yato jātaṃ viśvasthitimapi sadā yatra vilayaḥ sakīdṛggīrvāṇaḥ sunigama nutaḥ śrīgaṇapatiḥ || 1 ||
- anirvācyamwhich cannot be put into words
- rūpamthe form
- stavananikaraḥthe whole heap of praise
- yatraon which
- galitaḥslips off
- tathāeven so
- vakṣyeI shall speak
- stotrama hymn
- prathamapuruṣasyaof the First Person
- atrahere
- mahataḥthe great one
- yataḥfrom whom
- jātamis born
- viśvasthitimthe standing of the world
- apias well
- sadāalways
- yatrain whom
- vilayaḥthe ending
- saḥhe
- kīdṛkof what kind
- gīrvāṇaḥa god
- sunigamanutaḥpraised by the good scriptures
- śrīgaṇapatiḥShri Ganapati
anvaya yatra stavananikaraḥ galitaḥ [tasya] rūpam anirvācyam tathā atra mahataḥ prathamapuruṣasya stotram vakṣye yataḥ [viśvam] jātam viśvasthitim api yatra sadā vilayaḥ sunigamanutaḥ śrīgaṇapatiḥ saḥ kīdṛk gīrvāṇaḥ
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
prathamapuruṣasya of the First Person — The one who was there before anything else. The hymn opens by putting Ganapati in that place.
gīrvāṇaḥ a god — Literally one whose arrow is speech. The gods are so called because their word alone does the work.
note Mahimna means greatness. The hymn spends its first four verses on the name itself, syllable by syllable, before it describes the god.
sa ceśaścotpatti sthiti laya karoyaṃ pramathako yatobhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhavati patirīśo gaṇapatiḥ || 2 ||
- gakāraḥthe syllable ga
- herambaḥis Heramba
- saguṇaḥhaving qualities
- itiso
- pumthe Person
- nirguṇamayaḥmade of what has no qualities
- dvidhāin two
- apithough
- ekaḥone
- jātaḥwas born
- prakṛtipuruṣaḥnature and person together
- brahmaBrahman
- hiindeed
- gaṇaḥis gana
- saḥhe
- caand
- īśaḥthe lord
- caand
- utpattisthitilayakaraḥwho makes the rising, the standing and the ending
- ayamthis one
- pramathakaḥthe one who crushes
- yataḥsince from him
- bhūtamwhat has been
- bhavyamwhat is to be
- bhavaticomes to be
- patiḥthe master
- īśaḥthe lord
- gaṇapatiḥGanapati
anvaya gakāraḥ saguṇaḥ herambaḥ iti pum nirguṇamayaḥ dvidhā api ekaḥ jātaḥ prakṛtipuruṣaḥ brahma hi gaṇaḥ saḥ ca īśaḥ ca ayam utpattisthitilayakaraḥ pramathakaḥ yataḥ bhūtam bhavyam bhavati [saḥ] patiḥ īśaḥ gaṇapatiḥ
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
saguṇa having qualities — Saguna is god with form and quality, the one who can be pictured and served; nirguna is the same reality with nothing said of it.
pramathakaḥ the one who crushes — Pramatha is also the name of Shiva's rough band of followers. Read that way, the word makes him their chief.
note The name is split: ga stands for the god with qualities, na for the one without, and gana for the two held together.
adhobhāvaḥ kaṭyāṃ caraṇa iti hīśosya ca tamaḥ vibhātītthaṃ nāma tribhuvana samaṃ bhū rbhuva ssuvaḥ || 3 ||
- gakāraḥthe syllable ga
- kaṇṭhordhvamabove the neck
- gajamukhasamaḥshaped like an elephant's face
- martyasadṛśaḥlike a man
- ṇakāraḥthe syllable na
- kaṇṭhādhaḥbelow the neck
- jaṭharasadṛśākāraḥshaped like the belly
- itiso
- caand
- adhobhāvaḥwhat lies lower
- kaṭyāmat the hips
- caraṇaḥthe feet
- itiso
- hiindeed
- īśaḥthe lord
- asyahis
- caand
- tamaḥdarkness
- vibhātishines out
- itthamin this way
- nāmathe name
- tribhuvanasamammatching the three worlds
- bhūḥearth
- bhuvaḥthe air between
- suvaḥheaven
anvaya gakāraḥ kaṇṭhordhvam gajamukhasamaḥ ṇakāraḥ kaṇṭhādhaḥ martyasadṛśaḥ jaṭharasadṛśākāraḥ iti ca adhobhāvaḥ kaṭyām caraṇaḥ iti hi asya īśaḥ ca tamaḥ ittham nāma tribhuvanasamam bhūḥ bhuvaḥ suvaḥ vibhāti
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
bhūrbhuvassuvaḥ earth, the air between, and heaven — The three calls of the Gayatri. The verse maps the god's body onto them: head, trunk and legs.
tamaḥ darkness — Tamas is the heavy, dark strand of nature. It sits at the bottom of the body as it sits at the bottom of the world.
varānīśo ḍhuṇḍhirgajavadana nāmā śivasuto mayūreśo gaurītanaya iti nāmāni paṭhati || 4 ||
- gaṇādhyakṣaḥoverseer of the ganas
- jyeṣṭhaḥthe eldest
- kapilaḥthe tawny one
- aparaḥand again
- maṅgalanidhiḥthe store of good fortune
- dayāluḥthe kind one
- herambaḥHeramba
- varadaḥgiver of boons
- itiso
- cintāmaṇiḥthe wishing gem
- ajaḥthe unborn
- varānīśaḥlord of boons
- ḍhuṇḍhiḥDhundhi
- gajavadananāmāhe whose name is Elephant-face
- śivasutaḥson of Shiva
- mayūreśaḥMayuresha
- gaurītanayaḥson of Gauri
- itithese
- nāmāninames
- paṭhatione recites
anvaya gaṇādhyakṣaḥ jyeṣṭhaḥ kapilaḥ aparaḥ maṅgalanidhiḥ dayāluḥ herambaḥ varadaḥ iti cintāmaṇiḥ ajaḥ varānīśaḥ ḍhuṇḍhiḥ gajavadananāmā śivasutaḥ mayūreśaḥ gaurītanayaḥ iti nāmāni paṭhati
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
cintāmaṇiḥ the wishing gem — The stone that gives whatever is thought of. It is also the name of the Ganesha at Theur, one of the eight in Maharashtra.
ḍhuṇḍhiḥ Dhundhi — The name of the Ganesha who stands at the door of the Vishvanatha temple in Kashi. It carries the sense of the one who is searched for.
mayūreśaḥ Mayuresha — The Ganesha of Morgaon, who rides a peacock in that story.
note cintāmaṇi rajaḥ is printed with a break; it is read cintāmaṇiḥ ajaḥ. varānīśaḥ is read varān īśaḥ, lord of boons; copies differ here.
kujastāraḥ śukro pururuḍu budhogucca dhanado yamaḥ pāśī kāvyaḥ śanirakhila rūpo gaṇapatiḥ ||5 ||
- maheśaḥMahesha
- ayamhe
- viṣṇuḥVishnu
- saḥhe
- kaviḥthe seer
- raviḥthe sun
- induḥthe moon
- kamalajaḥthe lotus-born, Brahma
- kṣitiḥearth
- toyamwater
- vahniḥfire
- śvasanaḥwind
- itiand
- khamspace
- tutoo
- adriḥthe mountain
- udadhiḥthe sea
- kujaḥMars
- tāraḥthe stars
- śukraḥVenus
- guruḥJupiter
- uḍuthe constellations
- budhaḥMercury
- caand
- dhanadaḥthe giver of wealth, Kubera
- yamaḥYama
- pāśīthe one with the noose
- kāvyaḥShukra
- śaniḥShani
- akhilarūpaḥhaving the form of everything
- gaṇapatiḥGanapati
anvaya ayam maheśaḥ viṣṇuḥ saḥ kaviḥ raviḥ induḥ kamalajaḥ kṣitiḥ toyam vahniḥ śvasanaḥ iti kham tu adriḥ udadhiḥ kujaḥ tāraḥ śukraḥ guruḥ uḍu budhaḥ ca dhanadaḥ yamaḥ pāśī kāvyaḥ śaniḥ [iti] gaṇapatiḥ akhilarūpaḥ
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
pāśī the one with the noose — Varuna, who binds with his noose. He guards the west.
kāvyaḥ Shukra — The son of Kavi Ushanas, teacher of the asuras, who is also the planet Venus.
note The third line is printed unevenly. pururuḍu is read gururuḍu, Jupiter and the constellations, and one syllable after budho is garbled past reading, so it is left unglossed.
karau śukraḥ kaṭyāmavanirudaraṃ bhāti daśanaṃ gaṇeśasyāsan vai kratumaya vapu ścaiva sakalam || 6 ||
- mukhamthe mouth
- vahniḥfire
- pādauthe two feet
- hariḥHari
- asiyou are
- vidhātāthe maker
- prajananamthe power to bring forth
- raviḥthe sun
- netrethe two eyes
- candraḥthe moon
- hṛdayamthe heart
- apias well
- kāmaḥlonging
- asyahis
- madanaḥMadana
- karauthe two hands
- śukraḥVenus
- kaṭyāmat the hips
- avaniḥthe earth
- udaramthe belly
- bhātishines
- daśanamthe tusk
- gaṇeśasyaof Ganesha
- āsanwere
- vaiindeed
- kratumayammade of sacrifice
- vapuḥthe body
- caand
- evaitself
- sakalamthe whole of it
anvaya mukham vahniḥ pādau hariḥ asi vidhātā prajananam raviḥ netre candraḥ hṛdayam api asya kāmaḥ madanaḥ karau śukraḥ kaṭyām avaniḥ udaram daśanam ca bhāti eva sakalam kratumayam vapuḥ vai gaṇeśasya āsan
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
kratumayam made of sacrifice — Kratu is the rite itself. The line follows the Purusha Sukta, where the world is built out of one offering.
madanaḥ Madana — The god of desire, Kama, who is longing given a body.
note The verse takes the old Vedic picture of the cosmic Person and gives the body to Ganesha.
samarcatyutsāhaḥ prabhavati mahān sarvasadane vilokyānandastāṃ prabhavati nṛṇāṃ vismaya iti ||7 ||
- sitein the bright fortnight
- bhādreof Bhadrapada
- māsein the month
- pratiśaradiyear after year
- madhyāhnasamayeat midday
- mṛdaḥof clay
- mūrtiman image
- kṛtvāhaving made
- gaṇapatitithauon Ganapati's day
- ḍhuṇḍhisadṛśīmin Dhundhi's likeness
- samarcatiworships it
- utsāhaḥhigh spirits
- prabhavatirise
- mahāngreat
- sarvasadanein every house
- vilokyaon seeing
- ānandaḥjoy
- tāmat it
- prabhavatirises
- nṛṇāmin people
- vismayaḥwonder
- itiso
anvaya pratiśaradi bhādre māse site gaṇapatitithau madhyāhnasamaye mṛdaḥ ḍhuṇḍhisadṛśīm mūrtim kṛtvā samarcati [tadā] sarvasadane mahān utsāhaḥ prabhavati tām vilokya nṛṇām ānandaḥ vismayaḥ iti prabhavati
chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas
gaṇapatitithau on Ganapati's day — The fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, kept as Ganesh Chaturthi.
mṛdaḥ of clay — The image is made of earth so that it can be given back to the water at the end of the days of worship.
note The festival described here is the one still kept every year, with the clay image, the midday worship, and the crowds who come to look.
kleśā layaṃ yānti labhecca śīghraṃ śrīputtra vidyārthi gṛhaṃ ca muktim || 8 ||
- gaṇeśadevasyaof lord Ganesha
- māhātmyamthe greatness
- etatthis
- yaḥwhoever
- śrāvayetreads it aloud for others
- vāor
- apieven
- paṭhetreads it
- caand
- tasyahis
- kleśāḥtroubles
- layaman end
- yānticome to
- labhethe gains
- caand
- śīghramsoon
- śrīputravidyārthagṛhamwealth, children, learning, means and a home
- caand
- muktimfreedom
anvaya yaḥ gaṇeśadevasya etat māhātmyam śrāvayet vā api paṭhet ca tasya kleśāḥ layam yānti śīghram ca śrīputravidyārthagṛham ca muktim labhet
chandas Upajāti, 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas
note The metre changes for the closing verse, as it often does. śrīputtra vidyārthi gṛhaṃ is printed with breaks; it is read as one compound.