गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि। मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever says 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to Vishnu’s world.
अंधाश्च पंगवस्ते च वृथाभव समुद्भवाः। गर्भपाताद्विपद्यंते ये गंगां न गता नराः
The blind, the lame, and those born in vain, as well as those who die from miscarriage—these are the people who have not reached the Ganga.
न कीर्तयंति ये गंगां जडतुल्या नराधमाः। परान्नोपदिशंति स्म वातूलाश्चित्तविभ्रमाः
Those who do not praise the Ganga are like dull-witted fools, the lowest of men; they are unstable, confused in mind, and are said to eat others’ food.
न पठंति जना ये च तेषां शास्त्रं विनिष्फलम्। गंगापुण्यफलं विप्राः कुधियः पतिताधमाः
Those people who do not recite (her praise), for them, the scripture is fruitless; O Brahmins, those of wicked intellect and fallen nature do not obtain the merit of the Ganga.
पाठयंति जना ये च श्रद्धया निपठंति च। गच्छंति ते दिवं धीरास्तारयंति पितॄन्गुरून्
But those who recite and study with faith, those steadfast ones go to heaven and deliver their ancestors and teachers.
पाथेयकं गच्छतां यो वसु शक्त्या प्रयच्छति। भागीरथ्या लभेत्स्नानं यः परान्नेन गच्छति
Whoever, to the best of his ability, gives provisions to travelers, or who goes to the Bhagirathi (Ganga) with food received from others, attains the merit of bathing in her.
कर्तुः स्नानफलं विद्याद्द्विगुणं प्रेरकस्य च। इच्छयानिच्छया चापि प्रेरणेनान्यसेवया
One should know that the fruit of bathing accrues to the doer, and is doubled for the one who encourages others, whether by will or unwillingly, by urging or by service to another.
जाह्नवीं यो गतः पुण्यां स गच्छेन्निर्जरालयम्। द्विजा ऊचुः- गंगायाः कीर्तनं व्यास श्रुतं त्वत्तो विनिर्मलम्
Whoever goes to the holy Jahnavi (Ganga) attains the abode of the immortals; the twice-born said: 'Vyasa, we have heard from you the pure praise of the Ganga.'
गंगा कस्मात्किमाकारा कुतः सा ह्यतिपावनी। व्यास उवाच- शृणुध्वं कथयाम्यद्य कथां पुण्यां पुरातनीं
'Why is the Ganga so supremely pure, what is her form, and from where does she come?' Vyasa said: 'Listen, I will now tell you an ancient, holy story.'
यां श्रुत्वा मोक्षमार्गं च प्राप्नोति नरसत्तमः। ब्रह्मलोकं पुरा गत्वा नारदो मुनिपुंगवः
Hearing which, O best of men, one attains the path of liberation; once, the great sage Narada went to Brahmaloka.
नत्वा विधिं च पप्रच्छ पूतं त्रैलोक्यपावनम्। किं सृष्टं च त्वया तात संमतं शंभुकृष्णयोः
Having bowed to the Creator, he asked the purifier of the three worlds: 'O father, what have you created that is esteemed by Shambhu and Krishna?'
सर्वलोकहितार्थाय भुवःस्थाने समीहितम्। देवी वा देवता का वा सर्वासामुत्तमोत्तमा
'For the welfare of all worlds, what has been established on earth? Is it a goddess or a divinity, who among all is the highest of the high?'
यां समासाद्य देवाश्च दैत्यमानुषपन्नगाः। अंडजाः स्वेदजा वृक्षा ये चान्य उद्भिज्जादयः
'By approaching whom do gods, demons, humans, serpents, birds, those born from sweat, trees, and others born from seeds and so on—'
सर्वे यांति शिवं ब्रह्मन्समग्रं विभवं ध्रुवम्। ब्रह्मोवाच- सृजता च पुरा प्रोक्ता माया प्रकृतिरूपिणी
'—all attain auspiciousness, O Brahmin, complete and certain prosperity?' Brahma said: 'In the beginning, she was called Maya, the one who is nature herself.'
आद्या भव स्वलोकानां त्वत्तो भवं सृजाम्यहम्। एतच्छ्रुत्वा परा सा च सप्तधा चाभवत्तदा
'O primal one, become the worlds; from you, I create the worlds.' Hearing this, she became supreme and then was divided sevenfold.
गायत्रीवाक्च स्वर्लक्ष्मीस्सर्वसस्य वसुप्रदा। ज्ञानविद्या उमादेवी शक्तिबीजा तपस्विनी
Gayatri, Vak, the wealth of heaven, the giver of all crops and riches, knowledge, learning, goddess Uma, the seed of power, and the ascetic one—
वर्णिका धर्मद्रवा च एतास्सप्त प्रकीर्तिताः। गायत्रीप्रभवा वेदा वेदात्सर्वं स्थितं जगत्
Varṇikā and Dharmadravā—these seven are proclaimed; from Gayatri arose the Vedas, and from the Vedas, the whole world is established.
स्वस्ति स्वाहा स्वधा दीक्षा एता गायत्रिजा स्मृताः। उच्चारयेत्सदा यज्ञे गायत्रीं मातृकादिभिः
Svasti, Svaha, Svadha, and Diksha are said to be born from Gayatri; one should always recite Gayatri in sacrifice, along with the mother syllables and others.
क्रतौ देवाः स्वधां प्राप्य भवेयुरजरामराः। ततस्सुधारसं देवा मुमुचुर्धरणीतले
In the sacrifice, the gods, having obtained Svadha, become ageless and immortal; then the gods released the nectar of immortality upon the earth.
अथ सस्यवती पृथ्वी ओषधीनां परा शुभा। फलमूलैरसैर्भक्ष्यैर्जनाः सुस्थतराभवन्
Then the earth, rich with crops, became the supreme source of herbs; by fruits, roots, and edible plants, people became healthier.
भारती सर्वलोकानां चानने मानसे स्थिता। तथैव सर्वशास्त्रेषु धर्मोद्देशं करोति सा
Speech, abiding in the faces and minds of all beings, likewise in all the scriptures, she establishes the teaching of righteousness.
विज्ञानं कलहं शोकं मोहामोहं शिवाशिवम्। तया विना जगत्सर्वं यात्यतत्त्वमिति स्मृतम्
Knowledge, conflict, sorrow, delusion and clarity, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness—all these, without her, the entire world is said to lose its true nature.
कमलासंभवश्चैव वस्त्रभूषणसंचयः। सुखं राज्यं त्रिलोके तु ततः सा हरिवल्लभा
The birth from the lotus, the collection of garments and ornaments, happiness, and sovereignty over the three worlds—all these are due to her, the beloved of Hari.
उमया हेतुना शंभोर्ज्ञानं लोकेषु संततम्। ज्ञानमाता च सा ज्ञेया शंभोरर्धाङ्गवासिनी
By the cause of Uma, the knowledge of Śambhu is spread among the worlds; she is to be known as the mother of knowledge, dwelling in half the body of Śambhu.
वर्णिकाशक्तिरत्युग्रा सर्वलोकप्रमोहिनी। सर्वलोकेषु लोकानां स्थितिसंहारकारिणी१०० 1.62.100 देव्या च निहतौ पूर्वमसुरौ मधुकैटभौ। रुरुश्चापि हतो घोरः सर्वलोकपरिश्रुतः
The power of speech is exceedingly fierce, bewildering all the worlds; in all realms, she brings about the creation and destruction of beings. By the goddess, the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha were previously slain, and the terrible Ruru, renowned in all the worlds, was also killed.
सर्वदेवैकजेतारं सा जघ्ने महिषासुरम्। निहता लीलया देव्या येऽसुरा दैत्यपुंगवाः
She slew Mahiṣāsura, the conqueror of all the gods; by the goddess, those foremost among the demons were effortlessly destroyed.
एवं बलानि दैत्यानां निहत्य सर्वदा तया। पालितं मोदितं चैव कृत्स्नमेतज्जगत्त्रयम्
Thus, having always destroyed the powers of the demons, she has protected and delighted this entire threefold world.
धर्मद्रवस्वरूपा च सर्वधर्मप्रतिष्ठिता। महतीं तां समालोक्य मया कमंडलौ धृता
She is the very form of the essence of righteousness, established in all dharmas; beholding that great one, I held the water-pot.
विष्णुपादाब्जसम्भूता शंभुना शिरसा धृता। अस्माभिश्च त्रिभिर्युक्ता ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरैः
Born from the lotus feet of Viṣṇu, she was received upon the head by Śambhu, and joined by us three—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara.
धर्मद्रवा परिख्याता जलरूपा कमंडलौ। बलियज्ञेषु संभूता विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
Known as the essence of righteousness, in the form of water in the water-pot, she was manifested in the sacrifice of Bali by the mighty Viṣṇu.