(South and Central Asian mythology)

The Ganges, Jumna, and Saraswati are the sacred rivers of Hindu mythology. The Saraswati river acted as the boundary of Brahmvartta, the homeland of the early Aryans, and was personified as a river goddess who blessed them with purifying waters. Later Saraswati added to her attributes sound—she became Vak, the goddess of river-like, streaming speech. A Bengali legend explains her marriage to Brahma. Finding three intelligent wives more than he could manage, Vishnu transferred Saraswati to Brahma and Ganga to Shiva, retaining for himself Lakshmi alone. The river Ganges, a goddess too, flowed from the toe of Vishnu and was assisted in her descent to the earth by Shiva, whose matted locks deflected and tamed the mighty surge of her waters.

A Dictionary of World Mythology. Copyright © Arthur Cotterell 1979, 1986, 2003. All rights reserved.