Sri Ganga Stotram is the Slokam in praise of and as prayer to river Ganga, the most revered and celebrated river in Hinduism.
Sri Ganga Stotram describes the attributes of Maa Ganga as She is considered as the incarnation of Sri Parvathi Devi.
Sri Ganga Stotram was composed by Sri Adi Sankaracharya. It contains fourteen stanzas. The last three stanzas mention the benefits of reading and reciting this Slokam. This Slokam is also called as Sri Ganga Sthavam.
Sri Ganga Stotram is presented in Devanagari and English Scripts with a simple English translation.
देवि सुरेश्वरि भगवति गङ्गे त्रिभुवन तारिणि तरल तरङ्गे
शङ्कर मौलि विहारिणि विमले मम मतिरास्तां तव पद कमले (1)
dhaevi suraeshvari bhagavathi ganGgae thribhuvana thaariNi tharala tharanGgae
shanGkara mauli vihaariNi vimalae mama mathira-asthaaM thava padha kamalae
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
You are the Lord of the Devas. You are the Goddess. You bestow liberation to the three worlds with the poignant waves of Your flowing form. You reside at the Head of Sri Shankara. You are without blemish. May my mind firmly concentrate upon Your divine lotus feet.
भागीरथि सुखदायिनि मातस्तव जलमहिमा निगमे ख्यातः
नाहं जाने तव महिमानं पाहि कृपामयि मामज्ञानम् (2)
bhaageeraThi sukha-dhaayini maathas-thava jala-mahimaa nigamae khyaathah
naahaM jaanae thava mahimaanaM paahi krupaamayi maam-ajnyaanam
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
You bestow happiness to all. The glory and greatness of Your water is praised in many scriptures. I am not very knowledgeable about Your glories. Yet I seek protection and safety from You, the compassionate mother Ganga.
हरि पद पाद्य तरङ्गिणि गङ्गे हिम विधु मुक्ता धवल तरङ्गे
दूरीकुरु मम दुष्कृतिभारं कुरु कृपया भव सागर पारम् (3)
hari padha paadhya tharanGgiNi ganGgae hima viDhu mukthaa Dhavala tharanGgae
dhooree-kuru mama dhuShkruthi-bhaaraM kuru krupayaa bhava saagara paaram
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
You have originated from the feet of Sri Hari. You are flowing down with pure white waves where the whiteness is comparable to the snow frost, moon and the pearl. Kindly remove the afflictions in my mind which were caused by my misdeeds. Please bless me Your compassion to enable me to cross this mighty ocean of worldly life.
तव जलममलं येन निपीतं परमपदं खलु तेन गृहीतम्
मातर्गङ्गे त्वयि यो भक्तः किल तं द्रष्टुं न यमः शक्तः (4)
thava jalam-amalaM yaena nipeethaM parama-padhaM khalu thena gruheetham
maathar-ganGgae thvayi yoa bhakthah kila tham dhraShtuM na yamah shakthah
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
The person who partakes of Your pure water shall surely attain moksha. Even Lord Dharma Raja (Yama) cannot put his sight on that person as the devotee shall be at Your abode.
पतितोद्धारिणि जाह्नवि गङ्गे खण्डित गिरि वर मण्डित भङ्गे
भीष्मजननि हे मुनि वर कन्ये पतित निवारिणि त्रिभुवन धन्ये (5)
pathithao-dhDhaariNi jaahnavi ganGge khaNditha giri vara maNitha bhanGgae
bheeShma-janani hae muni vara kanyae pathitha nivaariNi thri-bhuvana Dhanyae
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
Sri Jahnavi Ganga Devi, You elevate the poor and downtrodden. You amble through the Himalayas and You adorn the mountains. You are the mother of Bhishma. You are the daughter of the great Sage Jahnu. You protect the oppressed. You bless and bestow prosperity to the three worlds.
कल्पलतामिव फलदां लोके प्रणमति यस्त्वां न पतति शोके
पारावार विहारिणि गङ्गे विमुख युवति कृत तरलापाङ्गे (6)
kalpa-lathaam-iva phala-dhaaM loakae praNamathi yasthvaaM na pathathi shoakae
paaraavaara vihaariNi ganGgae vimukha yuvathi krutha tharala-apaanGgae
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
You provide sustenance to the world like the holy creeper Kalpalatha. The person who ardently worships and bows to You never gets into misery. You merge with the ocean with the playfulness of a young girl.
तव चेन्मातः स्रोतःस्नातः पुनरपि जठरे सोऽपि न जातः
नरक निवारिणि जाह्नवि गङ्गे कलुष विनाशिनि महिमोत्तुङ्गे (7)
thava chaen-maathah srothah-snaathah punar-api jaTarae soaApi na jaathah
naraka nivaariNi jaahnavi ganGgae kaluSha vinaashini mahimaoth-thunGgae
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
The person who sincerely takes bath in Your flowing water shall have no next birth. Sri Jahnavi Devi, You protect the people from sinking into hell. You alleviate their impurities. Your prominence and greatness are always mighty.
पुनरसदङ्गे पुण्य तरङ्गे जय जय जाह्नवि करुणापाङ्गे
इन्द्र मुकुट मणि राजित चरणे सुखदे शुभदे भृत्यशरण्ये (8)
punar-asadh-anGgae puNya tharanGgae jaya jaya jaahnavi karuNa-apaanGgae
indhra mukuta maNi raajitha charaNae sukha-dhae shubha-dhae bhruthya-sharaNyae
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
Sri Jahnavi Ganga Devi, I hail triumph to You. You change the body with impurities into the pure body through Your divine waves and merciful glimpse. Sri Maa Ganga Devi, Your feet are decorated with the crown jewel of Indra. You bless and bestow happiness and auspiciousness to the ardent servant who takes refuge in You.
रोगं शोकं तापं पापं हर मे भगवति कुमतिकलापम्
त्रिभुवनसारे वसुधाहारे त्वमसि गतिर्मम खलु संसारे (9)
roagaM shoakaM thaapaM paapaM hara mae bhagavathi kumathi-kalaapam
thri-bhuvana-saarae vasuDhaa-haarae thvam-asi gathir-mama khalu saMsaare
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
You are the Goddess. Kindly remove the illness, worries, desires, sins and evil thoughts from me. You are the wealth of the three worlds. You are the garland of the earth. You are the provider of sanctuary for me from the clutches of the worldly life.
अलकानन्दे परमानन्दे कुरु करुणामयि कातरवन्द्ये
तव तटनिकटे यस्य निवासः खलु वैकुण्ठे तस्य निवासः (10)
alakaanandhae parama-anandhae kuru karuNaamayi kaathara-vandhyae
thava thata-nikatae yasya nivaasah khalu vaikuNTae thasya nivaasah
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
Sri Alakanandha Devi, You are the river of immense pleasure. You are compassionate and are loved by the hapless persons. Kindly listen in to my sincere prayers and please bless me. The persons residing near Your banks are as blessed as being in Sri Vaikuntam.
वरमिह नीरे कमठो मीनः किं वा तीरे शरटः क्षीणः
अथवा श्वपचो मलिनो दीनस्तव न हि दूरे नृपतिकुलीनः (11)
varam-iha neerae kamaToa meenah kiM vaa theerae sharatah kSheeNah
aThavaa shvapachoa malinoa dheenas-thava na hi dhoorae nrupathi-kuleenah
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
Sri Maa Ganga Devi, it is indeed a great bliss to live as either fish or tortoise in Your waters or as a chameleon at Your river banks or as anything lowly born near You. This is much better than being a King or a Highly born at a place far away from You.
भो भुवनेश्वरि पुण्ये धन्ये देवि द्रवमयि मुनि वर कन्ये
गङ्गास्तवमिमममलं नित्यं पठति नरो यः स जयति सत्यम् (12)
bho bhuvaneshvari puNyae Dhanyae dhaevi dhravamayi muni vara kanye
ganGgaa-sthavam-imam-amalaM nithyaM paTathi naroa yah sa jayathi sathyam
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
You are the Goddess of the World. You bless and bestow the divinity and prosperity. You are in flowing form. You are the daughter of Sage Jahnu. The person sincerely reading and reciting this Ganga Sthavam shall indeed be successful.
येषां हृदये गङ्गा भक्तिस्तेषां भवति सदा सुख मुक्तिः
मधुरा कान्ता पज्झटिकाभिः परमानन्द कलित ललिताभिः (13)
yeShaaM hrudhayae ganGgaa-bhakthis-thaeShaaM bhavathi sadhaa sukha mukthih
maDhuraa kaanthaa pajjhatikaabhih parama-anandha kalitha lalithaabhih
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
The person who learns and keeps the devotion towards Sri Ganga Devi shall have the happiness of liberation in his heart. This Ganga Stotram is composed as per pajjahatika system. This is the source of eternal inherent bliss.
गङ्गा स्तोत्रमिदं भवसारं वाञ्छित फलदं विमलं सारम्
शङ्कर सेवक शङ्कर रचितं पठति सुखी स्तव इति च समाप्तः (14)
ganGgaa sthothram-idhaM bhava-saaraM vaanjChitha phaladhaM vimalaM saaram
shanGgkara saevaka shanGgkar rachitham paTathi sukhee sthava ithi cha samaapthah
Humble Salutations to Sri Ganga Devi.
This Ganga Stotram is the essence of purity. The sincere recitation of this Stotram results in the attainment of the desires in the life. This hymn is composed by Shankara (Sri Adi Sankaracharya) who is the servant of Shankara (Lord Shiva). The persons reciting this Slokam shall be blessed with happiness and contentment.
