గణేశ పఞ్చరత్నమ్

The Five-Gemmed Hymn of Praise to the Auspicious Lord Ganesha

Salutations to the illustrious and auspicious Lord Ganesha.

I bow to that supreme guide, Vinayaka, who joyfully holds the sweet modaka in His hand, who eternally bestows the gift of ultimate liberation, who wears the crescent moon as His radiant crown, and protects those who delight in the play of the universe. He is the sole leader of those who have no leader, the destroyer of the formidable elephant-demon, and the swift dispeller of all misfortunes for those who bow before Him in devotion.

I eternally take refuge in Him, the Supreme beyond the supreme, who is terrifying to those who do not bow, yet radiant like the newly risen sun; who is worshipped by both gods and their adversaries, and who delivers those who bow to Him from the gravest of calamities. In Him, the Lord of gods, the Master of all treasures, the Elephant Lord, the Ruler of the Ganas, and the Great Lord, I seek shelter forever.

I bow to the radiant and imperishable Lord, who brings auspiciousness to all the worlds, who destroyed the mighty elephant-demon, who possesses a large belly and the face of a noble elephant, and who is the supreme one. I bow to Him who bestows compassion, forgiveness, joy, and glory, and who illuminates the minds of those who surrender to Him in devotion.

I worship that primeval Elephant-God, who wipes away the suffering of the destitute, who is the very vessel of the ancient Vedic revelations, the eldest son of Shiva (the destroyer of Tripura), and the crusher of the demons' pride. He is fearsome in dissolving the illusory universe, adorned by the serpent Dhananjaya and other ornaments, and from whose temples flows the sacred rut of divine ecstasy.

I constantly meditate upon that Single-Tusked Lord, whose beautiful tusk shines with supreme luster, the son of Shiva (the destroyer of Death itself). He is of inconceivable form, without end, the destroyer of all obstacles, who dwells eternally in the very depths of the hearts of yogis.

He who recites this hymn of five gems to the Great Ganesha every morning with deep devotion, while meditating upon the Lord of Ganas in his heart, will soon attain freedom from disease, freedom from faults, mastery over fine literature, noble progeny, a long life of peaceful contemplation, and the eightfold divine prosperities.

Thus concludes the 'Sri Ganesha Pancharatnam' (The Five Gems in Praise of Sri Ganesha), composed by the revered sage Sri Adi Shankaracharya.