Shri Ganga Chalisa

JAI JAI JAI JAGA PAAVANII,, JAYATI DEVASARI GANGA
JAI SHIVA JATAA NIVAASINII,ANUPAMA TUNGA TARANGA

Glory, glory, all glory to you, O sanctifier of the world glory to you, O Ganga, the sacred river of the gods. Victory to you, O dweller among Shiva’s locks! Your bouncing and rippling waves (as you descend from the high Himalayas) are incomparably beautiful.

JAI JAI JANANII HARANA AGHA KHAANII, AANANADA KARANII GANGAA MAHAARAANII
JAI BHAAGIIRATHII SURASARI MAATAA, KALI MALA MUULA DALANII VIKHYAATAA

Glory, all glory to you, O destroyer of all accumulated sins and delight of your devotees. O Mother Ganga, you are the queen consort among the sacred streams of the world. Glory to you, O Bhagirathi; glory to you, O stream of the gods and nourisher of the world; you are renowned as the extirpator of the very roots of all defilements of this Kali age.

JAI JAI JAHNU SUTAA AGHA HARANII, BHIISHMA KII MAATAA JAGA JANANII
DHAVALA KAMALA DALA SAMA TANU SAAJAI, LAKHI SHATA SHARADA CHANDRA CHAVI LAAJAAII

Glory, all glory to you, O Jahnavi, destroyer of sins, you are the mother of Bhishma and source of nourishment to the world. Your beautiful body is as fair and delicate as the petals of white lotuses, beholding which the beauty of a hundred autumn moons is abashed.

VAAHANA MAKARA VIMALA SHUCHI SOHAIN, AMIYA KALASHA KARA LAKHI MANA MOHAIN
JADITA RATNA KANCHANA AABUUSHANA, HIYA MANI HAARA HARANII TAMA DUUSANA

Your vehicle, the immaculate and sacred crocodile, looks elegant and he who beholds the urn filled with ambrosia in your hand is at once spellbound. The gold ornaments you are wearing are all studded with precious gems and the diamond necklace on your bosom is absolutely spotless (without any trace of impurity).

JAGA PAAVANII TRAYA TAAPA NASHAAVANII, TARALA TARANGA TUNGA MANA BHAAVANII
JO GANAPATI ATI PUUJYA PRADHAANAA, TIHUN TE PRATHAMA GANGA SNAANAA

Glory to you, O purifier of the world and destroyer of sins; your flowing, leaping waves are so alluring. Ganesha, Lord of Shiva’s henchmen, is said to be foremost among all the adorable gods, but bathing in the Ganga takes precedence over him.

BRAHMAA KAMANDALA VAASINII DEVII, SHRII PRABHU PADA PANKAJA SUKHA SEVII
SAATHI SAHASRA SAGARA TAARYO, GANGAASAAGARA TIIRTHA DHAARYO

O Goddess, you dwell in Brahma’s kamandala, the pot made of earth or wood which he carries; but you came down to worship the lotus feet of Vishnu, the feet that bestow happiness on all. You absolved all the sixty thousand sons of Sagara of their sins and made Gangasagara, a place of pilgrimage.

AGAMA TARANGA UTHYO MANA BHAAVANA, LAKHI TIIRTHA HARIDVAARA SUHAAVANA
TIIRTHA RAAJA PRAYAAGA AKSHAYAVATA, DHARYO MAATU PUNI KAASHII KARAVATA

He who beholds the sacred scenic beauty of Haridwara is filled with an upsurge of mysterious and pleasurable sensations (It is your sanctifying power that had turned so many cities situated on your banks into places of pilgrimage.) Among the cities sanctified by you is Prayaga, the foremost of all holy places and its immortal banyan tree, the Akshayavata; similarly when you adopted a new course (and changed sides) Kashi became another holy place.

DHANI DHANI SURASARI SVARGA KII SIIDHII, TAARANII AMITA PITU PADA PIIDHII
BHAAGIIRATHA TAPA KIYO APAARAA, DIYO BRAHMAA TABA SURASARI DHAARAA

Blessed, all blessed are you, O stream of gods, you are a leader to heaven and the redeemer of countless generations of our manes. O Bhagirathi, when Bhagiratha performed the most rigorous penance known to the world, Brahma was pleased to bless him with the celestial stream.

JABA JAGA JANANI CHALYO HAHARAAI , SHAMBHUU JATAA MAHAN RAHYO SAMAAII
BARSHA PARYANTA GANGA MAHAARAANII, RAHII SHMBHUU KE JATAA BHULAANI

O nourisher of the world, when loud thundered your crashing torrent, you entered Shambhu’s locks and, O great empress, you remained invisible there for a year.

OUNI HAGIIRATHA SHAMBHUUHIN DHYAAYO, TABA IKA BUNDA JATAA SE PAAYO
TAATE MAATU BHAIIN TRAYA DHAARAA, MRITYULOKA NABHA ARU PAATAARAA

When again Bhagiratha meditated on Shambhu, he received a drop of your holy water from his locks. That holy drop, O Mother, swelled into three streams- one flowing in this world of the mortals another in that of the celestials and the third in the nether world.

GAIIN PAATAALA PRABHAAVATII NAAMAA, MANDAAKINII GAIIN GAGANA LALAAMAA
MRITYU LOKA JAAHNAVII SUHAAVANII, KALI MALA HARANII AGAMA JAGA PAAVANII

The one flowing in the nether world is called Prabhavati; another flowing through the gorgeous heavens is known as Mandakini. In this world of mortals the third stream became the beauteous Jahnavi, who does away with the defilements of the Kali age and who mysteriously sanctifies the whole world.

DHANI MAIYAA TAVA MAHIMAA BHAARII, DHARMA DHUURI KALI KALUSHA KUTHARII
MAATU PRABHAAVATII DHANI MANDAAKINII,. DHANI DHANI DEVA SARITA BHAYANAASHINII

Blessed and abundantly illustrious are you, O Mother, the very pivot of righteousness and an axe to destroy the defilements of the Kali age. Blessed, all blessed are all the three streams- Prabhavati, Mandakini and the divine river Ganga- which dispel all dread.

PAANA KARATA NIRMALA GANAGAAJALA, PAAVATA MANA ICCHITA ANANTA PHALA
PUURVA JANMA PUNYA JABA JAAGATA, TABAHIN DHYAANA GANGAA MAHAN LAAGATA

He who sips the holy water of Ganga in all its unpolluted (elemental) purity is rewarded with increasing success in all his endeavors and with the fulfillment of all his desires. But only with the fruition of the virtuous deeds done in the previous birth can one turn one’s mind to Ganga.

JABA PAGU SURASARI HETA UTHAAVAHI, TAI JAGI ASHVAMEDHA PHALA PAAVAHI
MAHAA PATITA JINA KAHU NA TAARE, TINA TAARE IKA NAAMA TIHAARE

As soon as a person steps out towards the holy river (to bathe in it, to sip its liberating potion or to worship it), he is rewarded with the fruit of a hrose-sacrifice. Your name delivered even the most damned and fallen of men whom none else could ever liberate.

SHATA YOJANAHU SE JO DHYAAVAI, NISHCHAYA VISHNU LOKA PADA PAAVAI
NAAMA HAJATA AGANITA AGHA NAASHAI, VIMALA GYAANA BALA BUDDHI PRAKAASAI

Even those who remember you from a distance of a hundred yojanas- a yojana being equal to nine miles- doubtless obtain a place in the realm of Lord Vishnu. As soon as one repeats your name, one is absolved of countless sins and is blessed with the radiance of unsullied knowledge, valiance and wit.

JIMI DHANA MUULA DHARMA ARU DAANAA, DHARMA MUULA GANGAA JALA PAANAA
TAVA GUNAAGUNA KARATA DUKHA BHAAGATA, GRIHA GRIHA SAMPATI SUMATI VIRAAJATA

Just as the original source of all affluence is religious observance and charity, so is a drink of holy water taken from Ganga the very source of dharma, righteousness. Tribulations flee and homes are filled with the radiance of affluence and good moral sense when, O Mother, your praises are sung.

GANGAHI NEMA SAHITA NITA DHYAAVATA|, DURJANAHU SAJJANA PADA PAAVATA||
BUDDHI HIINA VIDYAA BALA PAAVAI|, ROGII ROGA MUKTA HVAI JAAVAI||

He who regularly remembers the holy stream and observes the stringent rules of such a worship attains to the status of a noble person even if he is wicked. Even witless dunces acquire the power of knowledge and the sick are cured of all infirmities.

GANGAA GANGAA JO NARA KAHAHI, BHUUKHAA NANGAA KABAHUN NA RAHAHI
NIKASATA HII MUKHA HANGAA MAAII, AANANA DAVI YAMA CHALAIN PARAAII

He who chants the name of Ganga never starves nor remains naked. As soon as he utters the name of Ganga, Yama, the god of death, hides his face in embarrassment and flees at once.

MAHAANA AGHINA ADHAMANA KAHAN TAARE, BHAYE NARAKA KE BANDA KIVAADE
JO NARA JAPAI GANGA SHATA NAAMAA, SAKALA SIDDHI PUURANA HVAI KAAMAA

Ever since you delivered many a great sinner, the doorways to hell have been closed for them. He who repeats your hundred names finds his desires fulfilled and attains to prosperity.

SABA SUKHA BHOGA PARAMA PADA PAAVAHIN, AAVAAGAMANA RAHITA HVAI JAAVAHIN
DHANI MAIYAA SURASARI SUKHADAAYINII, DANI DHANI TIIRTHARAAJA TRIVENII

Having enjoyed all the blessings of life he attains to the supreme state and is delivered from the cycle of birth and death. Blessed are you, O Mother, the celestial stream, the source of all happiness; blessed, all blessed is the confluence of the three rivers, triveni, at Prayaga, the holiest of the holy.

KAKARAA GRAAMA RISHI DURVAASAA, SUNDARADAASA GANGA KARA DAASAA
JO YAHA PADHE GANGAACHAALIISAA, MILAI BHAKTI AVIRALA VAAGISHAA

This hymn has been composed by a devotee of Ganga, Sundardasa in the hermitage of the high sage Durvasa, of the village Kakara. He who reads this hymn to Ganga becomes a recipient of uninterrupted devotion and consummate eloquence.

NITA NAVA SUKHA SAMPATI LAHAI,, DHARE GANGAA KAA DHYAANA
ANTA SAMAYA SURA PURA BASAI,, SAADARA BAITHI VIMAANA

Meditation on Ganga yields ever-new happiness and prosperity and an abode in the city of the celestials, o which he is carried in an aerial car after death.

SANVATA BHUJA NABHA GAGANA DISHI,, RAAMA JANMA DINA CHAITRA
PUURANA CHAALIISAA KIIYO,, HARI BHAKTANA HITA NAITRA

In the year 2010 of the Vikrama era on the Ramanavami day in the month of Chaitra, the poet completed this hymn to Ganga for the edification of Hari’s votaries and for none else.