Ganga Ashtakam

भगवति भवलीलामौलिमाले तवांभः
कणमणुपरिमाणं प्राणिनो ये स्पृशन्ति ।
अमरनगरनारिचामरमरग्राहिणीनां
विगतकलिकलंकातंकमंके लुठन्ति ॥ १॥

bhagavati bhavalīlāmaulimāle tavāmbhaḥ
kaṇamaṇuparimāṇaṃ prāṇino ye spṛśanti .
amaranagaranāricāmaramaragrāhiṇīnāṃ
vigatakalikalaṅkātaṅkamaṅke luṭhanti .. 1..

Oh, Goddess who is the garland on the head of Lord Shiva,
And meant for his happiness,
Those beings, who are lucky,
To touch drops of your water,
Get relieved of all dark sins,
And would enjoy the caressing,
In the laps of those maidens of heaven,
Who hold fans in their hands.

ब्रह्माण्डं खंडयन्ती हरशिरसि जटावल्लिमुल्लासयन्ती
खर्ल्लोकात् आपतन्ती कनकगिरिगुहागण्डशैलात् स्खलन्ती ।
क्षोणी पृष्ठे लुठन्ती दुरितचयचमूनिंर्भरं भर्त्सयन्ती
पाथोधिं पुरयन्ती सुरनगरसरित् पावनी नः पुनातु ॥ २॥

brahmāṇḍaṃ khaṇḍayantī haraśirasi jaṭāvallimullāsayantī
kharllokāt āpatantī kanakagiriguhāgaṇḍaśailāt skhalantī .
kṣoṇī pṛṣṭhe luṭhantī duritacayacamūniṃrbharaṃ bhartsayantī
pāthodhiṃ purayantī suranagarasarit pāvanī naḥ punātu .. 2..

Let the pure waters of the heavenly Ganga,
Originating from the breaking the universe in to two,
Watering the hair curls of Lord Shiva’s head,
Falling from the heights of heaven,
Coming out of the sandal wood trees of the caves of Meru,
Falling torrentially on the earth,
Washing away the crowds of sins,
And making full the waters of the sea,
Take care of all of us.

मज्जनमातंगकुंभच्युतमदमदिरामोदमत्तालिजालं
स्नानंः सिद्धांगनानां कुचयुगविगलत् कुंकुमासंगपिंगम् ।
सायंप्रातर्मुनीनां कुशकुसुमचयैः छन्नतीरस्थनीरं
पाय न्नो गांगमंभः करिकलभकराक्रान्तरं हस्तरंगम् ॥ ३॥

majjanamātaṅgakumbhacyutamadamadirāmodamattālijālaṃ
snānaṃḥ siddhāṅganānāṃ kucayugavigalat kuṅkumāsaṅgapiṅgam .
sāyamprātarmunīnāṃ kuśakusumacayaiḥ channatīrasthanīraṃ
pāya nno gāṅgamambhaḥ karikalabhakarākrāntaraṃ hastaraṅgam .. 3..

Let this waters of Ganga,
Which is full of several crowds of bees rushing to drink,
The water coming out of the bathing elephants,
Which is fully red because of the saffron coloured water,
Flowing from the head through the busts of holy ladies,
Which is full of different types floating grasses and flowers,
After the dawn and dusk salutations done by saints in the morn and evening,
And which is full of waves created by the playful elephants and calves,
Because of their beating the water with their trunks,
Save all of us.

आदावादि पितामहस्य नियमव्यापारपात्रे जलं
पश्चात् पन्नगशायिनो भगवतः पादोदकं पावनम् ।
भूयः शंभुजटाविभूषणमणिः जहनोर्महर्षेरियं
कन्या कल्मषनाशिनी भगवती भागीरथी दृश्यते ॥ ४॥

ādāvādi pitāmahasya niyamavyāpārapātre jalaṃ
paścāt pannagaśāyino bhagavataḥ pādodakaṃ pāvanam .
bhūyaḥ śambhujaṭāvibhūṣaṇamaṇiḥ jahanormaharṣeriyaṃ
kanyā kalmaṣanāśinī bhagavatī bhāgīrathī dṛśyate .. 4..

This Goddess brought down by King Bhageerath,
Was initially seen as the water of worship from the pot of Brahma,
Later it became the purest holy waters washing the feet of Vishnu,
And then became an ornamental gem on the head of Lord Shiva,
And then later was born as the daughter of sage Jahnu.

शैलेन्द्रात् अवतारिणी निजजले मज्जत् जनोत्तारिणी
पारावारविहारिणी भवभयश्रेणी समुत्सारिणी ।
शेषाहेरनुकारिणी हरशिरोवल्लिदलाकारिणी
काशीप्रान्तविहारिणी विजयते गंगा मनूहारिणो ॥ ५॥

śailendrāt avatāriṇī nijajale majjat janottāriṇī
pārāvāravihāriṇī bhavabhayaśreṇī samutsāriṇī .
śeṣāheranukāriṇī haraśirovallidalākāriṇī
kāśīprāntavihāriṇī vijayate gaṅgā manūhāriṇo .. 5..

Victory to that pretty Ganga, who took birth from king of mountains,
Who makes people who dip in her waters cross the ocean of life,
Who reaches and plays in the ocean,
Who completely uproots sorrows from life,
Who imitates Adhisesha and bends and flows,
Who appears like leaves on the hairs of Lord Shiva,
And who flows very near the city of Kasi.

कुतो वीचिर्वीचिस्तव यदि गता लोचनपथं
त्वमापीता पीतांबरपुग्निवासं वितरसि ।
त्वदुत्संगे गंगे पतति यदि कायस्तनुभृतां
तदा मातः शातक्रतवपदलाभोऽप्यतिलघुः ॥ ६॥

kuto vīcirvīcistava yadi gatā locanapathaṃ
tvamāpītā pītāmbarapugnivāsaṃ vitarasi .
tvadutsaṅge gaṅge patati yadi kāyastanubhṛtāṃ
tadā mātaḥ śātakratavapadalābho’pyatilaghuḥ .. 6..

Hey river Ganga, Where are the pains of hell to him,
Whose eyes see at least one of your waves?
Hey Ganga, You give to anyone taking a sip of your water,
Permanent residence in Vaikunta,
And Oh, mother, to any being whose body falls on you,
Even the post of Indra become worthless

गंगे त्रैलोक्यसारे सकलसुरवधूधौतविस्तीर्णतोये
पूर्णब्रह्मस्वरूपे हरिचरणरजोहारिणि स्वर्गमार्गे ।
प्रायश्चितं यदि स्यात् तव जलकाणिक्रा ब्रह्महत्यादिपापे
कस्त्वां स्तोतुं समर्थः त्रिजगदघहरे देवि गंगे प्रसीद ॥ ७॥

gaṅge trailokyasāre sakalasuravadhūdhautavistīrṇatoye
pūrṇabrahmasvarūpe haricaraṇarajohāriṇi svargamārge .
prāyaścitaṃ yadi syāt tava jalakāṇikrā brahmahatyādipāpe
kastvāṃ stotuṃ samarthaḥ trijagadaghahare devi gaṅge prasīda .. 7..

Hey Ganga, who is most important in all the three worlds,
Who is so wide and big that all women of heaven dip and bathe in you,
Who is having the full form of the eternal truth,
Who flows carrying the dust of the feet of Lord Vishnu,
Who flows in the paths of heaven,
And whose one drop is the only cure for sins like killing of Brahmana,
Hey Ganga, who can be capable of praying you adequately?
And who is more capable of washing any sin in the three worlds,
Be pleased with me.

मातर्जाह्नवी शंभुसंगवलिते मौलै निधायाञ्जलिं
त्वत्तीरे वपुषोऽवसानसमये नारायणांध्रिद्वयम् ।
सानन्दं स्मरतो भविष्यति मम प्राणप्रयाणोत्सवे
भूयात् भक्तिरविच्युता हरिहरद्वैतात्मिका शाश्वती ॥ ८॥

mātarjāhnavī śambhusaṅgavalite maulai nidhāyāñjaliṃ
tvattīre vapuṣo’vasānasamaye nārāyaṇāndhridvayam .
sānandaṃ smarato bhaviṣyati mama prāṇaprayāṇotsave
bhūyāt bhaktiravicyutā hariharadvaitātmikā śāśvatī .. 8..

Hey mother Jahnavi, at the end of my wanderings devoted for search
For the company of lord Shiva, the end celebration of my travel of the soul,
Would happen in your bank, while I would be meditating,
Holding my two hands in salute over my head,
With happiness, on the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu.
Let my devotion to Vishnu and Shiva be permanent, Oh Goddess.

गंगाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेत् प्रयतो नरः ।
सर्वपापविनिर्भुक्तो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ॥

gaṅgāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhet prayato naraḥ .
sarvapāpavinirbhukto viṣṇulokaṃ sa gacchati ..

That holy devotee who reads this holy octet on Ganga,
Would become free of all sins and reach the world of Vishnu

Description

Gangashtakam is an octet on river Ganga composed by Shri Adi Shankaracharya.

Ganga Ashtakam

Ganga Ashtakam is a sacred hymn dedicated to Maa Ganga, the divine river worshipped across India for her purity, grace, and spiritual power. The hymn is filled with devotion and praises the heavenly qualities of Goddess Ganga, who is believed to wash away sins and guide devotees toward inner peace. In Hindu tradition, the river Ganga is not only a source of water but also a symbol of spiritual cleansing and divine blessings. The recitation of Ganga Ashtakam creates a peaceful atmosphere and fills the heart with faith and positivity.

For centuries, saints, sages, and devotees have chanted Ganga Ashtakam during prayers, pilgrimages, and holy rituals. The verses beautifully describe the greatness of the sacred river and her ability to purify the soul. Many devotees believe that listening to or reciting this hymn regularly brings spiritual strength, mental calmness, and protection from negative energies. The sacred vibrations of the hymn inspire devotion and help people connect deeply with divine consciousness. Platforms like Devotional india continue to share such timeless spiritual compositions with devotees around the world.

The spiritual significance of Ganga Ashtakam is closely connected with faith, surrender, and divine grace. During festivals and auspicious occasions, devotees gather near riverbanks and temples to sing hymns dedicated to Maa Ganga. The hymn reminds people about the importance of purity in thoughts, actions, and lifestyle. It also reflects the ancient Indian tradition of respecting nature as a divine blessing. Listening to devotional hymns through Devotional india helps many people stay connected with spiritual teachings even in modern times.

The soothing words of Ganga Ashtakam have the power to calm the mind and bring emotional balance. Many spiritual seekers include this hymn in their daily prayers because it creates an atmosphere of peace and devotion within the home. Chanting sacred hymns dedicated to Maa Ganga is believed to remove fear, stress, and negativity from life. The emotional connection that devotees feel while reciting this hymn strengthens their faith and inspires a positive outlook toward life. Through spiritual platforms such as Devotional india, these ancient prayers continue to reach new generations.

Another important aspect of Ganga Ashtakam is its poetic beauty and devotional depth. Every verse praises the glory of Maa Ganga and highlights her compassionate nature. Devotees often chant the hymn early in the morning or during meditation to experience spiritual calmness and clarity. The sacred hymn reminds people to live with kindness, purity, and devotion in everyday life. Spiritual listeners who follow Devotional india often explore hymns like this to deepen their understanding of Hindu devotional traditions.

The timeless message of Ganga Ashtakam continues to inspire millions of devotees across the world. Its divine verses encourage spiritual awakening and devotion toward Maa Ganga. Whether recited in temples, homes, or during pilgrimages, Ganga Ashtakam remains a cherished part of Hindu spiritual culture and devotional practice.

-Tantrokta Ratri Suktam