gaMgA [ gam-gan ; Uṇ. 1. 120 ] 1 The river Ganges, the most sacred river in India; aDoDo gaMgeyaM padamupagatA stokamaTavA Bh. 2. 10 ; R. 2. 26 ; 13. 57 ; (mentioned in Rv. 10. 75. 5 along with other rivers considered sacred in India). 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 BagIraTa and jahnu also; and cf. Bh. 2. 10. ]. Comp. — aMbu, -aMBas n. 1 water of the Ganges. 2 pure rain-water (such as falls in the month of ASvina ). — avatAraH 1 the descent of the Ganges on the earth; BagIraTa iva dfzwagaMgAvatAraH K. 32 (where gaM° also means ‘descent into the Ganges’ for ablution). 2 N. of a sacred place. — azwakaM a collection of eight verses addressed to the Ganges. — udBedaH the source of the Ganges. — kzetraM the river Ganges and the district two Koss on either of its banks. — cillI Gangetic kite. — jaH 1 N. of Bhīṣma. 2 of Kārtikeya. — dattaH an epithet of Bhīma. — dvAraM the place where the Ganges enters the plains (also called haridvAra ). — DaraH 1 an epithet of Śiva. 2 the ocean. °puraM N. of a town. — putraH 1 N. of Bhīṣma. 2 of Kārtikeya. 3 a man of a mixed and vile caste whose business is to remove dead bodies. 4 a Brāhmaṇa who conducts pilgrims to the Ganges. — Bfta m. 1 N. of Śiva. 2 the ocean. — maDyaM the bed of the Ganges. — yAtrA 1 a pilgrimage to the Ganges. 2 carrying a sick person to the river-side to die there. — laharI N. of a poem by Jagannātha paṇḍita. — sAgaraH the place where the Ganges enters the ocean. — suptaH 1 an epithet of Bhīshma. 2 of Kārtikeya. — hradaH N. of a tIrTa .