 102. 5-6: 106. 57-8; 114. 20: 121. 38-41; 133. 23: 183. 107: 186. 10; 192. 11; 239-18.] [ Footnote: 17) Vā. 13. 35: 30. 32 and 92: 45. 95:] [ Footnote: 18) Vā. 2. 7; 51. 21, 46; 58. 88.] [ Footnote: 19) Vā. 42. 39-40: 71. 5.] [ Footnote: 20) Vā. 77. 68.] [ Footnote: 21) Vā. 98. 117: 99. 63: 104. 13, 27, 77: 106. 67: 111. 16.] [ Footnote: 22) M. 106. 53.] [ ID=3964 ]

### Beings Associated with Gaṅgā (2 definitions)
- 1. An epithet of Shiva. 2. The ocean.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — भृत (bhṛta) m. 1 N. of Śiva. 2 the ocean
- 1. An epithet of Bhishma. 2. An epithet of Kartikeya.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — सुप्तः (suptaḥ) 1 an epithet of Bhīshma. 2 of Kārtikeya

### Mythological Narratives and Divine Roles of Gaṅgā (1 definition)
- a bearer of a flywhisk to Lalita  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 1-503 ] Gaṃgā (II) — (personified) a bearer of flywhisk to Lalitā. Br. IV. 39. 74. Gangādvāra — a place sacred to Pitṛs. Bhā. VI. 2. 39: M. 22. 10: 246. 92. [ ID=3965 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546