Sanskrit Manuscripts : Gaṅgālaharī

Jagannātha Paṇḍita

Sanskrit Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'> The <i>Gaṅgālaharī</i>, also known as <i>Pīyūṣalaharī</i>, is a well-known poem in 52 verses by Jagannātha Paṇḍita, a Sanskrit poet and scholar who thrived in the 17th century in the Mughal court of Śāh Jahān. Each verse of the poem is said to be one of the 52 steps that led to the river Ganges; according to the commentary by Sadāśiva, Jagannātha is said to have committed the fault of consorting with a <i>yavana</i> — in this context, a Muslim woman — and, desiring purification in the Ganges, composed these verses. As he recited each verse, it is said that the river rose one step. This paper manuscript is dated 1821 CE. </p>