Shri Ganga Stotram

devi sureśvari bhagavatī gaṅge |

tribhuvana-tāriṇī taralatarāṅge |

śaṅkaramaulī-vihāriṇī vimalenamamā |

matirastāṃ tava padakamale || 1 ||

bhāgīrathisukhadāyinī mātṛ-

-stava jalamahimā nigame khyātaḥ |

nāhaṃ jāne tava mahimāṃ na māṃ |

pāhi kṛpāmayī māmājñānāṃ || 2 ||

haripadapādyatarangiṇī gaṅge |

himavidhunuktadhavalatarāṅge |

dūrikṛu mama duṣkṛtibhāraṃ |

kuru kṛpayā bhavasāgarapāraṃ || 3 ||

tava jalāmalena yena nīpitaṃ |

paramapadaṃ khalu tena gṛhītaṃ |

mātṛgaṅge tvayi yo bhaktaḥ |

kila taṃ dṛṣṭu na yamaḥ śaktaḥ || 4 ||

patitodhāriṇī jāhnavī gaṅge |

khaṇḍitagirivarāṃ bhage |

bhīṣmajananī hē munivarakanyēnapa |

patitanīvarinī tribhuvanadhanēyēnamai || 5 ||

kalpalatā iva phaladāṃ lōkē |

praṇamati yastvāṃ na patati śōkē |

pāravāravihāriṇī gaṅgē |

vimukhayuvatī-kṛtataraṅgala-pāṅgē || 6 ||

tava cēnmaḥ srōtaḥ snātaḥ |

punarapi jaṭharē sō.api na jātaḥ |

narakanīvaraṇī jāhnavī gaṅgē |

kaluṣavāśinī mahimottuṅgē || 7 ||

punarasādāṅgē puṇyatarāṅgē |

jaya jaya jāhnavī karuṇāpāṅgē |

indramukuṭamaṇi-rajitacaraṇē |

sukhadē śubhadē bhṛtyaśaraṇyē || 8 ||

rōgaṃ śōkaṃ tāpaṃ pāpaṃ |

hara mē bhagavati kumātikalāpaṃ |

tribhuvanasārē vasudhāhārē |

tvamasi gatir mama khalu saṃsārē || 9 ||

alakānandē paramānandē |

kuru karuṇāmayī kātaravandyēnamai |

tava ṭaṭaṅikāṭē yasya nivāsaḥ |

khalu vaikunṭhē tasya nivāsaḥ || 10 ||

varaṃ iha nīrē kāmathō mīnaḥ |

kiṃ vā tīrē śaraṭaḥ kṣīṇaḥ |

athavā śvapacō malīna dīna-

-stava na hi dūrē nṛpatakulīnaḥ || 11 ||

bhō bhuvanēśvari puṇyē dhanyē |

dēvi dravamayi munivarakanyē |

gaṅgāstavamimāma malāṃ nityaṃ |

paṭhati narō yaḥ sa jayati satyam || 12 ||

yēṣāṃ hṛdayaṃ gaṅgābhakti-

-satēṣaṃ bhavati sadā sukhādhuktiḥ |

madhurākāntā pañjatikā bhī |

paramānakalā-kalitalalitā bhī || 13 ||

gaṅgāstōtramidaṃ bhavasāraṃ |

vāñchitaphaladāṃ vimalaṃ sāraṃ |

śaṅkaraśēvakā-śaṅkarā-racitaṃ |

paṭhatī sukhī stavamiti cha samaptāḥ || 14 ||

English Translation

(1) O Goddess, O Queen of Gods, O Bhagavati Ganga,

O savior of the three worlds, O one with flowing waves,

O one who wanders on Shiva's head, O pure one, may my mind

Be established in Your pure lotus feet.

(2) O Mother Ganga, who gives pleasure to Bhagiratha,

Whose waters' glory is known in the Vedas,

I do not know Your greatness, O merciful one,

Protect me, O Mother, from ignorance.

(3) O Ganga, whose waves reach the feet of Hari,

Whose waves are white, emerged from the snow mountains,

Remove far from me the burden of sins,

By Your grace, carry me across the ocean of existence.

(4) Whoever has bathed in Your waters

Has indeed attained the supreme abode,

O Mother Ganga, whoever is devoted to You,

Him, Yama is not able to see.

(5) O Ganga, lifter of the fallen, O Jahnavi,

Who breaks mountains and rocks,

O Mother of Bhishma, O noble daughter of the sage,

O remover of the fallen, O benefactor of the three worlds.

(6) O Ganga, like a wish-fulfilling vine in the world,

Whoever bows to You does not fall into grief,

O Ganga, who sports on both banks,

With beautiful, bright-faced maidens.

(7) O Ganga, whose stream purifies,

Though one may bathe in it, he is not born again in the womb,

O Jahnavi, who averts hell,

Destroyer of impurity, of great glory.

(8) O Ganga, in the pure waves, again and again,

Victory, victory to Jahnavi, whose limbs are mercy,

Adorned with crown jewels, with auspicious feet,

Giving happiness, giving auspiciousness, refuge of servants.

(9) Remove from me, O Goddess, disease, sorrow, torment, and sin,

The delusion of wicked thoughts,

O essence of the three worlds, O bearer of the earth,

You are indeed my refuge in this world.

(10) In Alakananda, in supreme bliss,

Be merciful, O worthy of worship,

He who dwells on Your banks,

Indeed dwells in Vaikuntha.

(11) Is a fish better here in the water,

Or a thin poor wretch on the bank?

Or even a dog-eater, poor and dirty,

For Your servants are not far from noble families.

(12) O Goddess of the world, O auspicious one, O blessed one,

O liquid-formed Goddess, noble daughter of a sage,

Whoever reads this Ganga Stotra, pure, always,

That man indeed triumphs.

(13) In whose heart there is devotion to Ganga,

There is always happiness and liberation,

With sweet words, by the five-faced ones,

Delighted by supreme bliss, beautified.

(14) This Ganga Stotra, the essence of existence,

Giving desired fruits, pure essence,

Composed by Shankara, servant of Shankara,

Whoever reads happily, this hymn ends here.