nārada uvāca
praṇamya śirasā devaṃgaurīputraṃ vināyakam|
bhaktāvāsaṃ smeranityamāyḥkāmārthasiddhaye||1||
- śrīsaṅkaṭanāśanagaṇeśastotramthe hymn to Shri Ganesha, destroyer of troubles
- nāradaḥNarada
- uvācasaid
- praṇamyabowing down
- śirasāwith the head
- devamto the god
- gaurīputramthe son of Gauri
- vināyakamVinayaka
- bhaktāvāsamwho makes his home in his devotees
- smaretone should remember
- nityamevery day
- āyuḥkāmārthasiddhayefor long life, for wishes and for wealth
anvaya śrīsaṅkaṭanāśanagaṇeśastotram nāradaḥ uvāca śirasā gaurīputram vināyakam devam praṇamya bhaktāvāsam [tam] āyuḥkāmārthasiddhaye nityam smaret
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
bhaktāvāsam one whose dwelling is his devotees — It reads both ways: he lives among those who love him, and he lives in their hearts.
āyuḥkāmārthasiddhaye for the fulfilment of long life, desire and wealth — Three ordinary hopes, named plainly: a long life, the things one wishes for, and money.
note The sage Narada speaks this hymn. The printed text runs some words together and has a slip: smeranityamāyḥ is read as smarennityam āyuḥ, 'one should remember him every day, for long life'. The word-by-word follows that reading. This stotra is often recited on Sankashti Chaturthi, the fourth day after the full moon.
tṛtīyaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgākṣaṃgajavaktraṃ caturthakam||2||
- prathamamfirst
- vakratuṇḍamVakratunda, of the curved trunk
- caand
- ekadantamEkadanta, of the single tusk
- dvitīyakamsecond
- tṛtīyamthird
- kṛṣṇapiṅgākṣamKrishnapingaksha, with dark, reddish-brown eyes
- gajavaktramGajavaktra, the elephant-faced
- caturthakamfourth
anvaya prathamam vakratuṇḍam dvitīyakam ekadantam ca tṛtīyam kṛṣṇapiṅgākṣam caturthakam gajavaktram
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
kṛṣṇapiṅgākṣam the one with dark and tawny eyes — Krishna here is the colour dark, and pinga is a reddish brown.
note The names are counted off one by one so that none is missed in recitation. These four open the list of twelve.
saptamaṃ vighnarājaṃ cadhūmravarṇaṃ tathāṣṭakam||3||
- lambodaramLambodara, the big-bellied
- pañcamamfifth
- caand
- ṣaṣṭhamsixth
- vikaṭamVikata, of striking form
- evaindeed
- caand
- saptamamseventh
- vighnarājamVighnaraja, king of obstacles
- caand
- dhūmravarṇamDhumravarna, the smoke-coloured
- tathāand
- aṣṭakameighth
anvaya pañcamam lambodaram ca ṣaṣṭham vikaṭam eva ca saptamam vighnarājam ca aṣṭakam tathā dhūmravarṇam
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
lambodaram the one with the great belly — Traditionally the belly that holds all the worlds.
vighnarājam the king of obstacles — As their king, he can place obstacles in the way and he can take them away.
note Names five to eight. Lambodara, Vikata, Vighnaraja and Dhumravarna are also four of the eight forms of Ganesha in the Mudgala Purana.
ekādaśaṃ gaṇapatiṃdvādaśaṃ tu gajānanama||4||
- navamamninth
- bhālacandramBhalachandra, with the moon on his brow
- caand
- daśamamtenth
- tuand
- vināyakamVinayaka, the leader
- ekādaśameleventh
- gaṇapatimGanapati, lord of the ganas
- dvādaśamtwelfth
- tuand
- gajānanamGajanana, the elephant-faced
anvaya navamam bhālacandram ca daśamam tu vināyakam ekādaśam gaṇapatim dvādaśam tu gajānanam
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
vināyakam the leader, the one with no leader above him — Vi-nayaka: the one who leads, and who has no one leading him.
note Names nine to twelve complete the list. The printed text drops the final m of vināyakama and gajānanama; they are read with it.
na ca vighnabhayaṃ tasyasarvāsiddhikaraṃ prabho||5||
- dvādaśatwelve
- etānithese
- nāmāninames
- trisandhyamat dawn, noon and dusk
- yaḥwhoever
- paṭhetrecites
- naraḥa person
- nano
- caand
- vighnabhayamfear of obstacles
- tasyafor that person
- sarvasiddhikaramwhich brings every success
- prabhoO Lord
anvaya yaḥ naraḥ etāni dvādaśa nāmāni trisandhyam paṭhet tasya vighnabhayam na ca [bhavati] prabho [idam] sarvasiddhikaram
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
trisandhyam at the three junctions of the day — Dawn, noon and dusk, the traditional times of daily prayer.
note From here the hymn turns to what the names give. The printed sarvāsiddhikaraṃ is read sarvasiddhikaraṃ.
putrārthī labhateputrānmokṣārthī labhate gatim||6||
- vidyārthīa student
- labhategains
- vidyāmlearning
- dhanārthīone who needs money
- labhategains
- dhanamwealth
- putrārthīone who wants children
- labhateis given
- putrānchildren
- mokṣārthīone who seeks liberation
- labhatereaches
- gatimthe final goal
anvaya vidyārthī vidyām labhate dhanārthī dhanam labhate putrārthī putrān labhate mokṣārthī gatim labhate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
gatim the goal, the final state — Gati is where one finally arrives, the end of the soul's journey.
note Each person receives what they came for. The four lines move from learning and money to family, and end with liberation.
saṃvatsareṇa siddhiṃ calabhate nātra saṃśayaḥ||7||
- japetone should chant
- gaṇapatistotramthis hymn to Ganapati
- ṣaḍbhiḥwithin six
- māsaiḥmonths
- phalamthe result
- labhetwill gain
- saṃvatsareṇawithin a year
- siddhimcomplete success
- caand
- labhategains
- nano
- atraabout this
- saṃśayaḥdoubt
anvaya gaṇapatistotram japet ṣaḍbhiḥ māsaiḥ phalam labhet saṃvatsareṇa ca siddhim labhate atra saṃśayaḥ na
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
siddhim accomplishment, fulfilment — The full result of the practice, beyond the first signs that come in six months.
note The verse gives the practice a time frame: steady chanting shows results in six months and full success in a year.
tasya vidyā bhavetsarvāgaṇeśasya prasādataḥ||8||
- aṣṭabhyaḥto eight
- brāhmaṇebhyaḥbrahmins
- caand
- likhitvāhaving written it out
- yaḥwhoever
- samarpayetgives
- tasyato that person
- vidyālearning
- bhavetcomes
- sarvāall
- gaṇeśasyaof Ganesha
- prasādataḥby the grace
anvaya yaḥ [idam] likhitvā aṣṭabhyaḥ brāhmaṇebhyaḥ ca samarpayet tasya gaṇeśasya prasādataḥ sarvā vidyā bhavet
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
likhitvā having written it down — Copying out a hymn and giving it away was how a text was shared before printing, and it was counted as an act of merit.
note The last promise is for the one who copies the hymn and shares it. The printed likhitvāṃ is read likhitvā.
- itiso ends
- śrīnāradapurāṇein the Shri Narada Purana
- saṅkaṭanāśanagaṇeśastotramthe hymn to Ganesha, destroyer of troubles
- sampūrṇamis complete
anvaya iti śrīnāradapurāṇe saṅkaṭanāśanagaṇeśastotram sampūrṇam