അനേകദംതം ഭക്താനാമ് ഏകദന്തമ്-ഉപാസ്മഹേ ॥൧॥
- അഗജാനനപദ്മാകമ് (agajānanapadmākam)the sun to the lotus that is Parvati's face
- ഗജാനനമ് (gajānanam)the elephant-faced one
- അഹര്നിശമ് (aharniśam)day and night
- അനേകദന്തമ് (anekadantam)the giver of many things
- ഭക്താനാമ് (bhaktānām)of those who love him
- ഏകദന്തമ് (ekadantam)the one with a single tusk
- ഉപാസ്മഹേ (upāsmahe)we worship
anvaya ഭക്താനാമ് അനേകദന്തമ് അഗജാനനപദ്മാകമ് ഗജാനനമ് ഏകദന്തമ് അഹര്നിശമ് ഉപാസ്മഹേ
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
അഗജാനന 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.
അനേകദന്തമ് 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 അഗജാനന-പദ്മാകം. The reading usually recited is പദ്മാര്കം, 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.
പ്രസന്നവദനം ധ്യായേത് സര്വ-വിഘ്നോപശാന്തയേ ॥൨॥
- ശുക്ലാമ്ബരധരമ് (śuklāmbaradharam)wearing white cloth
- വിഷ്ണുമ് (viṣṇum)the one who reaches everywhere
- ശശിവര്ണമ് (śaśivarṇam)pale as the moon
- ചതുര്ഭുജമ് (caturbhujam)with four arms
- പ്രസന്നവദനമ് (prasannavadanam)with a kind face
- ധ്യായേത് (dhyāyet)one should meditate on
- സര്വവിഘ്നോപശാന്തയേ (sarvavighnopaśāntaye)so that every obstacle is quieted
anvaya സര്വവിഘ്നോപശാന്തയേ ശുക്ലാമ്ബരധരമ് ശശിവര്ണമ് ചതുര്ഭുജമ് പ്രസന്നവദനമ് വിഷ്ണുമ് ധ്യായേത്
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
വിഷ്ണുമ് 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.
ശശിവര്ണമ് 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.
അവിഘ്നം കുരു മേ ദേവ സര്വ-കാര്യേഷു സര്വദാ ॥൩॥
- വക്രതുണ്ഡ (vakratuṇḍa)O curved-trunk one
- മഹാകായ (mahākāya)O great-bodied one
- കോടിസൂര്യസമപ്രഭ (koṭisūryasamaprabha)O you whose light equals ten million suns
- അവിഘ്നമ് (avighnam)free of obstacles
- കുരു (kuru)make
- മേ (me)my
- ദേവ (deva)O god
- സര്വകാര്യേഷു (sarvakāryeṣu)in all my work
- സര്വദാ (sarvadā)always
anvaya വക്രതുണ്ഡ മഹാകായ കോടിസൂര്യസമപ്രഭ ദേവ മേ സര്വകാര്യേഷു സര്വദാ അവിഘ്നമ് കുരു
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
വക്രതുണ്ഡ O curved-trunk one — Tuṇḍa is the trunk or the snout. The curve of it is the first thing named in most Ganapati verses.
കോടിസൂര്യസമപ്രഭ 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 അവിഘ്നം കുരു; many books read നിര്വിഘ്നം കുരു, and both ask for the same thing, that nothing stand in the way. Some texts also read ശുഭകാര്യേഷു, in every good work, for സര്വകാര്യേഷു.
കപിത്ഥ-ജമ്ബൂ-ഫലസാര-ഭക്ഷകമ്।
ഉമാസുതം ശോകവിനാശ-കാരണം
നമാമി വിഘ്നേശ്വര-പാദ-പങ്കജമ്॥൪॥
- ഗജാനനമ് (gajānanam)the elephant-faced one
- ഭൂതഗണാധിസേവിതമ് (bhūtagaṇādhisevitam)waited on by the hosts of beings
- കപിത്ഥജമ്ബൂഫലസാരഭക്ഷകമ് (kapitthajambūphalasārabhakṣakam)who eats the sweet juice of wood apple and rose apple
- ഉമാസുതമ് (umāsutam)son of Uma
- ശോകവിനാശകാരണമ് (śokavināśakāraṇam)the undoing of sorrow
- നമാമി (namāmi)I bow to
- വിഘ്നേശ്വരപാദപങ്കജമ് (vighneśvarapādapaṅkajam)the lotus feet of the lord of obstacles
anvaya ഗജാനനമ് ഭൂതഗണാധിസേവിതമ് കപിത്ഥജമ്ബൂഫലസാരഭക്ഷകമ് ഉമാസുതമ് ശോകവിനാശകാരണമ് വിഘ്നേശ്വരപാദപങ്കജമ് നമാമി
chandas Vaṃśastha, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
കപിത്ഥജമ്ബൂഫലസാരഭക്ഷകമ് 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.
ഭൂതഗണാധിസേവിതമ് 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 ജലഗാകന 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 ഭൂതഗണാദിസേവിതം for ഭൂതഗണാധിസേവിതം.