Chant this Mantra when taking a Bath
Gange cha yamune chaiva godavari saraswathi
narmade sindhu kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
Ganga, Yamana, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri-names of holy Indian rivers; Ca- of; Jalesmin- In this water; Sannidhim- presence; Kuru- Invoke
Meaning:
In this water, I invoke the presence of holy waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamana, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus) and Kaveri.
Brief Explanation:
An important part of ritual purification in Hinduism is the bathing of the entire body. It is considered auspicious to perform this form of purification before any festival, before visiting a temple or performing a pooja. One not only purifies one‟s body but also the mind during taking a bath. Such a purificatory bath is ultimate if it is done in the sacred waters of some great rivers of India like the river Ganga. Hence one chants this shloka invoking the presence of holy waters while taking a bath.