ākāśagaṅgā

ā-kāśa—gaṅgā f. the Gaṅgā flowing down from the sky, MBh. iii, 10909; R.; Ragh. i, 78.

ākāśagaṅgā (ā° + ga°) f. die Gaṅgā des Luftraumes R. 7, 23, 4, 14. BHĀG. P. 10, 27, 22.

ākāśagaṅgā f. die noch im Luftraum fliessende Gaṅgā.

ākāśagaṅgā strī ākāśapathavāhinī gaṅgā . mandākinyām .
“ubhau yadi vyomni pṛthakpravāhāvākāśagaṅgāpayasaḥ
patetām” māghaḥ . ākāśanadyādayo'pyatra . ākāśasyāva-
lambanatvābhāve'pi meruśikharasyātyuccatayā syargatākalpanena
tasyaivākāśatulyatā tataeva vahane ākāśe vahanotpre-
kṣaṇāt tathātvam . ataeva gaṅgāyā stripathagāmitvaṃ purāṇe-
ṣūktam yathā ca gaṅgāyāstripathagatvaṃ tathā gaṅgāśabde vakṣyate

ākāśagaṅgā , strī, (ākāśapathavāhinī gaṅgā .)
svargagaṅgā . yathā, śivarātrivratakathāyāṃ, —
“ākāśagaṅgāsalilataraṅgagaṇanādite .
traiguṇyalalitaiścārumarudbhirupavījite” ..
(“nadatyākāśagaṅgāyāḥ srotasyuddāmadiggaje” .
iti raghau 1 . 78 .
“ubhau yadi vyomni pṛthag pravāhā-
vākāśagaṅgāpayasaḥ patetām” . iti māghaḥ .)

Ākāśa-Gaṅgā (“the heavenly Gaṅgā”). § 11 (Parvas.).

I, 1, 638.—§ 421 (Gandhamādanaprav.): III, 142, 10909:

In the neighbourhood of the Mandara mountain, the abode

of the gods and ṛṣis; coming from Badarī, honoured by

Vaihāyasas and Vālakhilyas and Gandharvas and singers of

Sāmans; there Marīci, Pulaha, Bhṛgu, and Aṅgiras, with the

host of M., mutter their daily prayers; S., A., the Moon,

the Sun, the stars, and planets circumambulate it; Śiva

(Vṛṣāṅkah) carries its water on his head at Gangādvāra.

According to the counsel of Lomaśa the Pāṇḍavas adored it,

and then continued their journey with the hosts of ṛṣis.—

§ 714 (Śukakṛtya): XII, 389, 12410.—§ 717b (Nārāyaṇīya):

XII, 343, ††13218 VIII).—§ 795 (Svargārohanap.):

XVIII, 3, 108.

Ākāśagaṅgā — R. that encircles Amarāvatī;¹ that water

which comes down without the cloud; bath in this is called

celestial ablution.² [Footnote] 1) Bhā. VIII. 15. 14. [Footnote] 2) Vi. II. 9. 12 and 17.

Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtham — in Gayā.

Vā. 112. 25.

Ākāśagaṅgā f.: The river Gaṅgā flow-

ing in the sky, also called simply Gaṅgā

(18. 3. 37, 39).

A. Description: Holy (puṇyā) 18. 3.

26, 39; its waters described as holy (puṇyaṃ

… toyam) 12. 315. 46; the river of the gods

(devanadī) 18. 3. 26, 39; one that purifies

the three worlds (trailokyapāvanī) 18. 3. 26;

purifying (pāvanī) 18. 3. 39; praised by

the sages (ṛṣisaṃstutā) 18. 3. 39; flowing

in the three worlds (trilokagā) 18. 3. 39.

B. Location in the sky: The sixth wind

known as Parivaha supports the holy waters

of the Ākāśagaṅgā (puṇyaṃ cākāśagaṅ-

gāyās toyaṃ viṣṭabhya tiṣṭhati … ṣaṣṭhaḥ

parivaho nāma sa vāyuḥ) 12. 315. 46, 48

(Nī. on Bom. Ed. 12. 328. 46: toyaṃ

viṣṭabhya ākāśe evāvasthāpya). C. Epic

event: Indra advised Yudhiṣṭhira to bathe in

the Ākāśagaṅgā before proceeding to heaven

18. 3. 26; accordingly he went to the Gaṅgā

and bathed there; having plunged in its

water he gave up his human body, assumed

a divine form and was free of the feelings of

enmity and sorrow 18. 3. 37-40. D. My-

thological event: Formerly the sage Bhara-

dvāja, having gone to the Ākāśagaṅgā, was

performing religious ablution (upāspṛśan);

at that time he was touched by Viṣṇu who

was taking his three steps (trīn kramān

kramatā viṣṇunābhyāsāditaḥ) 12. 329. 42.

E. Importance: When Yudhiṣṭhira bathes

in the Ākāśagaṅgā he will be free of his

human existence, he will be relived of grief

and fatigue and his feelings of enmity will

disappear (atra snātasya to bhāvo mānuṣo

vigamiṣyati/gataśoko nirāyāso muktavairo

bhaviṣyasi) 18. 3. 27.