lambodaraṃ viśālākṣaṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 1||
- ekadantamwho has one tusk
- mahākāyamwith a huge body
- taptakāñcanasannibhamwho glows like molten gold
- lambodaramwhose belly is full
- viśālākṣamwhose eyes are wide
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham ekadantam mahākāyam taptakāñcanasannibham lambodaram viśālākṣam gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
gaṇanāyaka the leader of the ganas — The ganas are Shiva's host of attendants. Every verse of this hymn ends on the same line, I bow to the leader of the ganas.
ekadanta who has one tusk — One tusk is broken. The best-known story says he broke it off to write the Mahabharata as Vyasa spoke it.
bālendusukalāmauliṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 2||
- mauñjīkṛṣṇājinadharamwho wears the belt of munja grass and the black antelope skin
- nāgayajñopavītinamwhose sacred thread is a snake
- bālendusukalāmaulimon whose head is the thin crescent of the young moon
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham mauñjīkṛṣṇājinadharam nāgayajñopavītinam bālendusukalāmaulim gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
mauñjī, kṛṣṇājina the belt of munja grass and the black antelope skin — The dress of a boy who has just received the sacred thread and begun his Vedic study. The verse pictures Ganapati as that young student.
bhaktipriyaṃ madonmattaṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 3||
- ambikāhṛdayānandamthe joy of Ambika's heart
- mātṛbhiḥby the Mothers
- pariveṣṭitamsurrounded
- bhaktipriyamwho loves devotion
- madonmattamheady with the strength of a great elephant
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham ambikāhṛdayānandam mātṛbhiḥ pariveṣṭitam bhaktipriyam madonmattam gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
mātṛ the Mothers — The seven or eight mother goddesses. In temple carvings Ganapati often stands at the head of their row.
madonmatta heady with the strength of a great elephant — Mada is the season when a bull elephant is at the height of its strength and cannot be held back. It also means elation.
citrarūpadharaṃ devaṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 4||
- citraratnavicitrāṅgamwhose body is bright with jewels of many colours
- citramālāvibhūṣitamdecked with bright garlands
- citrarūpadharamwho takes many wonderful forms
- devamthe god
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham citraratnavicitrāṅgam citramālāvibhūṣitam citrarūpadharam devam gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
note The verse turns on the word chitra four times: bright, many-coloured, varied and wonderful.
pāśāṅkuśadharaṃ devaṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 5||
- gajavaktramwho has an elephant's face
- suraśreṣṭhamthe best of the gods
- karṇacāmarabhūṣitamwhose ears are fine as fly-whisks
- pāśāṅkuśadharamwho holds the noose and the goad
- devamthe god
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham gajavaktram suraśreṣṭham karṇacāmarabhūṣitam pāśāṅkuśadharam devam gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
cāmara fly-whisk — The yak-tail whisk waved over a king or a god. His big ears fan him the same way.
pāśa, aṅkuśa the noose and the goad — With the noose he draws his devotee close, and with the goad he steers the mind away from harm.
yoddhukāmaṃ mahāvīryaṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 6||
- mūṣakottamamthe finest of mice
- āruhyariding
- devāsuramahāhaveinto the great war of the gods and the demons
- yoddhukāmameager for battle
- mahāvīryamgreat in valour
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham devāsuramahāhave mūṣakottamam āruhya yoddhukāmam mahāvīryam gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
stūyamānaṃ mahābāhuṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 7||
- yakṣakinnaragandharvayakshas, kinnaras, gandharvas
- siddhavidyādharaiḥsiddhas and vidyadharas
- sadāall the time
- stūyamānampraised by
- mahābāhumthe mighty-armed
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham yakṣakinnaragandharva siddhavidyādharaiḥ sadā stūyamānam mahābāhum gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
yakṣa, kinnara, gandharva, siddha, vidyādhara the heavenly beings — The half-divine peoples of the sky: guardians of treasure, singers and musicians, perfected sages, and masters of magic lore.
note The first line is one long compound naming all five. The stray kṣ after gandharva is a printing slip.
sarvasiddhipradātāraṃ vande'haṃ gaṇanāyakam || 8||
- sarvavighnaharamwho takes away every obstacle
- devamthe god
- sarvavighnavivarjitamwhom no obstacle can touch
- sarvasiddhipradātāramwho gives every kind of success
- vandebow to
- ahamI
- gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas
anvaya aham sarvavighnaharam sarvavighnavivarjitam sarvasiddhipradātāram devam gaṇanāyakam vande
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
vimuktassarvapāpebhyo rudralokaṃ sa gacchati || 9 ||
- gaṇāṣṭakameight verses on the lord of the ganas
- idamthese
- puṇyamholy
- bhaktitaḥwith devotion
- yaḥthe one who
- paṭhetreads
- naraḥman
- vimuktaḥset free
- sarvapāpebhyaḥfrom every sin
- rudralokamto the world of Rudra
- saḥhe
- gacchatigoes
anvaya yaḥ naraḥ idam puṇyam gaṇāṣṭakam bhaktitaḥ paṭhet saḥ sarvapāpebhyaḥ vimuktaḥ rudralokam gacchati
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
- itihere
- śrīgaṇanāyakāṣṭakamthe Shri Gananayaka Ashtakam
- sampūrṇamends
anvaya iti śrīgaṇanāyakāṣṭakam sampūrṇam
chandas Prose, the colophon