savyākhyā mahāgaṇapatistotram

With notes by the poet's pupil. Verse 1: We worship the Infinite, which has taken the form of the elephant-faced god. He is the goal of the yogis. They have shaken off every attachment, their pure hearts have brought forth the nectar of peace, and they live in caves and other places where meditation grows wide. He is awareness afloat on joy, rich with the sweet fragrance of the world that is his appearance.

The pupil's notes on verse 1. Dantavala means elephant, and one whose face is like an elephant's is Gajanana. We worship the Infinite, the highest Brahman, which has taken his form. The joy it floats in is the joy of Brahman, which means it is not different from full joy; so its nature is awareness and joy. The world, which is only its appearance, is pictured as waves of sweet fragrance. It is the goal of yogis who have shaken off attachment, whose pure hearts have found the nectar of peace, and who live in caves and other places made for meditation. Verse 2: Salutation to that lord of the ganas whom the knowing find in the syllable that follows Tara, Shri, Parashakti, Kama and Vasudha. A man in need, full of longing, calls him first vara and then varada, and asks: Master, bring all people under my sway. He is always worshipped with svaha and the other words of offering.

The pupil's notes on verse 2. The verse draws out the Mahaganapati mantra. Tara is Om, Shri is Lakshmi's seed syllable, Parashakti is Maya's, Kama is the seed of desire, and Vasudha is the earth's. After these five comes the syllable gam, and the verse bows to the lord of the ganas known through it. He is always worshipped with the powers Svaha, Svadha and the rest, which shows that the mantra ends in svaha. A man in distress and full of longing calls him first vara, then varada, and asks him to bring all people under his sway. The words adhi and sarvam are there for the metre; in the mantra itself the word is ganapataye, and sarvajanam is a single word. Master stands outside the mantra. Verse 3: In the ocean of sugarcane juice, whose tall waves touch the rows of clouds, lies an island made of jewels, rich with the scent of the forests of heavenly trees. There, at the foot of the wishing tree, on a seat of great gems, in the lotus of letters whose centre holds a triangle within a six-pointed star, I worship him.

The pupil's notes on verse 3. The ocean is of sugarcane juice, and the edges of its great waves embrace the rows of clouds. The island of jewels is land in the middle of that water, nourished by the scent of a forest of heavenly trees such as the parijata. At the foot of the wishing tree there is a seat of great gems. On it is the lotus of letters, well known in the tantras as the lotus of the alphabet, with a triangle and a six-pointed star at its centre. I worship Mahaganapati there. Verse 4: We call on Mahaganapati, lord of the universe, red as a ruby. His hands hold the discus, the trident, the sugarcane bow, the mace, a fine citron, his tusk, an ear of rice, a blue lily, the noose and a lotus. At the tip of his trunk a pot stands ready. His beloved, lotus in hand and bright with jewelled ornaments, holds him close.

The pupil's notes on verse 4. The discus and the mace are well known. Prasa is the trident, and rasala-karmuka is the bow of sugarcane. Bijapura is the citron, dvija is his own tusk, and vrihyagra is an ear of rice. The blue lily, the noose and the lotus are well known. So he holds ten weapons in his hands. At the tip of his trunk is a golden pot full of gems. His beloved, a lotus in her hand, embraces him with her right hand. He is red as a ruby, the lord of all, and we call on him. Verse 5: His two temples are red with sindura and wet with the fragrant flow of the elephant's season, where bees gather and hang in rows. Under that guise he wears two ruby-red inscriptions, lovely with letters that set out the good of the three worlds. May that god, lord of the ganas, always spread good fortune.

The pupil's notes on verse 5. Dana-water is the fluid that flows from an elephant's temples in its season. Bees spread out and hang on his temples, which are red with sindura. Under that guise he wears two ruby-red inscriptions, lovely with letters that set out the welfare of the three worlds. May the god, lord of the ganas, always spread good fortune. The picture is of a wooden board smeared with wet clay, where red powder is sprinkled and letters are drawn. In the same way his temples are wet with that fluid and red with sindura, and the bees are the letters. Verse 6: May the gleam of Heramba's tusk come to rest in my mind. It is like the crests of the waves of the milk ocean, tossed as Mount Mandara whirled. It takes all the pride out of the beauty of waving fly-whisks. It is a shower of camphor and sandal paste over the women who are the directions, and it spreads freely until it coats the sky.

The pupil's notes on verse 6. May the rays of Heramba's tusk rest in the mind. They are like the crests of the waves of the milk ocean, which rose and fell with the whirling of Mandara. They take away all the pride of beauty from fly-whisks waving together. The directions pictured as women is a figure of speech, and ghanasara means camphor. The rays fill the sky as they spread without hindrance, which shows how many they are. Verse 7: Long may the glow of Heramba's body triumph, scattered through with the rays of his tusk. It is lovely as heaps of shining rubies set in a net of pearls, and like broad coral touched by clusters of conch shells. It is a companion to the evening glow drifting slowly on a flood of moonlight.

The pupil's notes on verse 7. The glow is lovely as clusters of shining rubies mixed with a mass of pearls, and like wide coral joined with heaps of conch shells. The evening glow drifts slowly on the waves of a flood of moonlight, and the glow of his body is its friend, since the two look alike. Filled with the rays of his tusk, the glow of Heramba's body triumphs for ever. Verse 8: Victory to the god who leads the ganas. From the golden pot at the tip of his trunk, tipped over, pours a stream of every kind of gem, and with it he honours his devotees by the millions. His ears swing in play to drive away the bees drawn greedily to the scent of his temples.

The pupil's notes on verse 8. From the golden pot held at the tip of his trunk pour heaps of pearls, rubies and other gems, spilling over the rim because there are so many. With them he makes countless worshippers rich. Amoda means both scent and delight, and protsarana means driving off: his ears swing in play to drive the bees away. The god, lord of the ganas, triumphs. Verse 9: I bow to Heramba. In front of him, under a bilva tree, stands Vishnu, the foe of Madhu, carrying the conch and the discus, together with Shri, who holds two lotuses. On his right, under a banyan tree, is Shambhu with the mountain's daughter, who holds the noose and the goad. Shambhu carries the axe and the trident, and he is auspicious.

The pupil's notes on verse 9. Shandilya here is the bilva tree. Under it, in front of Mahaganapati, stands Vishnu, bearing his well-known conch and discus, with Shri, who holds lotuses. On his right, under a banyan tree, is Shambhu, holding the axe and the trident, with Parvati, who holds the noose and the goad. Verse 10: Behind the god, under a pipal tree, is Kama, lord of Rati, with Rati, who holds blue lilies. He carries the sugarcane bow and the five arrows of flowers. On his left, under a priyangu tree, is the Lord in his form as the Boar, holding the discus and the mace. With him is the goddess Earth, whose hands hold a parrot and an ear of rice.

The pupil's notes on verse 10. Behind the god, under a pipal tree, is Kama, lord of Rati, carrying the sugarcane bow and five flower arrows, with Rati, who holds blue lilies. On his left, under a priyangu tree, is the well-known Lord as the Boar, with Earth, who holds a parrot in one hand and an ear of rice in the other. I bow to that Heramba: these words join this verse to the one before. Verse 11: In the six corners of the six-pointed star are six elephant-faced gods. Each holds the noose, the goad and the signs of safety and boon, each is with his beloved, and all glow like great heaps of rubies. Amoda is in front, with Pramoda and Sumukha on either side of him. Durmukha is behind, and at his sides are the two named Vighna and Vighnakarta.

The pupil's notes on verse 11. Six elephant-faced gods are to be pictured in the six corners of the six-cornered seat. They hold the noose, the goad and the signs of safety and boon, they are with their wives, and their light is like a great heap of rubies. If the text reads prithumahah, with a visarga, it is a separate word meaning whose light is great; maha, light, is also found as a word ending in a. Their names are these. Amoda is at the front corner. Taking the front as east, Pramoda is at the south-east and Sumukha at the north-east. Durmukha is at the west corner. Vighna stands on one side of Durmukha, at the south-west, and Vighnakarta on the other, at the north-west. Verse 12: The beloved wives of Amoda and the other lords of the ganas stay there always, their eyes slow with the joy of their husbands' embrace. They are Siddhi, then Samriddhi, Kanti, the one the ritual books call Madanavati, another named Madadrava, and the last, Dravini. All of them are worshipped.

The pupil's notes on verse 12. These goddesses know the joy of their husbands' embrace, and so their eyes are slow with love. They are the wives of the six gods named in the verse before, Amoda and the rest, and they are to be pictured standing near them. Their names are Siddhi, Samriddhi, Kanti, Madanavati, Madadrava and Dravini. Verse 13: On either side shine the two treasures, Shankha and Padma, white and red, raining wealth, embraced by Vasudha and Vasumati. Next come the limbs of the mantra, with the Mothers all around. Indra and the other guardians of the directions sit on the lotus petals. Beyond them are their weapons, the thunderbolt and the rest, blazing like the fire at the end of time.

The pupil's notes on verse 13. Shankha and Padma, the two treasures, white and red, are embraced by Vasudha and Vasumati, and they shine on the two sides of the six-pointed star, raining wealth. They are to be meditated on. After the treasures, one meditates on the six limbs of the mantra, the heart and the rest, and around them the eight Mothers, Brahmi and the others. On the eight-petalled lotus beyond the star are Indra and the other guardians of the directions. Close by, outside them, are their weapons, the thunderbolt and the rest, blazing like the fire at the end of time. Verse 14: So salutation to Shri Vakratunda, whose body is made of the truths of Vishnu, Shiva and the others. With the sound hum he scattered every army of the demons, and his light blazes. His waves of awareness, all joy, have broken up every wave of change. Salutation to that highest one, whose lovely light spreads everywhere.

The pupil's notes on verse 14. The two verses beginning I bow to Heramba explain the words the truths of Vishnu, Shiva and the others: his body takes those forms, and the others are Kama and the Boar. With the mere sound hum he drove off every army of the demons, and his light blazes. His waves of unsurpassed joy have driven away all the waves of change. These waves are the six changes: being born, existing, growing, changing, declining and perishing. Some say they are the stirrings of the six senses in those who seek him. Others take them as the afflictions, ignorance and the rest, taught in the Yoga Sutras. Salutation to that highest one, beyond the world, whose lovely light spreads everywhere. Verse 15: Gods, demons and men crowd round, each eager to serve him first, and the tips of their countless crowns flash with rows of gems as bright as the sun. The glow of his toenails, lovely as the lamp waved in worship, shines all the brighter in that light. Wise ones, may the elephant-faced one grant me good that is lasting and lovely.

The pupil's notes on verse 15. Hevaka means a longing to serve: each one wants to be first, saying me first, me first. Gods, demons and men come in crowds with shining crowns, and on the countless crown-tips gather streams of light from rows of gems as bright as the sun. His toenails are friends to the lovely glow of the lamp waved in worship, and the well-known elephant-faced one shines with their light. Wise ones of clear sight, may he give me good that is lovely and lasting. Or clear of sight may describe me, the one who asks. If the text reads vimaladrisha, it means may he give good with a gentle glance. Verse 16: Whoever praises the great Ganesha again and again with this hymn, which carries the secret mantra's garland laid open and whose sense is very clear, has the three worlds at his command.

The pupil's notes on verse 16. Very clear in sense points to the quality of clarity in the hymn. Again and again is what the word pracurataram means. The rest is plain.