If anyone decides to go to Ganga the ancestors become delighted by his perfect resolve.
All the sins immediately cry “Alas, where shall we go?” Then they have consultation with lobha(Greed), moha(delusion) etc again and again and decide “we shall create obstacles so that he shall not go to Ganga, because once he goes to Ganga, he will eradicate all of us”
Being disappointed, sins go away at every step from the body of the person who starts from his house for an ablution in Ganga. A meritorious person casts Off lobha etc. due to merits performed in previous births and reaches Ganga after driving away all the obstacles!
Just as horse sacrifice is the best among all yagnas, just as Himavan is the best among mountains, just as truthfulness is the greatest among holy vows, just as pranayama is the best among austerities, Ganga is the best among all the holy rivers and purifies us from all our sins from all our lifetimes!
– Skanda Purana
