bhujākaṅkaṇaiḥ śobhinaṃ dhūmraketum |
gale hāramuktāvalīśobhitaṃ taṃ
namo jñānarūpaṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 1 ||
- umāṅgodbhavamborn from Uma's own body
- dantivaktramwith a tusker's face
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- bhujākaṅkaṇaiḥby the bracelets on his arms
- śobhinamset off
- dhūmraketumthe smoke-bannered
- galeat the throat
- hāramuktāvalīśobhitamadorned with a necklace, a row of pearls
- tamhim
- namaḥsalutation
- jñānarūpamwhose form is knowledge
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya umāṅgodbhavam dantivaktram bhujākaṅkaṇaiḥ śobhinam dhūmraketum gale hāramuktāvalīśobhitam tam gaṇeśam jñānarūpam namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ḍhuṇḍhirāja Dhundhiraja — The Ganesha who stands at the door of the Vishvanatha temple in Kashi. Pilgrims are told to see him first, which is how he came to be called the king who is searched for.
dhūmraketum the smoke-bannered — An old name of fire, whose banner is its smoke, and one of Ganesha's own names.
note Every verse ends with the same half-line, namo ... gaṇeśaṃ namaste, and the hymn is named for its metre, Bhujangaprayata.
smaran sanmukhaṃ jñānadaṃ sarvasiddhim |
manaścintitaṃ kāryameveṣu siddhye-
-nnamo buddhikāntaṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 2 ||
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- vadetone should say
- tamhim
- smaretone should remember
- sarvakāryein everything one does
- smaranremembering
- sanmukhamthe one who faces you
- jñānadamthe giver of knowledge
- sarvasiddhimevery success
- manaścintitamwhat the mind has settled on
- kāryamthe work
- evaindeed
- eṣuin these
- siddhyetwould come out right
- namaḥsalutation
- buddhikāntamthe beloved of wit
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya sarvakārye tam gaṇeśam vadet smaret sanmukham jñānadam sarvasiddhim smaran eṣu manaścintitam kāryam eva siddhyet buddhikāntam namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
buddhikāntam the beloved of wit — Kanta is a husband or a beloved. Buddhi is both plain good sense and the name of one of his two wives.
caturdhābhujaṃ caikadantaikavarṇam |
idaṃ devarūpaṃ gaṇaṃ siddhināthaṃ
namo bhālacandraṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 3 ||
- mahāsundaramvery beautiful
- vaktracihnamknown by his face
- virāṭamvast
- caturdhābhujamfour-armed
- caand
- ekadantamone-tusked
- ekavarṇamof a single colour
- idamthis
- devarūpamthe shape of god
- gaṇamthe gana
- siddhināthamthe lord of success
- namaḥsalutation
- bhālacandramthe one with the moon on his brow
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya mahāsundaram vaktracihnam virāṭam caturdhābhujam ca ekadantam ekavarṇam idam devarūpam gaṇam siddhinātham bhālacandram namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
virāṭam vast — Virat is the body of the whole world seen as one being. To call him virat is to say his form is not the size of an image.
stutairmodakaiḥ prīyate vighnarājaḥ |
mahāsaṅkaṭacchedakaṃ dhūmraketuṃ
namo gauriputraṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 4 ||
- sasindūrasatkuṅkumaiḥwith vermilion and good kunkuma
- tulyavarṇaḥof like colour
- stutaiḥwith praises
- modakaiḥwith modaks
- prīyateis pleased
- vighnarājaḥthe king of obstacles
- mahāsaṅkaṭacchedakamwho cuts through great trouble
- dhūmraketumthe smoke-bannered
- namaḥsalutation
- gauriputramthe son of Gauri
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya vighnarājaḥ sasindūrasatkuṅkumaiḥ tulyavarṇaḥ stutaiḥ modakaiḥ prīyate mahāsaṅkaṭacchedakam dhūmraketum gauriputram namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
saṅkaṭa trouble — Sankata is a narrow place, a pass with no room to turn. The word for a tight spot became the word for trouble.
tathā dhyāyatāṃ śaṅkaraṃ pāpanāśaḥ |
yathā pūjite ṣaṇmukhe śokanāśo
namo vighnanāśaṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 5 ||
- yathāas
- pātakacchedakamcutting through sin
- viṣṇunāmathe name of Vishnu
- tathāso
- dhyāyatāmfor those who hold him in mind
- śaṅkaramShankara
- pāpanāśaḥthe undoing of wrongdoing
- yathāas
- pūjitewhen worshipped
- ṣaṇmukhethe six-faced one
- śokanāśaḥthe ending of grief
- namaḥsalutation
- vighnanāśamthe ending of obstacles
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya yathā viṣṇunāma pātakacchedakam tathā śaṅkaram dhyāyatām pāpanāśaḥ yathā ṣaṇmukhe pūjite śokanāśaḥ vighnanāśam namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ṣaṇmukhe the six-faced one — Kartikeya, his brother, who has six faces. The verse sets Ganesha beside Vishnu, Shiva and him, one to each line.
susindūrakaṃ pūjitaṃ raktapuṣpaiḥ |
sadā carcitaṃ candanaiḥ kuṅkumāktaṃ
namo jñānarūpaṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 6 ||
- sadāalways
- sarvadāat every hour
- dhyāyatāmlet them hold in mind
- ekadantamthe one-tusked
- susindūrakambright with vermilion
- pūjitamworshipped
- raktapuṣpaiḥwith red flowers
- sadāalways
- carcitamsmeared
- candanaiḥwith sandal
- kuṅkumāktamtouched with kunkuma
- namaḥsalutation
- jñānarūpamwhose form is knowledge
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya sadā sarvadā ekadantam susindūrakam raktapuṣpaiḥ pūjitam sadā candanaiḥ carcitam kuṅkumāktam dhyāyatām jñānarūpam namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
namo jñānarūpinnamaḥ siddhikānta |
namo dhyeyapūjyāya he buddhinātha
surāstvāṃ bhajante gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 7 ||
- namaḥsalutation
- gaurikāgarbhajāpatyaO child born of Gauri's womb
- tubhyamto you
- jñānarūpinO you whose form is knowledge
- namaḥsalutation
- siddhikāntaO husband of Siddhi
- dhyeyapūjyāyato the one to be held in mind and worshipped
- he buddhināthaO lord of wit
- surāḥthe gods
- tvāmyou
- bhajanteserve
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya gaurikāgarbhajāpatya tubhyam namaḥ jñānarūpin namaḥ siddhikānta dhyeyapūjyāya he buddhinātha surāḥ tvām bhajante gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
note The only verse that speaks to him throughout in the second person.
prabhāte japennityamekāgracittaḥ |
kṣayaṃ yānti vighnā diśaḥ śobhayantaṃ
namo jñānarūpaṃ gaṇeśaṃ namaste || 8 ||
- bhujaṅgaprayātamthis Bhujangaprayata
- paṭhetrecites
- yaḥwhoever
- tuand
- bhaktyāwith devotion
- prabhātein the morning
- japetsays it
- nityamevery day
- ekāgracittaḥwith his mind on one thing
- kṣayamto nothing
- yāntiwaste away
- vighnāḥthe obstacles
- diśaḥthe quarters of the sky
- śobhayantamgrowing bright
- namaḥsalutation
- jñānarūpamwhose form is knowledge
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- namastesalutation to you
anvaya yaḥ tu bhaktyā bhujaṅgaprayātam paṭhet nityam prabhāte ekāgracittaḥ japet [tasya] vighnāḥ kṣayam yānti diśaḥ śobhayantam jñānarūpam namaḥ gaṇeśam namaste
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ekāgracittaḥ with his mind on one thing — Ekagra is having one point. It is the plainest word in Sanskrit for attention that does not wander.