Ganga Stotram — Benefits & How to Chant
गंगा स्तोत्र
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Ganga Stotram
The most beloved hymn to Maa Ganga, composed by Adi Shankaracharya in fourteen verses
Said to wash away the sins and misdeeds of lifetimes and carry the devotee across the ocean of samsara
Promises that the true devotee of Ganga has no fear of Yama (death) and attains the supreme state
Recited at the river ghats, during Ganga Snan (the holy bath) and at the evening Ganga Aarti
Bestows purity, peace and liberation (moksha); removes disease, grief and evil thoughts
Especially powerful on Ganga Dussehra, Ganga Saptami and Kartik Purnima
How to Chant Ganga Stotram
Instructions
Recite facing the Ganga, or visualising her, ideally after a bath, offering a lamp and flowers to the river. Read the fourteen verses slowly and with devotion — many recite it while taking the holy dip (Ganga Snan) or at the evening Ganga Aarti. It may be read daily for purity and peace of mind.
Origin & History
Source: Composed by Adi Shankaracharya
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankaracharya, the great teacher of Advaita Vedanta, composed this luminous hymn of fourteen verses to Maa Ganga — the river that descends from the feet of Vishnu through Shiva's matted locks to purify the earth. He calls upon her by her many names — Bhagirathi, Jahnavi, Alakananda — and prays for refuge at her lotus feet, declaring that she washes away every sin and carries the soul across the ocean of birth and death to the supreme abode.