অনেকদংতং ভক্তানাম্ একদন্তম্-উপাস্মহে ॥১॥
- অগজাননপদ্মাকম্ (agajānanapadmākam)the sun to the lotus that is Parvati's face
- গজাননম্ (gajānanam)the elephant-faced one
- অহর্নিশম্ (aharniśam)day and night
- অনেকদন্তম্ (anekadantam)the giver of many things
- ভক্তানাম্ (bhaktānām)of those who love him
- একদন্তম্ (ekadantam)the one with a single tusk
- উপাস্মহে (upāsmahe)we worship
anvaya ভক্তানাম্ অনেকদন্তম্ অগজাননপদ্মাকম্ গজাননম্ একদন্তম্ অহর্নিশম্ উপাস্মহে
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
অগজানন the face of Parvati — Agajā is the mountain's daughter, Parvati. Aga is what does not move, the mountain, so agajā is the one born of it.
অনেকদন্তম্ the giver of many things — Read as aneka-da, one who gives much. The line sets it against ekadanta, the one tusk, so the same sounds say he gives many things and has a single tusk.
note Printed অগজানন-পদ্মাকং. The reading usually recited is পদ্মার্কং, the sun to that lotus face: as the sun keeps the lotus open, Gajanana keeps his mother's face bright. The meaning here follows that reading.
প্রসন্নবদনং ধ্যাযেত্ সর্ব-বিঘ্নোপশান্তযে ॥২॥
- শুক্লাম্বরধরম্ (śuklāmbaradharam)wearing white cloth
- বিষ্ণুম্ (viṣṇum)the one who reaches everywhere
- শশিবর্ণম্ (śaśivarṇam)pale as the moon
- চতুর্ভুজম্ (caturbhujam)with four arms
- প্রসন্নবদনম্ (prasannavadanam)with a kind face
- ধ্যাযেত্ (dhyāyet)one should meditate on
- সর্ববিঘ্নোপশান্তযে (sarvavighnopaśāntaye)so that every obstacle is quieted
anvaya সর্ববিঘ্নোপশান্তযে শুক্লাম্বরধরম্ শশিবর্ণম্ চতুর্ভুজম্ প্রসন্নবদনম্ বিষ্ণুম্ ধ্যাযেত্
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
বিষ্ণুম্ the one who reaches everywhere — The name is built on viṣ, to spread through. In a Ganapati set of verses it is read by that sense, so the line stays a prayer to the lord who is present everywhere.
শশিবর্ণম্ pale as the moon — Śaśin is the moon, named for the hare seen on it.
note This is the śānti verse recited before a reading to quiet obstacles, and it is the standard dhyāna verse of Vishnu as well. It sits in Ganapati collections because Ganapati is the one asked to clear the way.
অবিঘ্নং কুরু মে দেব সর্ব-কার্যেষু সর্বদা ॥৩॥
- বক্রতুণ্ড (vakratuṇḍa)O curved-trunk one
- মহাকায (mahākāya)O great-bodied one
- কোটিসূর্যসমপ্রভ (koṭisūryasamaprabha)O you whose light equals ten million suns
- অবিঘ্নম্ (avighnam)free of obstacles
- কুরু (kuru)make
- মে (me)my
- দেব (deva)O god
- সর্বকার্যেষু (sarvakāryeṣu)in all my work
- সর্বদা (sarvadā)always
anvaya বক্রতুণ্ড মহাকায কোটিসূর্যসমপ্রভ দেব মে সর্বকার্যেষু সর্বদা অবিঘ্নম্ কুরু
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
বক্রতুণ্ড O curved-trunk one — Tuṇḍa is the trunk or the snout. The curve of it is the first thing named in most Ganapati verses.
কোটিসূর্যসমপ্রভ O you whose light equals ten million suns — A koṭi is ten million. The figure is a way of saying the light has no measure.
note The best known verse of the set, recited at the start of work. Printed অবিঘ্নং কুরু; many books read নির্বিঘ্নং কুরু, and both ask for the same thing, that nothing stand in the way. Some texts also read শুভকার্যেষু, in every good work, for সর্বকার্যেষু.
কপিত্থ-জম্বূ-ফলসার-ভক্ষকম্।
উমাসুতং শোকবিনাশ-কারণং
নমামি বিঘ্নেশ্বর-পাদ-পঙ্কজম্॥৪॥
- গজাননম্ (gajānanam)the elephant-faced one
- ভূতগণাধিসেবিতম্ (bhūtagaṇādhisevitam)waited on by the hosts of beings
- কপিত্থজম্বূফলসারভক্ষকম্ (kapitthajambūphalasārabhakṣakam)who eats the sweet juice of wood apple and rose apple
- উমাসুতম্ (umāsutam)son of Uma
- শোকবিনাশকারণম্ (śokavināśakāraṇam)the undoing of sorrow
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow to
- বিঘ্নেশ্বরপাদপঙ্কজম্ (vighneśvarapādapaṅkajam)the lotus feet of the lord of obstacles
anvaya গজাননম্ ভূতগণাধিসেবিতম্ কপিত্থজম্বূফলসারভক্ষকম্ উমাসুতম্ শোকবিনাশকারণম্ বিঘ্নেশ্বরপাদপঙ্কজম্ নমামি
chandas Vaṃśastha, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
কপিত্থজম্বূফলসারভক্ষকম্ who eats the sweetness of wood apple and rose apple — Kapittha is the wood apple and jambū the rose apple, both common temple offerings. Sāra is the juice, the good part of the fruit.
ভূতগণাধিসেবিতম্ waited on by the hosts of beings — The bhūtagaṇas are Shiva's attendant hosts. Ganapati is their leader, which is what the name Gaṇapati says.
note The metre changes here from Anuṣṭubh to Vaṃśastha, which is why this verse is longer to say. The text carried the stray letters জলগাকন after the second line, left over from the source. They belong to no word in the verse and were removed on 18 September 2026. Many books read ভূতগণাদিসেবিতং for ভূতগণাধিসেবিতং.