From 'sankaracarya. Ganga
*
"Hymns to the Goddess", by John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon), [1913],
p. 175
Gang
(gangakam)
1
O Bhagavat Gang! 1
Thou art the playful garland on the head of Hara; 2
Such as but touch a drop of the spray of Thy waters
Recline on the lap of the fan-holding women of the city of the immortals, 3
Freed of the fear arising from the sinful Kl age. 4
2
(o Dev Gang!) may you purify us,
Thou who separateth the earth from Heaven, 5
Gladdening the creeper-like matted hair on the head of Hara, 6
Descending from the region of heaven,
Oozing from out the cave of the golden mountain, 7
Falling upon the surface of the earth,
p. 176
Purifier (as the River Mandkin) of the city of the Devas,
Who art the powerful Destructress of the multitude of men's sins.
3
The trunks of elephants and their young make play with Thy waters,
Fragrant with ichor-maddened swarms of bees,
Trickling from the temples of elephants bathing therein.
Thy stream is browned with the sandal paste
Dropping from the breasts of Siddha women 1 who bathe therein.
And nigh the river bank Thy water is strewn with "Kua" 2 grass and flowers,
There thrown by sages 3 at morn and even. 4
May the water of the Ganges protect us!
4
This divine sin-destroying Bhgrath 5 now on earth
Was in the beginning water in the vessel 6 of the Primeval Grandfather. 7
Then it was pure water from the feet of the Lord (Viu),
p. 177
Who sleeps on the serpent. 1
Again it was the gem adorning the matted hair of iva, 2
And, lastly, the daughter of the great sage Jahnu. 3
5
May the entrancing 4 Gang falling on the matted hair 5 of Hara, 6
Descending from the Lord of Mountains,
Moving sinuously like a serpent to the ocean,
Flowing by the city of K, 7
Dispeller of countless worldly fears, 8
Saviour of those who bathe in Her waters,
Be ever victorious.
6
How can he who has seen Thy wave be bound by illusion?
p. 178
To him who has drunk of Thy water thou givest a dwelling in the city of the yellow-clad Deva. 1
O Gang! what time the bodies of those who assume body 2 fall on Thy lap, 3
For such, O Mother, 4 even Shatakrta's 5 grandeur 6 is but a small thing.
7
O Bhagavat! 7 on Thy bank I drink Thy water only.
I worship Ka, all thirst for worldly enjoyment having gone.
Destroyer of all sin, Whose companionship is the stairway to Heaven, 8
O Dev! Gang of lightsome, tremulous wave,
Be gracious to me.
8
O Mother! O Spouse of ambhu! 9
Who art ever associated with ambhu
At death, upon Thy banks, with my hands folded upon my head,
p. 179
Remembering Thy name and the feet of Nryaa, 1
May my devotion to Hara and Hari 2 ever endure
At the time of the festival of life's departure! 3
He who of pure mind reads this sacred eight-versed hymn to Gang
Will be wholly released of all sin
And will go the region of Viu. 4
Footnotes
175:1 The River Ganges, in whom the Dev manifests.
175:2 iva. The Ganges in its descent from heaven at the call of Bhagratha was caught in the matted hair of iva.
175:3 \"Amarvat". The city of India.
175:4 Kaliyuga. The fourth, and, according to orthodox views, the present age, marked by the prevalence of sin.
175:5 By the celestial Ganges called Mandkin.
175:6 See note 2 "ante".
175:7 Sumeru.
176:1 Siddhas are celestial spirit ("devayoni") of great purity.
176:2 A species of grass used in worship.
176:3 \"Munis".
176:4 The flower and grass is thrown by them when they worship the Ganges in the morning and evening.
176:5 Gang is called Bhagirathi, because She was brought down from heaven by the prayer of Bhagratha, son of the solar race, in order to secure heavenly bliss for his kinsmen.
176:6 \"Kamaalu", a gourd-shaped vessel used by ascetics.
176:7 \"Pitmaha". Brahm is so called.
177:1 The thousand-headed serpent Ananta Deva (see Viu Pur).
177:2 \"Ante" p. 175, n. 2.
177:3 Hence the river is called Jhnav. The verse speaks of the stages of the descent of the heavenly stream. "i" Jahnu swallowed the Ganges, and then, at the prayer of Bhagratha, he let it issue from his thigh. The Ganges is called his daughter as She issued from him.
177:4 \"Manohrin" ("mind stealer").
177:5 iva, like the ascetics, wears a coil of matted hair ("Jaa")
177:6 iva.
177:7 Benares, through which the Ganges flows.
177:8 Fearlessness is the special gift of the Dev. The Mrkaeya Pur says: "When You are remembered in times of difficulty, You take away all fear of all beings." She is "Bhaypah" (remover of fear); for ruti says ("Tai Up." ii. 9, 1): "By knowing the bliss of that Brahman none fear anything."
178:1 That is, Viu, who is clad in yellow, and whose city is His heaven ("Vaikuha").
178:2 Men.
178:3 That is, when on death, they are thrown into the Ganges.
178:4 The Dev is the Holy Mother ("rmt"), the first of Her names.
178:5 Indra, King of the celestials.
178:6 \"Pada" or portion.
178:7 Feminine of Bhagavn, a term applied to God, and which means He who possesses "Bhaga".
178:8 \"Svarga".
178:9 iva.
179:1 Viu.
179:2 Viu and iva.
179:3 Death ("praprayotsava"), for it is the entrance to heavenly bliss.
179:4 \"Vaikuha" (see p. 178. n. 1).
"Hymns to the Goddess", by John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon), [1913],
p. 175
Gang
(gangakam)
1
O Bhagavat Gang! 1
Thou art the playful garland on the head of Hara; 2
Such as but touch a drop of the spray of Thy waters
Recline on the lap of the fan-holding women of the city of the immortals, 3
Freed of the fear arising from the sinful Kl age. 4
2
(o Dev Gang!) may you purify us,
Thou who separateth the earth from Heaven, 5
Gladdening the creeper-like matted hair on the head of Hara, 6
Descending from the region of heaven,
Oozing from out the cave of the golden mountain, 7
Falling upon the surface of the earth,
p. 176
Purifier (as the River Mandkin) of the city of the Devas,
Who art the powerful Destructress of the multitude of men's sins.
3
The trunks of elephants and their young make play with Thy waters,
Fragrant with ichor-maddened swarms of bees,
Trickling from the temples of elephants bathing therein.
Thy stream is browned with the sandal paste
Dropping from the breasts of Siddha women 1 who bathe therein.
And nigh the river bank Thy water is strewn with "Kua" 2 grass and flowers,
There thrown by sages 3 at morn and even. 4
May the water of the Ganges protect us!
4
This divine sin-destroying Bhgrath 5 now on earth
Was in the beginning water in the vessel 6 of the Primeval Grandfather. 7
Then it was pure water from the feet of the Lord (Viu),
p. 177
Who sleeps on the serpent. 1
Again it was the gem adorning the matted hair of iva, 2
And, lastly, the daughter of the great sage Jahnu. 3
5
May the entrancing 4 Gang falling on the matted hair 5 of Hara, 6
Descending from the Lord of Mountains,
Moving sinuously like a serpent to the ocean,
Flowing by the city of K, 7
Dispeller of countless worldly fears, 8
Saviour of those who bathe in Her waters,
Be ever victorious.
6
How can he who has seen Thy wave be bound by illusion?
p. 178
To him who has drunk of Thy water thou givest a dwelling in the city of the yellow-clad Deva. 1
O Gang! what time the bodies of those who assume body 2 fall on Thy lap, 3
For such, O Mother, 4 even Shatakrta's 5 grandeur 6 is but a small thing.
7
O Bhagavat! 7 on Thy bank I drink Thy water only.
I worship Ka, all thirst for worldly enjoyment having gone.
Destroyer of all sin, Whose companionship is the stairway to Heaven, 8
O Dev! Gang of lightsome, tremulous wave,
Be gracious to me.
8
O Mother! O Spouse of ambhu! 9
Who art ever associated with ambhu
At death, upon Thy banks, with my hands folded upon my head,
p. 179
Remembering Thy name and the feet of Nryaa, 1
May my devotion to Hara and Hari 2 ever endure
At the time of the festival of life's departure! 3
He who of pure mind reads this sacred eight-versed hymn to Gang
Will be wholly released of all sin
And will go the region of Viu. 4
Footnotes
175:1 The River Ganges, in whom the Dev manifests.
175:2 iva. The Ganges in its descent from heaven at the call of Bhagratha was caught in the matted hair of iva.
175:3 \"Amarvat". The city of India.
175:4 Kaliyuga. The fourth, and, according to orthodox views, the present age, marked by the prevalence of sin.
175:5 By the celestial Ganges called Mandkin.
175:6 See note 2 "ante".
175:7 Sumeru.
176:1 Siddhas are celestial spirit ("devayoni") of great purity.
176:2 A species of grass used in worship.
176:3 \"Munis".
176:4 The flower and grass is thrown by them when they worship the Ganges in the morning and evening.
176:5 Gang is called Bhagirathi, because She was brought down from heaven by the prayer of Bhagratha, son of the solar race, in order to secure heavenly bliss for his kinsmen.
176:6 \"Kamaalu", a gourd-shaped vessel used by ascetics.
176:7 \"Pitmaha". Brahm is so called.
177:1 The thousand-headed serpent Ananta Deva (see Viu Pur).
177:2 \"Ante" p. 175, n. 2.
177:3 Hence the river is called Jhnav. The verse speaks of the stages of the descent of the heavenly stream. "i" Jahnu swallowed the Ganges, and then, at the prayer of Bhagratha, he let it issue from his thigh. The Ganges is called his daughter as She issued from him.
177:4 \"Manohrin" ("mind stealer").
177:5 iva, like the ascetics, wears a coil of matted hair ("Jaa")
177:6 iva.
177:7 Benares, through which the Ganges flows.
177:8 Fearlessness is the special gift of the Dev. The Mrkaeya Pur says: "When You are remembered in times of difficulty, You take away all fear of all beings." She is "Bhaypah" (remover of fear); for ruti says ("Tai Up." ii. 9, 1): "By knowing the bliss of that Brahman none fear anything."
178:1 That is, Viu, who is clad in yellow, and whose city is His heaven ("Vaikuha").
178:2 Men.
178:3 That is, when on death, they are thrown into the Ganges.
178:4 The Dev is the Holy Mother ("rmt"), the first of Her names.
178:5 Indra, King of the celestials.
178:6 \"Pada" or portion.
178:7 Feminine of Bhagavn, a term applied to God, and which means He who possesses "Bhaga".
178:8 \"Svarga".
178:9 iva.
179:1 Viu.
179:2 Viu and iva.
179:3 Death ("praprayotsava"), for it is the entrance to heavenly bliss.
179:4 \"Vaikuha" (see p. 178. n. 1).
