Guest guest Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 By Sankara O Devi Suresvari ! O Bhagavati Ganga ! Saviour of the three worlds of restless waves, Virgin, Kali, Spouse of Kapala, of tawny hue Clear is Thy Water circling upon the head of Siva May My mind ever repose at Thy lotus feet Mother Bhagirathi ! Giver of happiness Renowned in Nigama is the greatness of thy water; Thy greatness is more than I can know, Protect me, O merciful one, ignorant that I am O Ganga! sprung from the Feet of Visnu Whose waves are white as snow as moon and pearl Remov from me my weight of sin Help me to cross the ocean of the World They say that him, O Ganga ! who is devoted to Thee Yama can never behold He who has drunk Thy clear water Attains of a surety the supreme Abode. O jahnavi! O ganga! deliverer of the fallen, Whose waves are beautiful, Claving the foremost of mountains, Mother of Bhisma, daughter of the foremost of munis. Protectress of the fallen; Praised in the three worlds. O Ganga! who goeth to the ocean, Ever free of sadness is he who salutes Thee. Giver of fruits like unto the kalpa tree, By thy favour the woman who look coldly Now casts her loving glances.<BR. He who bathes in Thy currents, O Mother! Is never again reborn in woman'w womb O Protectress from hell! O Jahnavi! O Ganga! O Destructress of sins! lofty art Thou by Thy greatness. O Thou who art eternal! O wave of putiry! May Thou, bestower of bliss, refuge of Thy worshippers! >From whose eyes come glances of compassion. Whose feet the lustre of gems on Indra's crown adorn, Be ever victorious! O Bhagirathi! dispel my illness, melancholy, and pain As also my sins and all my many follies; Essence of the three regions, necklace ( on the breast ) of Earth, Of a surety Thou art my refuge in the world O Alakananda! O Supreme Bliss! O worshipful by those who despair! Be Thou merciful He whose abode is by Thy Banks Of a verity dwells in Vaikuntha Better were it to be a fish or tortoise in thy waters, Or a feeble lizard upon Thy banks, or a poor dog-eater Within two kos ot Thy stream, Than to be a noble king and yet far away from Thee O Bhuvaneswari! pure one, praised of all, Devi in liquid form, daughter of the foremost of munis. He who daily reads this hymns to Ganga Is of a surety ever victorious. They who with devotion in their heart to Ganga (Recite) this hymn Composed in the sweet, pleasant, charming pajjhatika metre Which gives the highest happiness. Gain the eternal bliss of Liberation. A Worldly man shall read this hymn to Ganga Which is the essence of the world, the giver of desired fruit, The Essence of all pure things enjoined. Composed by Sankara, the worshipper of Sankara This hymn is ended Source : Hymns to the Goddess and Hymns to Kali Sir John Woodroffee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2002 Report Share Posted October 23, 2002 thanks nora! i was looking for an english translation of adi shankara's ganga ashtakam! this is it! thank you once again for bringing all these beautiful stotras to our fingertips! love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 25, 2002 Report Share Posted October 25, 2002 By Valmiki O Mother Ganga! co-wife with the daughter of Himalaya, Thou art the necklace on the dress of the Earth And the banner staff whereby one ascends to Heaven O Bhagirathi! I pray to Thee May my body perish after it has lived on Thy banks, After it has drunk Thy pure water And swung on Thy waves. And has remembered Thy name and cast looks on Thee O Mother Ganga ! O deliverer from Hell ! even a bird living in the hollow of a tree growing on Thy bank, Even a fish or a tortoise living in Thy Waters Are greater than a King worshipped by his enemies wives Made afraid by the sound of the bells on the necks of his maddened elephants Not even a bull or a bird or a horse. Nor a serpent nor an elephant, Suffer the pains of rebirth and redeath If they live at Kasi on Thy holy banks. Better off are they than even a Raj living elsewhere, Fanned though he be with the couris of courtezans, Whose ever moving golden wristles sweetly tinkle O our Supreme Lady Bhagirathi! O wanderer in the three regions ! When shall it be that I shall be fanned By the hands of heavenly women with their beautiful couris? When too, shall I be happy enough to see my body Pecked by crows, devoured by dogs, drawn along the earth by jackals carried by Thy currents, tossed upon Thy banks, And borne by Thy waters to and fro! May the daughter of Jahnu be ever victorious and protect us, She who is like the fresh fibrous stem of the lotus feet of Visnu, Like a garland jasmine flowers on the head of Siva Like the banner of victory of Lakshmi presiding over liberation, She who cleanes us of the stain of sin arising from the Kaliyuga. May Thy Sacred water be pure for my daily bathing. Thy water covered with leaves of palm and tamala, Of Sala and pine, with all their creepers On which play no rays of the Sun White and brilliant, like the conch, the Moon, and the water-lily, Stirred by the rising breasts of the wives of the Gandharvas, Devas, Siddhas and Kinnaras, What time they bathe therein. May the water of Ganga, who ever charms, sanctify us; She who has fallen from the feet of the enemy of Mura Who wanders upon the head of the enemy of Tripura The Destructress of sins. May the auspicious water of Ganga ever purify us; The Destructress of sins, the great enemy of sins, Adorned with waves, wandering in the mountains, Piercing through the caverns of the Lord of Mountains. With roaring sounds Stealer of the dust from the feet of Lord Hari Whosoever at early dawn, Having cleansed his body And purified his mind Of all uncleanliness arising from the sinful Kaliyuga Reads this hymns to Ganga composed of eight verses Shall never fall into the ocean of the world again But shall attain liberation Source : Hymns to the Goddess and Hymns to Kali Sir John Woodroffee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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