Greatness of Ganga and Yamuna | Why Ganga and Yamuna are so great











The most holy of tirthas is the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna.





But why, river Ganga is so pavitra / sacred?





The main reason is that Ganga is the putri / daughter of svayam Sri Hari. She gets birth from the feet of Sri Hari. What punya would Ganga Devi had done to be born from the feet of Sri Hari. This is the most important reason that river Ganga is the most pavitra river on this earth.





The second most reason is that after river Ganga takes birth from the feet of Sri Hari, she goes and take rest in the kamandala of Sri Brahma Deva. This is the second reason for Ganga Devi being so sacred.





The third most reason is that after the above two, Ganga Devi goes and sits on the head of the Sri Rudra Deva / Sri Shiva.





Also one of the most important reason that Ganga Devi is sacred is that Bhagirata and his ancestors had performed great tapasya to bring Ganga Devi to the earth, that is to get the mukti / moksha / salvation for about 60,000 forefathers of Bhagirata.





Someone who bathes there attains perpetual good health, prospers, lives to a ripe old age and is pardoned all his sins. Even the gods and the sages are fond of the waters at this sacred confluence. The river Ganga emerges from the feet of Lord Vishnu himself. (The story of this is related in the Brahmanvaivarta Purana.) And the river Yamuna is the daughter of the Sun god Surya. (This is related in many Puranas, such as the Markandeya Purana. Yamuna was the daughter of Surya and Samjna.) Such being the origins of these two holy rivers, it is but natural that their confluence should be so sacred.