In addition to the Ganges, there are many other rivers regarded as sacred by the Hindus; the worship of these, and bathing in them, being productive of almost as great blessings as are to be obtained from Ganga herself. Some of these are considered as males and some as females. The following is not a complete list, but it contains the names of the rivers most generally worshipped.

Male rivers:--The Sona and the Brahmaputra.

Female rivers:--The Godavari, the Kaveri, the Atreyi, the Karaloya, the Bahuda, the Gomati, the Sarayu, the Gandaki, the Varahi, the Charmanwati, the Shatadru, the Vipasha, the Goutami, the Karmanasha, the Airavati, the Chandrabhaga, the Vitasta, the Sindhu, the Krishna, the Vetravati, the Bhairava. [*+]

Footnotes

^461:* Griffiths's "Ramayana," i. 171.

^461:+ Sagara's birth was supernatural. His father Bahu, King of Ayodha, was expelled from his kingdom. The mother of Sagara accompanied her husband to the forest, but, owing to a poisonous drug having been given her by a rival wife, she could not bring forth her son, with whom she had been pregnant for seven years. When her husband died, she wished to be burned with his body; but this was prevented by a sage named Aurva, who assured her that her son would yet be born, and grow up to be a mighty king. When he was born, Aurva gave him the name Sagara (sa, with, and gara, poison). Aurva himself was also born in an extraordinary manner. A king named Kritavirya was very liberal to the Bhrigus, and through his liberality they became rich. His descendants being poor, they asked help of the Bhrigus. On this being refused them, they made an onslaught on the Brahmans of this family, slaying all they could find, even to children in the womb. One woman concealed her unborn child in her thigh. The Kshattriyas, hearing of this, tried to slay him, but he issued from his mother's thigh with such lustre that he blinded his persecutors. And because he was born from the thigh (uru) of his mother, he was called Aurva.

^462:* Griffiths's " Ramayana," i. 174.

^463:* Griffiths's Ramayana," i. 175.

^463:+ Ibid., 177.

^464:* Griffiths's " Ramayana," i. 177.

^465:* Griffiths's "Ramayana," i. 183.

^465:+ Ibid., 186.

^466:* Griffiths's "Ramayana," i. 190.

^466:+ Ibid.

^467:* Griffiths's "Ramayana," i. 193.

^467:+ Ibid., 196.

^468:* Griffiths's "Ramayana," i. 197.

^468:+ Ward, ii. 217.