Gangashtakam

गङ्गाष्टकम्

Gaṅgāṣṭakam

All 8 verses

Verse 1

भगवति तव तीरे नीरमात्राशनोऽहं विगतविषयतृष्णः कृष्णमाराधयामि । सकलकलुषभङ्गे स्वर्गसोपानगङ्गे तरलतरतरङ्गे देवि गङ्गे प्रसीद ॥१॥

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भगवति तव तीरे नीरमात्राशनोऽहं विगतविषयतृष्णः कृष्णमाराधयामि । सकलकलुषभङ्गे स्वर्गसोपानगङ्गे तरलतरतरङ्गे देवि गङ्गे प्रसीद ॥१॥: O blessed one, on your bank I live on water alone, free from thirst for sense objects, worshipping Krishna. O Ganga, stairway to heaven, destroyer of all impurity, with ever-moving waves, O goddess, be gracious.

Renunciation at the sacred bank turns outward hunger inward toward the Lord; when craving for objects falls away, worship becomes the natural posture of the mind resting in its source.

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Verse 2

भगवति भवलीलामौलिमाले तवाम्भः कणमणुपरिमाणं प्राणिनो ये स्पृशन्ति । अमरनगरनारीचामरमरग्राहिणीनां विगतकलिकलङ्कातङ्कमङ्के लुठन्ति ॥२॥

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भगवति भवलीलामौलिमाले तवाम्भः कणमणुपरिमाणं प्राणिनो ये स्पृशन्ति । अमरनगरनारीचामरमरग्राहिणीनां विगतकलिकलङ्कातङ्कमङ्के लुठन्ति ॥२॥: O blessed one, garland on the crest of the sport of becoming, beings who touch even a drop of your water the size of an atom roll on the lap of celestial maidens who fan them, free from the dread of Kali's stain.

A single contact with the purifying current can lift the soul above the age's darkness; what washes the body in sacred water also loosens the mind's clinging to the stains of time.

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ब्रह्माण्डं खण्डयन्ती हरशिरसि जटावल्लिमुल्लासयन्ती स्वर्लोकात् आपतन्ती कनकगिरिगुहागण्डशैलात् स्खलन्ती । क्षोणी पृष्ठे लुठन्ती दुरितचयचमूर्निर्भरं भर्त्सयन्ती पाथोधिं पूरयन्ती सुरनगरसरित् पावनी नः पुनातु ॥३॥

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ब्रह्माण्डं खण्डयन्ती हरशिरसि जटावल्लिमुल्लासयन्ती स्वर्लोकात् आपतन्ती कनकगिरिगुहागण्डशैलात् स्खलन्ती । क्षोणी पृष्ठे लुठन्ती दुरितचयचमूर्निर्भरं भर्त्सयन्ती पाथोधिं पूरयन्ती सुरनगरसरित् पावनी नः पुनातु ॥३॥: Splitting the cosmos, adorning the matted locks on Hara's head, falling from heaven, slipping from the golden mountain's cave and cheek-rock, rolling on the earth's back, fiercely rebuking the army of sins, filling the ocean, may the purifying river of the city of gods cleanse us.

From heaven to Shiva's crest to earth and sea, the river's descent mirrors consciousness descending into manifestation yet remaining pure; what purifies the worlds can purify the inner field where merit and sin contend.

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Verse 4

मज्जन्मातङ्गकुम्भच्युतमदमदिरामोदमत्तालिजालं स्नानैः सिद्धाङ्गनानां कुचयुगविगलत् कुङ्कुमासङ्गपिङ्गम् । सायंप्रातर्मुनीनां कुशकुसुमचयैः छन्नतीरस्थनीरं पायान्नोगाङ्गमम्भः करिकलभकराक्रान्तरंहस्तरङ्गम् ॥४॥

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मज्जन्मातङ्गकुम्भच्युतमदमदिरामोदमत्तालिजालं स्नानैः सिद्धाङ्गनानां कुचयुगविगलत् कुङ्कुमासङ्गपिङ्गम् । सायंप्रातर्मुनीनां कुशकुसुमचयैः छन्नतीरस्थनीरं पायान्नो गाङ्गमम्भः करिकलभकराक्रान्तरंहस्तरङ्गम् ॥४॥: Tinted pink by saffron flowing from the breasts of siddha maidens at their baths, maddened by the scent of rut-water fallen from elephants' temples, its bank-waters veiled morning and evening by heaps of kusha and flowers of munis, may Ganga's water protect us, with waves rushed by calves and elephant-trunks.

The river that bears the marks of sages, maidens, and beasts shows the one current running through all life; devotion sees the sacred not apart from the world's vivid play but shining through it.

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Verse 5

आदावादि पितामहस्य नियमव्यापारपात्रे जलं पश्चात् पन्नगशायिनो भगवतः पादोदकं पावनम् । भूयः शम्भुजटाविभूषणमणिः जह्वोर्महर्षेरियं कन्या कल्मषनाशिनी भगवती भागीरथी दृश्यते ॥५॥

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आदावादि पितामहस्य नियमव्यापारपात्रे जलं पश्चात् पन्नगशायिनो भगवतः पादोदकं पावनम् । भूयः शम्भुजटाविभूषणमणिः जह्वोर्महर्षेरियं कन्या कल्मषनाशिनी भगवती भागीरथी दृश्यते ॥५॥: At first water for the rites of the primal grandfather Brahma, then the purifying foot-wash of the Lord who rests on the serpent, again the jewel adorning Shambhu's matted locks, then the draught on the tongue of the great sage Agastya, this daughter Bhagirathi, destroyer of stain, the blessed goddess, is seen.

The same stream served creator, preserver, and destroyer reveals one reality wearing many offices; the daughter of Bhagiratha is the visible sign that grace flows through every station of cosmic order.

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Verse 6

शैलेन्द्रात् अवतारिणी निजजले मज्जत् जनोत्तारिणी पारावारविहारिणी भवभयश्रेणी समुत्सारिणी । शेषाहेरनुकारिणी हरशिरोवल्लीदलाकारिणी काशीप्रान्तविहारिणी विजयते गङ्गा मनोहारिणी ॥६॥

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शैलेन्द्रात् अवतारिणी निजजले मज्जत् जनोत्तारिणी पारावारविहारिणी भवभयश्रेणी समुत्सारिणी । शेषाहेरनुकारिणी हरशिरोवल्लीदलाकारिणी काशीप्रान्तविहारिणी विजयते गङ्गा मनोहारिणी ॥६॥: Descending from the king of mountains, uplifting people who plunge in her waters, sporting in the ocean, dispelling the ranks of fear of becoming, imitating Shesha the serpent, shaped like the vine-leaf on Hara's head, delighting at Kashi's edge, victorious is Ganga, bewitcher of the mind.

She who descends to raise the drowning and sports at the world's edge is the inward current that carries the seeker across the sea of birth; fear of becoming dissolves where the mind meets this ever-flowing grace.

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Verse 7

कुतो वीचिर्वीचिस्तव यदि गता लोचनपथं त्वमापीता पीताम्बरपुरनिवासं वितरसि । त्वदुत्सङ्गे गङ्गे पतति यदि कायस्तनुभृतां तदा मातः शातक्रतवपदलाभोऽप्यतिलघुः ॥७॥

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कुतो वीचिर्वीचिस्तव यदि गता लोचनपथं त्वमापीता पीताम्बरपुरनिवासं वितरसि । त्वदुत्सङ्गे गङ्गे पतति यदि कायस्तनुभृतां तदा मातः शातक्रतवपदलाभोऽप्यतिलघुः ॥७॥: When a single wave of yours has entered the path of the eye and you are drunk in, you grant dwelling in the city of the yellow-robed Lord. O mother Ganga, if the body of an embodied being falls in your lap, then even gaining Indra's station seems too slight.

One drop entering the eye opens the abode of Vishnu because vision turned inward meets the supreme; when the body surrenders to the sacred stream, even celestial sovereignty appears a small prize beside liberation.

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Verse 8

गङ्गे त्रैलोक्यसारे सकलसुरवधूधौतविस्तीर्णतोये पूर्णब्रह्मस्वरूपे हरिचरणरजोहारिणि स्वर्गमार्गे । प्रायश्चित्तं यदि स्यात् तव जलकणिका ब्रह्महत्यादिपापे कस्त्वां स्तोतुं समर्थः त्रिजगदघहरे देवि गङ्गे प्रसीद ॥८॥

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गङ्गे त्रैलोक्यसारे सकलसुरवधूधौतविस्तीर्णतोये पूर्णब्रह्मस्वरूपे हरिचरणरजोहारिणि स्वर्गमार्गे । प्रायश्चित्तं यदि स्यात् तव जलकणिका ब्रह्महत्यादिपापे कस्त्वां स्तोतुं समर्थः त्रिजगदघहरे देवि गङ्गे प्रसीद ॥८॥: O Ganga, essence of the three worlds, with waters broadened by the bathing of all divine wives, of the nature of perfect Brahman, bearer of the dust of Hari's feet, path to heaven, if a drop of your water were atonement even for brahma-hatya and such sins, who is able to praise you, destroyer of the three worlds' sins? O goddess, be gracious.

Called the essence of the three worlds and full Brahman, she bears Hari's foot-dust because the highest and the purifying stream are not two; when sin's weight is admitted, grace appears disproportionate to merit, and praise itself falls short.

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