Why is it a sin to bring Ganga water home from Kashi? Know the mythological tradition of the city of salvation, which cautions the devotees

News India Live, Digital Desk: Kashi, the city of Baba Vishwanath, which is considered the heart of Sanatan culture and the center of spirituality, contains within itself many unsolved mysteries and traditions. While in Hindu religion, keeping Ganga water in the house is considered very auspicious and sacred, there is a belief about Kashi which is surprising. According to mythological traditions, carrying Ganga water from Kashi to one’s home is prohibited and is considered a kind of vice. Let us know the religious and spiritual reason behind this.

Kashi is ‘Avimukt Kshetra’: Where even death is auspicious

In the scriptures, Kashi has been called ‘Avimukt Kshetra’. It is believed that this place rests on the trident of Mahadev himself and he never leaves it. Here, Lord Shiva himself frees every living being from the bondage of birth and death by reciting ‘Tarak Mantra’. Kashi is a gateway to salvation not only for humans but also for the microscopic organisms and particles present here.

Why is it considered a sin? (religious reasons)

There is a deep spiritual logic behind not taking Ganga water out of Kashi:

Obstructing the liberation of living beings: There is a spiritual belief that by just touching the Ganga in Kashi, even the microscopic and invisible creatures present within the water become entitled to salvation.

Worldly bondage: When a devotee fills a bottle or vessel with Ganges water and takes it outside the limits of Kashi, he unknowingly pulls those ‘liberated’ souls back into worldly attachments and bondages.

Scholars argue: According to religious scholars, it is spiritually inappropriate to displace a liberated soul or element from its auspicious place (Kashi). By doing this the devotee may have to become a part of unwanted crime.

Then where to bring Ganga water from?

If you want to keep Ganga water in your home temple or for purification, the scriptures recommend other holy places as best for this:

Haridwar: Bringing Ganga water from here is considered very auspicious.

Rishikesh and Gomukh: The water of Gangotri or Rishikesh is known for its purity.

Prayagraj: The water of Sangam city is also good to bring home.

Importance of only ‘darshan and bath’ in Kashi

Astrologers and pundits of Kashi say that instead of taking home the sanctity of Kashi as a ‘material’, it should be absorbed within oneself as an ‘experience’. By merely taking a bath in the Ganges of Kashi and seeing Baba Vishwanath, the sins of a person’s births are washed away, hence it is better to leave the energy here and return only with blessings.