gaṇeśa mahimnā stotram

I shall now compose a hymn to the supreme primordial Being, whose form is indescribable and before whom all praises dissolve. He from whom the universe originates, in whom it abides, and into whom it ultimately merges—that Lord, the remover of obstacles, praised by the Vedas, is indeed the glorious Ganesha.

The syllable 'Ga' represents Heramba, the manifested form, while the 'Na' represents the unmanifested Absolute; together, they constitute the duality of Prakriti and Purusha, merging into the single reality of Brahman. He is the Lord, the cause of creation, sustenance, and dissolution, the master of the Pramathas, and the one from whom the past, present, and future arise. He is the sovereign Lord, Ganapati.

The syllable 'Ga' corresponds to the upper part of the body, resembling the elephant face, and the lower part to the human form; the 'Na' represents the part below the neck, down to the abdomen. The lower portion signifies the hips and feet, representing the manifested world. Thus, His name shines forth, embodying the three worlds—Bhuh, Bhuvah, and Suvah—in perfect symmetry.

He who recites these names of Ganesha—Ganadhyaksha, Jyeshtha, Kapila, the treasure of auspiciousness, the merciful Heramba, the giver of boons, Chintamani, the lord of the chosen, Dhundhi, the elephant-faced, the son of Shiva, Mayuresha, and the son of Gauri—attains supreme grace.

He is Shiva, He is Vishnu, He is the poet, the Sun, the Moon, and the Creator. He is earth, water, fire, air, space, the mountains, and the oceans. He is Mars, the stars, Venus, the planets, Mercury, Jupiter, Kubera, Yama, Varuna, and Saturn; indeed, Ganapati is the embodiment of all forms.

His mouth is fire, His feet are Vishnu, and His generative power is Brahma. The Sun is His eyes, the Moon is His heart, and desire is His passion. Venus is His hands, the earth is His waist, and His tusks shine with wisdom. Thus, the entire cosmic form of Ganesha is composed of all the sacrifices and elements of the universe.

In the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada, at midday, those who devoutly fashion an image of Dhundhi-Ganesha from clay and worship Him with great enthusiasm bring immense prosperity into their homes. The sight of such devotion brings great joy and wonder to all people.

Whoever listens to or recites this greatness of Lord Ganesha shall have all their afflictions destroyed, and will quickly attain wealth, progeny, knowledge, a home, and ultimately, liberation.