2024, Vol. 10, Issue 4, Part E

The Valmiki Ramayana, along with other ancient texts and numerous sculptures, employs a variety of celestial symbols and references to depict the event of the Ganga's descent from the heavens to Earth. Certain descriptions bear a striking similarity to celestial phenomena such as comets. In this regard, we aim to elucidate the shloka concerning the disintegration of the Ganga in outer space: “विससर्ज ततो गङ्गां हरो बिन्दुसर: प्रति”. This shloka closely parallels contemporary celestial observations regarding the disintegration of comets along their orbital trajectories.