ষডক্ষৰং কৃপাসিন্ধুং নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 1 ॥
- স্মৰামি (smarāmi)I call to mind
- দেৱদেৱেশম্ (devadeveśam)the lord of the lords of the gods
- ৱক্ৰতুণ্ডম্ (vakratuṇḍam)the one with the curving trunk
- মহাবলম্ (mahābalam)great in strength
- ষডক্ষৰম্ (ṣaḍakṣaram)the one of six syllables
- কৃপাসিন্ধুম্ (kṛpāsindhum)a sea of kindness
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya দেৱদেৱেশম্ ৱক্ৰতুণ্ডম্ মহাবলম্ ষডক্ষৰম্ কৃপাসিন্ধুম্ স্মৰামি ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ষডক্ষৰম্ the one of six syllables — The six-syllable Ganapati mantra is वक्रतुण्डाय हुं, which is why the verse names the curving trunk in the line before.
ঋণমুক্তযে to be free of debt — Rina is what is owed, money first of all, but also the debts a person is born with, to the sages, the gods and the ancestors. The same word ends every verse of this hymn.
note The hymn is recited by people carrying debt. Eight of its nine verses end with the same half-line, নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে.
একমেৱাদ্ৱিতীযং চ নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 2 ॥
- একাক্ষৰম্ (ekākṣaram)the single syllable
- হি (hi)indeed
- একদন্তম্ (ekadantam)the one with a single tusk
- একম্ (ekam)the one
- ব্ৰহ্ম (brahma)Brahman
- সনাতনম্ (sanātanam)that has always been
- একম্ (ekam)one
- এৱ (eva)only
- অদ্ৱিতীযম্ (advitīyam)with no second
- চ (ca)and
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya একাক্ষৰম্ হি একদন্তম্ একম্ সনাতনম্ ব্ৰহ্ম একম্ এৱ চ অদ্ৱিতীযম্ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
একমেৱাদ্ৱিতীযম্ one only and with no second — The words come from the Chandogya Upanishad, where they describe what was there before anything else. The hymn hands them to Ganesha.
একাক্ষৰম্ the single syllable — The syllable is गं, and the play is deliberate: one syllable, one tusk, one reality.
মহাৱিঘ্নহৰং শম্ভোঃ নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 3 ॥
- মহাগণপতিম্ (mahāgaṇapatim)the great Ganapati
- দেৱম্ (devam)the god
- মহাসত্ত্ৱম্ (mahāsattvam)of great courage
- মহাবলম্ (mahābalam)of great strength
- মহাৱিঘ্নহৰম্ (mahāvighnaharam)who takes away the big obstacle
- শম্ভোঃ (śambhoḥ)of Shambhu
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya মহাসত্ত্ৱম্ মহাবলম্ শম্ভোঃ মহাৱিঘ্নহৰম্ দেৱম্ মহাগণপতিম্ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
শম্ভোঃ of Shambhu — Shambhu is Shiva. The story behind the line is the burning of the three cities, when Shiva set out without saluting Ganesha and his chariot broke down.
note শম্ভোঃ can also be taken with দেৱম্, making the line read 'the god who is Shambhu's son'.
কৃষ্ণসৰ্পোপৱীতং চ নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 4 ॥
- কৃষ্ণাম্বৰম্ (kṛṣṇāmbaram)dressed in black
- কৃষ্ণৱৰ্ণম্ (kṛṣṇavarṇam)dark of body
- কৃষ্ণগন্ধানুলেপনম্ (kṛṣṇagandhānulepanam)smeared with dark scented paste
- কৃষ্ণসৰ্পোপৱীতম্ (kṛṣṇasarpopavītam)wearing a black snake as his sacred thread
- চ (ca)and
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya কৃষ্ণাম্বৰম্ কৃষ্ণৱৰ্ণম্ কৃষ্ণগন্ধানুলেপনম্ কৃষ্ণসৰ্পোপৱীতম্ চ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
note Four verses in a row change only the colour: black here, then red, then yellow, then the grey of smoke. The reciter holds each picture in turn.
ৰক্তপুষ্পপ্ৰিযং দেৱং নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 5 ॥
- ৰক্তাম্বৰম্ (raktāmbaram)dressed in red
- ৰক্তৱৰ্ণম্ (raktavarṇam)red of body
- ৰক্তগন্ধানুলেপনম্ (raktagandhānulepanam)smeared with red scented paste
- ৰক্তপুষ্পপ্ৰিযম্ (raktapuṣpapriyam)who loves red flowers
- দেৱম্ (devam)the god
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya ৰক্তাম্বৰম্ ৰক্তৱৰ্ণম্ ৰক্তগন্ধানুলেপনম্ ৰক্তপুষ্পপ্ৰিযম্ দেৱম্ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ৰক্তপুষ্প red flowers — Red hibiscus above all, the flower given to Ganesha as it is to his mother.
পীতপুষ্পপ্ৰিযং দেৱং নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 6 ॥
- পীতাম্বৰম্ (pītāmbaram)dressed in yellow
- পীতৱৰ্ণম্ (pītavarṇam)yellow of body
- পীতগন্ধানুলেপনম্ (pītagandhānulepanam)smeared with yellow scented paste
- পীতপুষ্পপ্ৰিযম্ (pītapuṣpapriyam)who loves yellow flowers
- দেৱম্ (devam)the god
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya পীতাম্বৰম্ পীতৱৰ্ণম্ পীতগন্ধানুলেপনম্ পীতপুষ্পপ্ৰিযম্ দেৱম্ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
হোমধূমপ্ৰিযং দেৱং নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 7 ॥
- ধূম্ৰাম্বৰম্ (dhūmrāmbaram)dressed in smoke-grey
- ধূম্ৰৱৰ্ণম্ (dhūmravarṇam)grey of body
- ধূম্ৰগন্ধানুলেপনম্ (dhūmragandhānulepanam)smeared with grey scented paste
- হোমধূমপ্ৰিযম্ (homadhūmapriyam)who loves the smoke of the offering fire
- দেৱম্ (devam)the god
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya ধূম্ৰাম্বৰম্ ধূম্ৰৱৰ্ণম্ ধূম্ৰগন্ধানুলেপনম্ হোমধূমপ্ৰিযম্ দেৱম্ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
হোমধূম the smoke of the offering fire — Homa is the offering poured into fire. The colour of this verse is the colour of that smoke, which is why the fourth line changes from flowers to smoke.
চামৰালঙ্কৃতং দেৱং নমামি ঋণমুক্তযে ॥ 8 ॥
- ফালনেত্ৰম্ (phālanetram)with an eye in the forehead
- ফালচন্দ্ৰম্ (phālacandram)with the moon on the forehead
- পাশাঙ্কুশধৰম্ (pāśāṅkuśadharam)holding the noose and the goad
- ৱিভুম্ (vibhum)present everywhere
- চামৰালঙ্কৃতম্ (cāmarālaṅkṛtam)set off by the whisk
- দেৱম্ (devam)the god
- নমামি (namāmi)I bow
- ঋণমুক্তযে (ṛṇamuktaye)to be free of debt
anvaya ফালনেত্ৰম্ ফালচন্দ্ৰম্ পাশাঙ্কুশধৰম্ ৱিভুম্ চামৰালঙ্কৃতম্ দেৱম্ ঋণমুক্তযে নমামি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
পাশাঙ্কুশ the noose and the goad — Two of the four things Ganapati holds. The noose draws the devotee in; the goad, the tool a mahout uses, turns the mind where it should go.
চামৰ the whisk — A yak-tail fan waved beside a king or an image, a mark of service rather than an ornament.
note ফাল is a spelling of ভাল, the forehead.
ষণ্মাসাভ্যন্তৰেণৈৱ ঋণমুক্তো ভৱিষ্যতি ॥ 9 ॥
- ইদম্ (idam)this
- তু (tu)and
- ঋণহৰম্ (ṛṇaharam)debt-clearing
- স্তোত্ৰম্ (stotram)hymn
- সন্ধ্যাযাম্ (sandhyāyām)at the turn of day and night
- যঃ (yaḥ)whoever
- পঠেত্ (paṭhet)recites
- নৰঃ (naraḥ)a man
- ষণ্মাসাভ্যন্তৰেণ (ṣaṇmāsābhyantareṇa)within six months
- এৱ (eva)itself
- ঋণমুক্তঃ (ṛṇamuktaḥ)free of debt
- ভৱিষ্যতি (bhaviṣyati)will be
anvaya যঃ নৰঃ ইদম্ তু ঋণহৰম্ স্তোত্ৰম্ সন্ধ্যাযাম্ পঠেত্ [সঃ] ষণ্মাসাভ্যন্তৰেণ এৱ ঋণমুক্তঃ ভৱিষ্যতি
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
সন্ধ্যাযাম্ at the turn of day and night — Sandhya is the joint between day and night, dawn or dusk, the hour kept for prayer.
note The closing verse gives the time and the term: at sandhya, for six months.
