ganga, Kaveri

 

गङ्गा गङ्गेति यो ब्रूयात योजनानां शतैरपि मुच्यन्ति सर्वपापेभ्यः शिवलोकं स गच्छति

If one just calls out Ganga, Ganga- from a distance of thousands of miles away from where that mother river flows , he is relieved of all sins and he goes to the abode of Lord Shiva.

त्रिरात्रं जाह्नवी तीरे पञ्चरात्रं तो यामुने सद्यः पुनातु कावेरी पापं आमरणान्तिकं

Kaveri, you make me pure of all my sins till my death just by one bath in you, even as I have to spend three nights in the banks of Ganga and five nights in the banks of Yamuna..

The Pavamana Suktham, we chant in Punyahavachanam is for invoking the holy waters in any spring of source of water. All the holy rivers and teertham just appear in the water we keep before us by the grace of the Divine being.