There is a myth in Shivpuran about sage Gautam and his wife Ahalya. He meditated on Brahmagiri mountain in the south direction for ten thousand years. There was no rain there for 100 years. Not a single green leaf was visible. Then where would we get the water that sustains living beings? All the sages, humans, animals and birds ran away in ten directions. Some sages started passing that terrible period by doing pranayam and meditation. Gautam also meditated with Pranayam for 6 months. Due to this, Varun Dev appeared before him and he asked for the boon of rain. Varun said that he cannot disobey the orders of God. Then Gautam asked him for water which is inexhaustible, divine and gives eternal fruits. Varun asked to dig a pit. Gautam dug a hole of one hand size. Varun filled it with divine water. Varun said that any religious and noble deed done at this place would be inexhaustible. Gautam performed daily routine rituals with that rare water. He sowed various grains there for Havan. Various fruitful trees grew there. Seeing this, thousands of other sages came there and started living as householders with their families. One day, the sages’ wives who came to collect water stopped Gautam’s disciples from taking water, saying that they would take the water first. When the disciples complained to Gautama’s wife Ahalya, she herself went with them to get water and gave it to the sage, with which he completed his daily routine. Those sages’ wives reprimanded Gautama’s wife and returned home and complained directly to their husbands. Enraged, the sages did penance to Ganesha and forcibly took the boon from him to harm Rishi Gautam. Ganesh was forced to become a very weak cow and started eating the vegetables grown by Gautam. She died as soon as Gautam removed her from the straw. All the sages were happy with that and started cursing the sage by calling him a cow killer. They ordered Gautam to leave their area and started pelting him with stones. He also said that as long as he is guilty of the sin of cow slaughter, he cannot do any religious work. When Gautam apologized, the sages asked him to atone for his sin of cow slaughter by circling the earth three times. Then come back there and observe the month’s fast and after that circumambulate that Brahmagiri mountain, and then take a bath with hundred pitchers of Ganga water and worship the earthen shivling again. Or in return they were asked to bring the Ganga there and take a bath in it, then make one crore earthly Lingas of Shiva and worship them, then circumambulate Brahmagiri 11 times, and then after bathing with a hundred pitchers of Ganga water, perform the earthly worship again. Gautama and Ahalya adopted that second method, and their disciples continued to serve them during that time. Then Shiva Parvati appeared pleased and asked for a boon, then Gautam asked him for the boon of eradicating his sins. Shiva said that his devotee can never remain a sinner. He also told Gautam all the misdeeds of those wicked sages and asked what punishment he should give them. Gautama asked him to forgive them saying that if they had not been evil they would not have seen him. Shiva was very pleased with this and then asked him to ask for a boon. Gautam asked for this boon that the words of these sages should not be false.
After that, the water which was the essence of earth and heaven and had been taken out and kept in the past, and whatever water was left which was given by Brahma during the marriage, Shiva gave it to that sage. That Ganges water appeared in the form of a woman. Gautam bowed to her and requested her to purify him. Shiva also requested Ganga. Then Ganga informed about her return after purifying Gautam’s family. Stopping Ganga, Shiva asked her to reside there till the twenty-eighth Kaliyuga of Vaivaswat Manvantara. Then Ganga said that she would reside on earth only if her importance would be highest here. She also requested Shiva to reside near her along with his Ganas and Parvati. On this Shiva said that he is not separate from her, because she is his Shakti, yet he will reside there. Then all the divine souls including the gods came there, who started cheering Gautama, Shiva and Ganga. Shiva was pleased and asked the gods to ask for a boon. So the gods requested Shiva and Ganga to reside there. Then Ganga asked the gods how they would maintain her uniqueness. Then the gods said that when Jupiter will remain in Leo, then all those will remain close to her. And when they become dirty by washing people’s sins for 11 years, they will come to her to wash them off. There she became famous by the name Gautami Ganga and Shivalinga by the name Triyambak. During the above mentioned Muhurta, all the divine souls along with the Gods come there, and as long as they stay there, they do not get the results, meaning they get the results only after returning from there.
Ganga appeared from Brahmagiri mountain. When its stream gushed out from the branch of the sycamore tree, Gautama, his disciples, and all the other people present took bath in it. Since then that area was named Gangadwar. By seeing it all sins are destroyed. When those sages who had spoken ill of Gautam also came to take bath, then the Ganga got disappeared. When Gautam requested Ganga to appear, Ganga said that the deceitful sages should first repent by circumambulating this mountain 101 times with your permission, only then they can have darshan of her. When they had done this, Ganga again appeared for them at Kushavarta, the place below Gangadwar as named for by Gautama. The one who takes bath here gives up all the sins and attains rare knowledge and becomes entitled to salvation soon.
Explanation of the above myth
What happens that due to the stories of the Puranas, one gets the habit of detachment from worldliness. Because these stories seem both true and artificial. Therefore the mind remains detached from them. That is why there is joy in them. Someone will say that even Harry Potter stories are like this. But they are devoid of the main purpose. The main objective is Kundalini awakening. The mythological stories of the Puranas are based on the scientific principles of Yoga, Kundalini and awakening, hence the person studying them unknowingly takes him towards them. This story of Rishi Gautam seems to me to be a mixed spiritual and physical. It is not that the ancient people lacked understanding, that is why innumerable scriptures were created on the same simple yoga. Rather, it is because a person should remain in touch with Yoga throughout his life and at every moment. Man can get bored by reading the same thing over and over again, so yoga was adapted into countless stories and activities in various forms. For example, theoretically the meditative picture of Shiva itself remains near the Shakti passing through the Sushumna. It is said in this way that Shiva promised Ganga to be staying close to her. Perhaps Kundalini Shakti appeals to meditation because it is sexual based, and everyone knows that sexual matters are disclosed only to very close relatives or lovers. The closest and most intimate lover is the most favoured mental picture. Not only do you feel ashamed of a material object or person, you may also be left with an impression of their personality. But Guru or God is devoid of separate personality or is a form of impersonal God, hence they do not hinder the personality of a man, but only indirectly or silently helps in improving him further. That is why most of the time they are made to be considered as meditation pictures. Actually anything repeatedly favoured in mind can happen to be a meditation image, because every pure mental thing is sacred, impurity comes from materiality. That is why such a picture can also be called Kundalini picture. Through Sushumna, Shakti goes directly to Sahasrara, where the companion of non-duality is the lonely Kundalini picture. That is why these Kundalini based stories are called classical or shastriya stories or scriptures. Music can be anything, but that which is made up of a lot of thought and direct experience and helps in taking man to his ultimate goal, that is classical music. Similarly, classical dance, sports etc. can be any worldly activity.
Rain is that in which there is abundance of water in the form of knowledge or power. No god can do this, because when materialism and evil are prevalent all around, then what can the gods do, because no one can forcefully change people’s thinking. Yes, the deity can give darshan and advise his devotee to do something so that the external environment does not affect him badly. Therefore Varun Dev advises Gautam Muni to dig a one hand deep pit. This is to activate the Muladhar, into which the water in the form of sleeping Kundalini Shakti as suppressed thoughts seeps. The same missing water gets filled in it. Although earlier also he was making his living through pranayama and meditation, but this was insufficient in front of the rain of awakening. It is common in the Puranas to mention a famine of a hundred years. In the scriptures, the age of a man is stated to be 100 years. Not being awake within a hundred years of lifetime seems to me like a famine of a hundred years, which is said to be the death of living beings. This is because the entire creation including all living beings exists in the mind of man only. Brain dead means everything is dead. Deep pits also get filled with underground water, but pits of one hand’s length i.e. 10 or 12 inches were never seen filling with water on their own. If it was so then why would you have meditated and asked for a boon, you would have dug it up in the first place. Anyway, ordinary water does not give inexhaustible results and is not even divine. It also seems to me to mean that doing sadhana in a dark pit means in solitude, away from comforts and worldly tendencies, so that the energy saved from being spent in the world, which remains captured in darkness, is spent in brightening the Kundalini picture. And at the same time, he also gets the additional booster force of sexual tantra so that he can awaken faster, before the troubles of worldly life start again. Many times what happens is that we get a chance to stay away from worldly matters for a short period of time. During that time, if meditation is done like a tortoise or an ordinary move, then awakening cannot be achieved. The sages had indirectly done good to Rishi Gautam by banishing him, only then he could awaken Kundalini through intense meditation in solitude. Had he not been able to do it in that limited time, a new world would have been created for him in the new country and the same old story would have started. Because he attained awakening even before joining the new country heartily, seeing his achievement the old countrymen invited him back among them. These stories seem strange when seen superficially, but when seen deeply, they appear to be extremely practical and beneficial. This happens often with the common man. Not only the people of the world but also the family members and relatives are jealous of the person who actually does spiritual work and keeps giving spiritual messages through it, and they keep looking for an excuse to fight with him. Actually, I am saying this because fake, and hypocritical religious people keep getting cheered. Then they feel at peace only by driving him away from them. However, they are deceived because when the lamp is removed, they are falling into darkness. When he awakens again in remote solitude, his old opponents seem to disappear, but some of those who had a soft spot for him at heart appear to be repenting. But an awakened person does not have any resentment towards those opponents in his mind, because it is their bad intentions that indirectly inspired him to get awakenings. This happens to many because this is the worldly principle, that is why it is written in the Puranas. What is the benefit of just writing empty stories?
I think that at that time a person with the name Gautam or with the changed name would have searched for attaining awakening from Muladhar along with worldly pleasures. These discoveries may have been described indirectly or in the form of myths, so that people do not misunderstand or misuse them. Such sages were scientists or say spiritual scientists who searched for truth. Learning from him, other sages also did the same, meaning everyone got water. First they ran here and there in search of water meaning knowledge or shakti. Anyway, in olden times people used to travel far and wide in search of knowledge. The further story that there was a fight on water etc., etc., seems to be ordinary physical events added to make the story interesting, which has not much to do with spirituality. It is possible that they too have some deep secret. Then Shiva appeared. Gautama requested Shiva to forgive his enemies. It is natural that when a man is rebuked and tortured by the world, then only he is able to meditate in solitude. He was awakened by meditation on Shiva, but now the effect of that awakening had to be maintained continuously throughout his life. This could have been possible only due to the functioning of Sushumna. This is said to be the descent of Ganga and its permanent existence through yoga etc. Momentary awakening can be achieved even without the experience of Sushumna, but Sushumna has its own importance in daily activities, because it keeps supplying power continuously. Sins continue to be destroyed by this power.
I think one should be skeptical of mythology. Due to this the man runs his mind everywhere as to what could be its meaning. Due to this, doors of secrets open to him unknowingly. If these stories are accepted as true literally, then man becomes superstitious, unscientific and foolish. Meaning, they should be accepted as true but in the form of a hidden mystery, not literally in the ordinary physical way. Through such unusual mythological stories, our right brain becomes active, which remains dormant most of the time. To awaken, both parts of the brain must remain active in a balanced manner. Even this child can understand that the river Ganga cannot gush out of a branch of a tree. Similarly, the lack of physical water cannot be fulfilled by pranayam and meditation. Yes, the lack of power can definitely be compensated to some extent. Then if we understand it as a mysterious metaphor, then mountain means brain, from it worldly achievements means Shakti or Ganga descending through front channel reaching sycamore tree means muladhara chakra and going through its branch means sushumna channel aka Brahm Nadi and coming out of branch tip at gangadvar means sahasrar chakra, in which bathing by Gautam rishi means jivatma or soul resulted in destruction of all his sins. His discovery was also adopted by his disciples. His family members benefited from his good company. Sycamore tree is a divine plant, which is considered to be ruled by Venus, which is the representative planet of love, beauty, attraction, sexual pleasure, love marriage, wealth etc. From this it can be understood in itself what would have been called the branch of the sycamore. It also seems somewhat tantric. I also think that lovers get strength from each other’s Mooladhar. That is why Ganga seems to have been given the form of a woman. Anyway, Shakti is considered feminine. Now when the crooked sages also started imitating him, they did not succeed, because for the functioning of Sushumna one has to become innocent like a child, that a crooked person can’t become. Love and wickedness are against each other. The element of Swadhisthana Chakra is water. Water is also a symbol of love. For those sinners, Gautama made him descend to the lower world. This would have been called Kushavarta. Anyway, the consciousness of sinners is stuck on the lower chakras only.
Reproduction happens only through Shakti. And from it a new man is created, in whom heaven and earth are included. The power that was left from that activity was the same power that Brahma, meaning the mind that created the entire universe including the body, gave it to Shiva at the time of his marriage. With the inspiration of Shiva, the mind in the form of Brahma passed the same through Sushumna in the form of Ganga. Well, it also has a tantric and scientific basis. Scientific discoveries so far have revealed that water was not created on Earth, rather it came from outer space bodies like comets. Ancient people also had this apprehension because they did not see water forming anywhere on earth. The same water kept changing its form in the form of ice, steam, clouds etc. That is why it would have been considered more divine.
The burden of sins falls most heavily on the gods, which operates the body. The body keeps protecting a person from those sins through fasts, pilgrimages, yoga and other spiritual practices. Perhaps it is from these reasons that 11 years have been taken in the story, because in Hindu religion most of the things and activities are of 11 types. But the subtle imprints of those sins keep getting deposited on the chakras of the body. That is why the power of Sushumna is required to cleanse the chakras.
The presence of Jupiter in Leo is a very good combination. In this the man is advanced in every field. Presence of Jupiter in Leo also helps in building deep relationships in love and relationships. Leo people have a sense of possessiveness towards their partner, but their love is also loyal and devoted. The presence of Jupiter in Leo is the reason for many yogas more than any one yoga. Jupiter is considered the most auspicious planet, which gives auspicious results in the fields of religion, knowledge, luck, wealth, marriage, children, education, business, politics etc. Leo is also a higher zodiac sign of Jupiter, which is regal, sunny, bright, proud, leadership, creative and generous. Therefore, Jupiter being in Leo is a combination of the qualities of both, which gives many auspicious results to the person. In fact, at such times of all-round development and adaptability, there is the highest possibility of Sushumna awakening and Kundalini awakening. It is said that the gods will remain near Ganga during such yoga. Because this combination seems rare, that is why it is said to come after 11 years. Because one does not get the benefit immediately at the time of Kundalini awakening but gradually gets it over the years with spiritual practice, when one’s conscience becomes quite clear.
At the beginning of the story, I leave the answer to the readers as to what would be the meaning of doing penance for ten thousand years by Rishi Gautam and Ahalya.
Demystifying Kundalini 