ஶ்ரீ கணபதி ஸ்தோத்ரம்

• அகஜாநநபத்மாகம் (agajānanapadmākam)the sun to the lotus that is Parvati's face
• கஜாநநம் (gajānanam)the elephant-faced one
• அஹர்நிஶம் (aharniśam)day and night
• அநேகதந்தம் (anekadantam)the giver of many things
• பக்தாநாம் (bhaktānām)of those who love him
• ஏகதந்தம் (ekadantam)the one with a single tusk
• உபாஸ்மஹே (upāsmahe)we worship

anvaya பக்தாநாம் அநேகதந்தம் அகஜாநநபத்மாகம் கஜாநநம் ஏகதந்தம் அஹர்நிஶம் உபாஸ்மஹே

chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

அகஜாநந 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.

அநேகதந்தம் 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 அகஜாநந-பத்மாகம். The reading usually recited is பத்மார்கம், 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.

• ஶுக்லாம்பரதரம் (śuklāmbaradharam)wearing white cloth
• விஷ்ணும் (viṣṇum)the one who reaches everywhere
• ஶஶிவர்ணம் (śaśivarṇam)pale as the moon
• சதுர்புஜம் (caturbhujam)with four arms
• ப்ரஸந்நவதநம் (prasannavadanam)with a kind face
• த்யாயேத் (dhyāyet)one should meditate on
• ஸர்வவிக்நோபஶாந்தயே (sarvavighnopaśāntaye)so that every obstacle is quieted

anvaya ஸர்வவிக்நோபஶாந்தயே ஶுக்லாம்பரதரம் ஶஶிவர்ணம் சதுர்புஜம் ப்ரஸந்நவதநம் விஷ்ணும் த்யாயேத்

chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

விஷ்ணும் 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.

ஶஶிவர்ணம் 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.

• வக்ரதுண்ட (vakratuṇḍa)O curved-trunk one
• மஹாகாய (mahākāya)O great-bodied one
• கோடிஸூர்யஸமப்ரப (koṭisūryasamaprabha)O you whose light equals ten million suns
• அவிக்நம் (avighnam)free of obstacles
• குரு (kuru)make
• மே (me)my
• தேவ (deva)O god
• ஸர்வகார்யேஷு (sarvakāryeṣu)in all my work
• ஸர்வதா (sarvadā)always

anvaya வக்ரதுண்ட மஹாகாய கோடிஸூர்யஸமப்ரப தேவ மே ஸர்வகார்யேஷு ஸர்வதா அவிக்நம் குரு

chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

வக்ரதுண்ட O curved-trunk one — Tuṇḍa is the trunk or the snout. The curve of it is the first thing named in most Ganapati verses.

கோடிஸூர்யஸமப்ரப 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 அவிக்நம் குரு; many books read நிர்விக்நம் குரு, and both ask for the same thing, that nothing stand in the way. Some texts also read ஶுபகார்யேஷு, in every good work, for ஸர்வகார்யேஷு.

• கஜாநநம் (gajānanam)the elephant-faced one
• பூதகணாதிஸேவிதம் (bhūtagaṇādhisevitam)waited on by the hosts of beings
• கபித்தஜம்பூபலஸாரபக்ஷகம் (kapitthajambūphalasārabhakṣakam)who eats the sweet juice of wood apple and rose apple
• உமாஸுதம் (umāsutam)son of Uma
• ஶோகவிநாஶகாரணம் (śokavināśakāraṇam)the undoing of sorrow
• நமாமி (namāmi)I bow to
• விக்நேஶ்வரபாதபங்கஜம் (vighneśvarapādapaṅkajam)the lotus feet of the lord of obstacles

anvaya கஜாநநம் பூதகணாதிஸேவிதம் கபித்தஜம்பூபலஸாரபக்ஷகம் உமாஸுதம் ஶோகவிநாஶகாரணம் விக்நேஶ்வரபாதபங்கஜம் நமாமி

chandas Vaṃśastha, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

கபித்தஜம்பூபலஸாரபக்ஷகம் 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.

பூதகணாதிஸேவிதம் 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 ஜலகாகந 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 பூதகணாதிஸேவிதம் for பூதகணாதிஸேவிதம்.