gaṇeśa dvādaśa nāma stotram

• śrīgaṇeśadvādaśanāmastotramthe hymn of the twelve names of Shri Ganesha
• śrīgaṇeśāyato Shri Ganesha
• namaḥsalutations

anvaya śrīgaṇeśadvādaśanāmastotram śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ

• śuklāmbaradharamdressed in white
• viṣṇumthe one who is everywhere
• śaśivarṇambright as the moon
• caturbhujamwith four arms
• prasannavadanamwith a calm, smiling face
• dhyāyetone should meditate on
• sarvavighnopaśāntayeso that every obstacle is calmed

anvaya sarvavighnopaśāntaye śuklāmbaradharam viṣṇum śaśivarṇam caturbhujam prasannavadanam [devam] dhyāyet

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

viṣṇum all-pervading — Here it describes Ganesha as present everywhere. The same verse is also recited as a prayer to Vishnu himself.

sarvavighnopaśāntaye for the calming of all obstacles — Upashanti means calming or settling. The obstacles are quietened so the work can begin.

note This is the well-known Shuklambaradharam verse, said at the start of countless pujas. It is not one of the twelve names; it is placed before them as a meditation. The printed text reads viśṇuṃ and śāntayeḥ. The usual readings are viṣṇuṃ and śāntaye, and the word-by-word follows those.

• abhīpsitārthasiddhyarthamto get what they wish for
• pūjitaḥis worshipped
• yaḥwho
• surāsuraiḥby gods and demons alike
• sarvavighnaharaḥthe remover of all obstacles
• tasmaito him
• gaṇādhipatayeto the lord of the ganas
• namaḥsalutations

anvaya yaḥ sarvavighnaharaḥ abhīpsitārthasiddhyartham surāsuraiḥ pūjitaḥ tasmai gaṇādhipataye namaḥ

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

surāsuraiḥ by the gods and the asuras — Naming both sides makes the point that everyone turns to him before they begin, whoever they are.

note A simple salutation that sums up why Ganesha is worshipped first: whatever someone hopes to achieve, they come to him before anything else.

• gaṇānāmof the ganas
• adhipaḥlord
• caṇḍaḥfierce
• gajavaktraḥelephant-faced
• trilocanaḥthree-eyed
• prasannaḥpleased
• bhavabe
• mewith me
• nityamalways
• varadātaḥO giver of boons
• vināyakaO Vinayaka

anvaya [he] gaṇānām adhipaḥ caṇḍaḥ gajavaktraḥ trilocanaḥ varadātaḥ vināyaka [tvam] me nityam prasannaḥ bhava

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

caṇḍaḥ fierce — Fierce towards whatever stands in the way. In the same breath the verse asks him to be pleased with the one praying.

trilocanaḥ three-eyed — A mark he shares with his father Shiva.

note The verse first describes the lord of the ganas and then speaks to him directly, asking only that he stay pleased with the one reciting.

• sumukhaḥSumukha, of the lovely face
• caand
• ekadantaḥEkadanta, of the single tusk
• caand
• kapilaḥKapila, the tawny one
• gajakarṇakaḥGajakarnaka, with an elephant's ears
• lambodaraḥLambodara, the big-bellied
• caand
• vikaṭaḥVikata, of striking form
• vighnanāśaḥVighnanasha, destroyer of obstacles
• vināyakaḥVinayaka, the leader

anvaya sumukhaḥ ca ekadantaḥ ca kapilaḥ gajakarṇakaḥ lambodaraḥ ca vikaṭaḥ vighnanāśaḥ vināyakaḥ

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

kapilaḥ tawny, reddish-brown — A colour name, the shade of a tawny cow.

vikaṭaḥ of a form beyond the ordinary — Vikata can mean huge, unusual or formidable. As a name of Ganesha it is said with wonder.

note The twelve names begin here: eight in this verse and four in the next. A different set of twelve names, beginning with Vakratunda, is found in the Sankata Nashana stotra of the Narada Purana.

• dhūmraketuḥDhumraketu, whose banner is smoke
• gaṇādhyakṣaḥGanadhyaksha, head of the ganas
• bhālacandraḥBhalachandra, with the moon on his forehead
• gajānanaḥGajanana, the elephant-faced
• dvādaśatwelve
• etānithese
• nāmāninames
• gaṇeśasyaof Ganesha
• tuindeed
• yaḥwhoever
• paṭhetreads

anvaya dhūmraketuḥ gaṇādhyakṣaḥ bhālacandraḥ gajānanaḥ [iti] yaḥ tu gaṇeśasya etāni dvādaśa nāmāni paṭhet

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

dhūmraketuḥ the one with the smoke banner — In the Ganesha Purana, Dhumraketu is the form Ganesha takes at the end of the Kali age.

bhālacandraḥ the one who wears the moon on his forehead — The crescent on his brow, as on Shiva's.

note The last four names complete the twelve, and the verse turns to the one who reads them. The sentence carries on into the next verse, which says what that reader gains.

• vidyārthīone who seeks learning
• labhategains
• vidyāmlearning
• dhanārthīone who wants wealth
• vipulamplenty of
• dhanamwealth
• iṣṭakāmamthe wish they hold dear
• tuand
• kāmārthīone who has a wish
• dharmārthīone who seeks dharma
• mokṣamliberation
• akṣayamthat never ends

anvaya vidyārthī vidyām labhate dhanārthī vipulam dhanam [labhate] kāmārthī tu iṣṭakāmam [labhate] dharmārthī akṣayam mokṣam [labhate]

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

akṣayam undecaying, never used up — The verse uses this word only for liberation, since the other gains can all be used up.

note The verse names what different people come asking for and promises each the thing they came for, with liberation placed last as the highest. The printed dhanārthi is read dhanārthī.

• vidyārambheat the start of studies
• vivāheat a wedding
• caand
• praveśeon entering a new home
• nirgameon setting out
• tathālikewise
• saṅgrāmein battle
• saṅkaṭein a crisis
• caand
• evaeven
• vighnaḥan obstacle
• tasyafor that person
• nanot
• jāyatearises

anvaya vidyārambhe vivāhe ca praveśe nirgame tathā saṅgrāme saṅkaṭe ca eva tasya vighnaḥ na jāyate

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

praveśe on entering — Usually taken as entering a new house, the griha pravesha.

nirgame on going out — Leaving home on a journey.

note These are the moments of life when Ganesha is worshipped first: a child's first lesson, a wedding, moving into a house, leaving on a journey. The verse promises that for the one who knows these names, nothing will block the way.

• itiso ends
• mudgalapurāṇoktamas told in the Mudgala Purana
• śrīgaṇeśadvādaśanāmastotramthe hymn of the twelve names of Shri Ganesha
• sampūrṇamis complete

anvaya iti mudgalapurāṇoktam śrīgaṇeśadvādaśanāmastotram sampūrṇam