One-line: sacred river goddess who descends from heaven and purifies the worlds.
First seen / best remembered: First seen in Book 2 as Bhishma’s mother; cosmic river owner is Book 8; many-goddess register is Book 9 (Book 8 retelling; atlas: ).
Who they are: Ganga appears both as cosmic river and as goddess. Book 8 describes her descent through the worlds after Vishnu’s stride pierces the cosmic shell. Book 9 also folds Ganga into the Goloka curse-cycle, where divine conflict becomes earthly sacred geography.
What they do that matters:
- Descends from the cosmic realms and divides into streams.
- Purifies Bharatavarsha and becomes a major sacred river.
- Appears as one of Krishna’s consorts in Book 9’s curse-cycle.
Other names: Bhagavati Ganga
Family / lineage (when relevant): Connected to Shiva, Krishna, and the sacred rivers.