श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥
मुदाकरात्तमोदकं सदाविमुक्तिसाधकं कलाधरावतंसकं विलासिलोकरक्षकम् ।
अनायकैकनायकं विनाशितेभदैत्यकं नताशुभाशुनाशकं नमामि तं विनायकम् ॥ १॥
- श्रीगणेशपञ्चरत्नस्तोत्रम् (śrīgaṇeśapañcaratnastotram)the hymn of five gems to Shri Ganesha
- श्रीगणेशाय (śrīgaṇeśāya)to Shri Ganesha
- नमः (namaḥ)salutations
- मुदाकरात्तमोदकम् (mudākarāttamodakam)who happily holds a modak in his hand
- सदाविमुक्तिसाधकम् (sadāvimuktisādhakam)who always leads to liberation
- कलाधरावतंसकम् (kalādharāvataṃsakam)who wears the moon as an ornament
- विलासिलोकरक्षकम् (vilāsilokarakṣakam)who protects the world that is his play
- अनायकैकनायकम् (anāyakaikanāyakam)the one leader of those who have no leader
- विनाशितेभदैत्यकम् (vināśitebhadaityakam)who destroyed the elephant demon
- नताशुभाशुनाशकम् (natāśubhāśunāśakam)who quickly ends the misfortunes of those who bow
- नमामि (namāmi)I bow to
- तम् (tam)that
- विनायकम् (vināyakam)Vinayaka
anvaya श्रीगणेशपञ्चरत्नस्तोत्रम् श्रीगणेशाय नमः मुदाकरात्तमोदकम् सदाविमुक्तिसाधकम् कलाधरावतंसकम् विलासिलोकरक्षकम् अनायकैकनायकम् विनाशितेभदैत्यकम् नताशुभाशुनाशकम् तम् विनायकम् [अहम्] नमामि
chandas Pañcacāmara, 16 syllables in each of 4 pādas, short and long syllables alternating
मोदक the sweet dumpling he loves — Rice dough filled with coconut and jaggery. It is the offering most closely tied to Ganesha, and the first thing this hymn places in his hand.
अनायकैकनायकम् the one leader of the leaderless — A play on Vinayaka, the word that ends the verse: vi-nayaka, the leader with no one above him, is also the leader of those who have no one.
विनाशितेभदैत्यकम् who killed the elephant demon — Usually identified with Gajamukhasura, the elephant-headed demon Ganesha defeats with his broken tusk.
note Adi Shankaracharya's hymn opens with Ganesha as a child might picture him, happy with a sweet in his hand, and within the same verse calls him the giver of liberation. The quick, even beat of the metre makes it easy to sing, and this first verse is the part most people know by heart.
सुरेश्वरं निधीश्वरं गजेश्वरं गणेश्वरं महेश्वरं तमाश्रये परात्परं निरन्तरम् ॥ २॥
- नतेतरातिभीकरम् (natetarātibhīkaram)terrifying to those who will not bow
- नवोदितार्कभास्वरम् (navoditārkabhāsvaram)bright as the newly risen sun
- नमत्सुरारिनिर्जरम् (namatsurārinirjaram)to whom gods and demons bow
- नताधिकापदुद्धरम् (natādhikāpaduddharam)who lifts those who bow out of their worst troubles
- सुरेश्वरम् (sureśvaram)lord of the gods
- निधीश्वरम् (nidhīśvaram)lord of treasures
- गजेश्वरम् (gajeśvaram)lord of elephants
- गणेश्वरम् (gaṇeśvaram)lord of the ganas
- महेश्वरम् (maheśvaram)the great lord
- तम् (tam)him
- आश्रये (āśraye)I take refuge in
- परात्परम् (parātparam)higher than the highest
- निरन्तरम् (nirantaram)always
anvaya नतेतरातिभीकरम् नवोदितार्कभास्वरम् नमत्सुरारिनिर्जरम् नताधिकापदुद्धरम् सुरेश्वरम् निधीश्वरम् गजेश्वरम् गणेश्वरम् महेश्वरम् परात्परम् तम् [अहम्] निरन्तरम् आश्रये
chandas Pañcacāmara, 16 syllables in each of 4 pādas, short and long syllables alternating
नतेतर those other than the ones who bow — He is fearsome only to those who refuse to bow. To those who do, the same line says, he is the one who lifts them out of trouble.
निधीश्वरम् lord of treasures — Nidhi is treasure. The same title is given to Kubera, the lord of wealth.
note The second half of the verse is five titles in a row, each ending in ishvara, lord: of the gods, of treasures, of elephants, of the ganas, and the great lord. Chains of matching sounds like this run through all of Shankara's hymns.
कृपाकरं क्षमाकरं मुदाकरं यशस्करं मनस्करं नमस्कृतां नमस्करोमि भास्वरम् ॥ ३॥
- समस्तलोकशङ्करम् (samastalokaśaṅkaram)who brings good to all the worlds
- निरस्तदैत्यकुञ्जरम् (nirastadaityakuñjaram)who drove off the elephant demon
- दरेतरोदरम् (daretarodaram)whose belly is anything but small
- वरम् (varam)the best
- वरेभवक्त्रम् (varebhavaktram)with the face of a noble elephant
- अक्षरम् (akṣaram)imperishable
- कृपाकरम् (kṛpākaram)source of compassion
- क्षमाकरम् (kṣamākaram)source of forgiveness
- मुदाकरम् (mudākaram)source of joy
- यशस्करम् (yaśaskaram)who gives fame
- मनस्करम् (manaskaram)who gives a clear mind
- नमस्कृताम् (namaskṛtām)to those who bow to him
- नमस्करोमि (namaskaromi)I bow to
- भास्वरम् (bhāsvaram)the radiant one
anvaya समस्तलोकशङ्करम् निरस्तदैत्यकुञ्जरम् दरेतरोदरम् वरम् वरेभवक्त्रम् अक्षरम् नमस्कृताम् कृपाकरम् क्षमाकरम् मुदाकरम् यशस्करम् मनस्करम् भास्वरम् [अहम्] नमस्करोमि
chandas Pañcacāmara, 16 syllables in each of 4 pādas, short and long syllables alternating
दरेतरोदरम् whose belly is other than small — Dara-itara, 'other than small', is a roundabout way of saying his belly is huge, and it keeps the rhyme of the line going.
आकर a mine, a source — Kripakaram, kshamakaram, mudakaram: a mine of mercy, of forgiveness, of joy. Each title is something he gives out.
note The second half is a run of rhyming titles, kṛpākaram, kṣamākaram, mudākaram, yaśaskaram, manaskaram, that ends on namaskaromi, 'I bow'. Each title is something Ganesha gives, and the line closes with the singer's reply: a bow.
प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणं धनञ्जयादिभूषणं कपोलदानवारणं भजे पुराणवारणम् ॥ ४॥
- अकिञ्चनार्तिमार्जनम् (akiñcanārtimārjanam)who wipes away the pain of the poor
- चिरन्तनोक्तिभाजनम् (cirantanoktibhājanam)of whom the ancient scriptures speak
- पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनम् (purāripūrvanandanam)the elder son of Shiva, enemy of the three cities
- सुरारिगर्वचर्वणम् (surārigarvacarvaṇam)who crushes the pride of the demons
- प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणम् (prapañcanāśabhīṣaṇam)fearsome at the dissolution of the world
- धनञ्जयादिभूषणम् (dhanañjayādibhūṣaṇam)adorned with serpents such as Dhananjaya
- कपोलदानवारणम् (kapoladānavāraṇam)the elephant with mada flowing on his cheeks
- भजे (bhaje)I worship
- पुराणवारणम् (purāṇavāraṇam)the ancient elephant
anvaya अकिञ्चनार्तिमार्जनम् चिरन्तनोक्तिभाजनम् पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनम् सुरारिगर्वचर्वणम् प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणम् धनञ्जयादिभूषणम् कपोलदानवारणम् पुराणवारणम् [अहम्] भजे
chandas Pañcacāmara, 16 syllables in each of 4 pādas, short and long syllables alternating
पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनम् the first-born son of Shiva — Purari, 'enemy of the cities', is Shiva, who destroyed the three flying cities of the asuras. Purva-nandana, 'the earlier son', marks Ganesha as the elder.
धनञ्जय a great serpent — Here Dhananjaya is the name of a naga, and has nothing to do with Arjuna. Like his father, Ganesha wears snakes as ornaments.
कपोलदान the flow on his cheeks — Dana is the mada fluid of an elephant in its prime. It marks him as a mighty tusker.
note The verse runs from comfort for the poor to the end of the world itself, and closes on 'the ancient elephant', a name that makes the familiar god as old as time.
हृदन्तरे निरन्तरं वसन्तमेव योगिनां तमेकदन्तमेव तं विचिन्तयामि सन्ततम् ॥ ५॥
- नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तम् (nitāntakāntadantakāntimantam)whose tusk shines with a beauty beyond compare
- अन्तकान्तकात्मजम् (antakāntakātmajam)the son of Shiva, who put an end to Death
- अचिन्त्यरूपम् (acintyarūpam)whose form is beyond imagining
- अन्तहीनम् (antahīnam)without end
- अन्तरायकृन्तनम् (antarāyakṛntanam)who cuts through obstacles
- हृदन्तरे (hṛdantare)within the heart
- निरन्तरम् (nirantaram)without a break
- वसन्तम् (vasantam)dwelling
- एव (eva)indeed
- योगिनाम् (yoginām)of the yogis
- तम् (tam)him
- एकदन्तम् (ekadantam)the single-tusked one
- एव (eva)alone
- तम् (tam)him
- विचिन्तयामि (vicintayāmi)I meditate on
- सन्ततम् (santatam)constantly
anvaya नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तम् अन्तकान्तकात्मजम् अचिन्त्यरूपम् अन्तहीनम् अन्तरायकृन्तनम् योगिनाम् हृदन्तरे निरन्तरम् वसन्तम् एव तम् एकदन्तम् एव तम् [अहम्] सन्ततम् विचिन्तयामि
chandas Pañcacāmara, 16 syllables in each of 4 pādas, short and long syllables alternating
अन्तकान्तक the ender of the ender — Antaka, 'the one who ends', is Death. Shiva is called Antakantaka because he stopped Death to save his young devotee Markandeya.
एकदन्तम् the single-tusked one — He has only one whole tusk. In one well-known telling he broke off the other and used it as a pen to write down the Mahabharata as Vyasa spoke it.
note Almost every word here carries the sound anta: kānta, danta, antaka, antahīna, antarāya, hṛdantare, nirantaram, vasantam. Shankara builds the whole verse on that one sound, moving from the shining tusk to the heart of the yogi.
अरोगतामदोषतां सुसाहितीं सुपुत्रतां समाहितायुरष्टभूतिमभ्युपैति सोऽचिरात् ॥ ६॥
- महागणेशपञ्चरत्नम् (mahāgaṇeśapañcaratnam)these five gems for the great Ganesha
- आदरेण (ādareṇa)with devotion
- यः (yaḥ)whoever
- अन्वहम् (anvaham)every day
- प्रजल्पति (prajalpati)recites
- प्रभातके (prabhātake)in the early morning
- हृदि (hṛdi)in the heart
- स्मरन् (smaran)remembering
- गणेश्वरम् (gaṇeśvaram)the lord of the ganas
- अरोगताम् (arogatām)good health
- अदोषताम् (adoṣatām)freedom from faults
- सुसाहितीम् (susāhitīm)a gift for words and learning
- सुपुत्रताम् (suputratām)good children
- समाहितायुः (samāhitāyuḥ)a long and settled life
- अष्टभूतिम् (aṣṭabhūtim)the eight kinds of prosperity
- अभ्युपैति (abhyupaiti)gains
- सः (saḥ)that person
- अचिरात् (acirāt)before long
anvaya यः गणेश्वरम् हृदि स्मरन् प्रभातके अन्वहम् आदरेण महागणेशपञ्चरत्नम् प्रजल्पति सः अचिरात् अरोगताम् अदोषताम् सुसाहितीम् सुपुत्रताम् समाहितायुः अष्टभूतिम् अभ्युपैति
chandas Pañcacāmara, 16 syllables in each of 4 pādas, short and long syllables alternating
अष्टभूतिम् the eightfold prosperity — Often read as the eight siddhis, powers such as becoming very small or very light at will. Some take it simply as every kind of wealth.
सुसाहितीम् skill with words — Sahiti is literature, the gift of saying things well.
note The phalashruti. It asks for a morning habit: say the five verses with Ganesha in mind. What it promises is a good life in plain terms: health, a clean character, a way with words, good children and a long, steady life.
- इति (iti)so ends
- श्रीशङ्करभगवतः (śrīśaṅkarabhagavataḥ)of the revered Shankara
- कृतौ (kṛtau)among the works
- श्रीगणेशपञ्चरत्नस्तोत्रम् (śrīgaṇeśapañcaratnastotram)the hymn of five gems to Shri Ganesha
- सम्पूर्णम् (sampūrṇam)is complete
anvaya इति श्रीशङ्करभगवतः कृतौ श्रीगणेशपञ्चरत्नस्तोत्रम् सम्पूर्णम्