gaṇapati atharvaśīrṣam

Thus begins the Shri Ganapati Atharvashirsha, the sacred hymn of ultimate wisdom dedicated to the Lord of the Ganas.

Om. O Gods, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious and good. May we, who are devoted to worship, behold with our eyes what is noble and pure. With firm limbs and healthy bodies, may we sing your praises and live the full span of life allotted to us by the Divine. May Indra of ancient fame bless us with well-being. May Pushan, the all-knowing nourisher, bless us with well-being. May Tarksya, the swift shield against all harm, bless us with well-being. May Brihaspati, the Lord of Wisdom, grant us well-being. Om, Peace! Peace! Peace!

Hari Om. Salutations to You, O Lord Ganapati. You alone are the visible, manifest Reality. You alone are the sole Creator, the Sustainer, and the Destroyer of all. You alone are indeed this entire cosmos, the supreme Brahman. You are the eternal, living Soul, ever-present within.

I speak the cosmic order of divine law. I speak the absolute, unchanging truth.

Protect me, O Lord. Protect the speaker who utters Your glory, and protect the listener who receives it. Protect the giver who offers, and protect the sustainer who holds the wisdom. Protect the teacher who transmits, and protect the disciple who learns. Protect me from behind, and protect me from the front. Protect me from the north, and protect me from the south. Protect me from above, and protect me from below. From every direction, guard me, shield me, and protect me always.

You are the essence of all speech, and the embodiment of pure consciousness. You are filled with supreme bliss, permeated by the Divine Reality. You are the non-dual Absolute—Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss. You are the Supreme Brahman made manifest before our eyes. You are the fullness of spiritual wisdom and the ultimate realization of all science.

From You alone this entire universe is born; by You alone is this entire universe sustained; into You alone does this entire universe dissolve; and unto You alone does it return. You are the Earth, the Water, the Fire, the Air, and the Ether. You are the four sacred stages of speech.

You transcend the three cosmic qualities, and You rise beyond the three states of consciousness. You are beyond the three bodies, and You transcend the three divisions of time. You dwell eternally in the root chakra, the Muladhara. You embody the threefold divine energy, and upon You the yogis meditate forever. You are Brahma, You are Vishnu, You are Rudra, You are Indra, You are Fire, You are Wind, You are the Sun, You are the Moon, You are the Supreme Brahman, the three worlds, and the sacred syllable Om.

First utter the letter 'Ga', then the vowel 'A', followed by the nasal sound 'M', adorned with the crescent moon and energized by the primordial sound Om. This is the true form of Your sacred mantra. 'Ga' is the first part, 'A' is the middle, and the nasal sound is the end. The dot is the peak, the resonance is the link, and their union is the synthesis. This is the sacred wisdom of Ganesha, revealed to the seer Ganaka, composed in the Gayatri meter, dedicated to the supreme deity Sri Maha Ganapati: Om Gam Ganapataye Namah.

We seek to know the Single-Tusked Lord, and we meditate upon the One with the curved trunk. May that glorious Lord of the Tusk inspire our intellect and guide us on the path of truth.

He who has a single tusk and four arms, who holds the noose and the goad, who bears his broken tusk and bestows boons with his hands, and whose banner bears the emblem of a mouse; who is red-hued, large-bellied, with ears like winnowing baskets, clad in red garments, his limbs anointed with red fragrant paste, and beautifully worshipped with red flowers; the compassionate Lord, the infallible cause of the universe, who manifested at the dawn of creation, transcending both primordial nature and the cosmic soul—he who meditates upon Him thus daily is indeed the greatest among yogis.

Salutations to the Lord of the spiritual assemblies, salutations to the Lord of the celestial hosts. Salutations to the Lord of Shiva's attendants; obeisance unto the large-bellied, single-tusked One, the destroyer of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva, and the very embodiment of the divine giver of boons.

He who studies this Atharvashirsha becomes fit to realize the Supreme Brahman. He is never afflicted by any obstacles, and his happiness flourishes in all directions. He is liberated from the five great sins. Reciting it in the evening dissolves the sins committed during the day; reciting it in the morning dissolves the sins committed during the night. By practicing its recitation both morning and evening, even a sinner is rendered sinless, attaining righteousness, wealth, desire, and ultimate liberation. This Atharvashirsha must not be imparted to one who is not a true disciple; he who does so out of delusion commits a grave error. Whosoever recites this a thousand times will have every righteous desire fulfilled.

He who consecrates the image of Lord Ganapati with this text becomes highly eloquent. He who chants it while fasting on the fourth lunar day (Chaturthi) becomes a vessel of great wisdom. This is the solemn declaration of Sage Atharvan: he who realizes this supreme path, practiced by Brahma and the gods, shall never know fear.

He who worships Him with tender blades of Durva grass becomes equal in wealth to Kubera. He who offers puffed rice becomes illustrious and blessed with brilliant intellect. He who offers a thousand sweet modakas obtains the cherished fruits of his desires. He who offers sacrificial wood anointed with clarified butter attains everything—indeed, he attains everything.

By imparting this sacred wisdom duly to eight seekers of truth, one shines with the radiant splendor of the Sun. By chanting it during a solar eclipse, on the banks of a sacred river, or in the presence of the divine image, one awakens the mantra's supreme power. He is liberated from monumental obstacles; he is freed from profound blemishes; he is delivered from grievous sins; he is rescued from great spiritual downfalls. He becomes all-knowing, indeed, he becomes all-knowing—he who realizes this truth. Thus ends the Upanishad.

Om, O Gods, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious and good. O worshipful ones, may we behold with our eyes only that which is pure and holy. With firm limbs and strong bodies, singing your praises, may we live the full span of life ordained by the Divine. May Indra of ancient fame grant us well-being; may Pushan, the all-knowing nourisher, grant us prosperity; may Tarksya, the shield against all harm, grant us protection; and may Brihaspati bestow upon us wisdom and peace. Om Peace! Peace! Peace!

Thus concludes the sacred Sri Ganapati Atharvashirsha Upanishad.