- athanow
- śrīgaṇapatigītāthe Shri Ganapati Gita
anvaya atha śrīgaṇapatigītā
chandas Prose, the title
gītā Gita — A song. This short Gita by Subrahmanya Yogi is a string of songs in changing metres, meant to be sung, as its closing verse says.
viprāḥ prāhurajaṃ gaṇarājaṃ yaḥ prācāmapi pūrvatamaḥ || 1 ||
- kvawhere
- prāsūtagave birth to
- kadāwhen
- tvāmyou
- gaurīGauri
- nano
- prāmāṇyamproof
- tavayour
- jananeof birth
- viprāḥthe brahmins
- prāhuḥcall
- ajamunborn
- gaṇarājamthe king of the ganas
- yaḥwho
- prācāmthan the ancients
- apieven
- pūrvatamaḥolder
anvaya gaurī tvām kva kadā prāsūta tava janane prāmāṇyam na viprāḥ gaṇarājam ajam prāhuḥ yaḥ prācām api pūrvatamaḥ
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
note The song opens by setting aside the birth story. What has no beginning cannot be born, so his birth from Gauri can only be his play.
īśatā tavānīśatā nṛṇāṃ keśaveritā sāśayoktibhiḥ || 2 ||
- nanot
- asiare
- gaṇapateO Ganapati
- śaṅkarātmajaḥShankara's son
- bhāsiyou seem
- tadvatto be so
- evaonly
- akhilātmakaḥthe self of everything
- īśatāthe lordship
- tavayours
- anīśatānot being lords
- nṛṇāmof people
- keśaveritāwas said by Keshava
- sāśayoktibhiḥin words with a deeper meaning
anvaya gaṇapate śaṅkarātmajaḥ na asi tadvat eva bhāsi akhilātmakaḥ [asi] tava īśatā nṛṇām anīśatā sāśayoktibhiḥ keśaveritā
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
keśava Keshava — Krishna. His teaching in the Bhagavad Gita, that the lord lives in all beings and people are not their own masters, is taken here to point to Ganapati.
bhajati haristvāṃ tadavanakṛtye yajati haro'pi virāmavidhau || 3 ||
- gajamukhaO elephant-faced one
- tāvakamantramahimnāby the power of your mantra
- sṛjaticreates
- jagatthe world
- vidhiḥBrahma
- anukalpamin every age
- bhajatiworships
- hariḥHari
- tvāmyou
- tadavanakṛtyeto protect it
- yajatiworships
- haraḥHara
- apitoo
- virāmavidhauwhen it is time to end it
anvaya gajamukha tāvakamantramahimnā vidhiḥ anukalpam jagat sṛjati hariḥ tadavanakṛtye tvām bhajati haraḥ api virāmavidhau [tvām] yajati
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
note Making, keeping and ending the world each begin with worship of Ganapati, even for the three great gods.
nikhilajagajjīvakajīvanadaḥ sa khalu yataḥ parjanyātmā || 4 ||
- sukhayatimakes happy
- śatamakhamukhasuranikarānIndra and all the hosts of gods
- akhilakratuvighnaghnaḥwho kills the obstacles to every sacrifice
- ayamhe
- nikhilajagajjīvakajīvanadaḥwho gives life to everything that lives in the world
- saḥhe
- khaluindeed
- yataḥfor
- parjanyātmāis the rain cloud itself
anvaya akhilakratuvighnaghnaḥ ayam śatamakhamukhasuranikarān sukhayati saḥ khalu nikhilajagajjīvakajīvanadaḥ yataḥ parjanyātmā
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
jīvana life — Jivana means both life and water. The rain that gives water gives life, and the verse means both.
śatamakha Indra — Lord of a hundred sacrifices, a name of Indra, king of the gods.
pāraṃ yātyeva kṛterārādāpnoti sukham || 5 ||
- prārambheat the start
- kāryāṇāmof his work
- herambamon Heramba
- yaḥwhoever
- dhyāyetmeditates
- pāramthe end
- yātireaches
- evasurely
- kṛteḥof what he sets out to do
- ārātsoon
- āpnotifinds
- sukhamhappiness
anvaya yaḥ kāryāṇām prārambhe herambam dhyāyet [saḥ] kṛteḥ pāram yāti eva ārāt sukham āpnoti
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
ghore saṃsārāraṇye vāsaḥ kailāse vāstu || 6 ||
- gaurīsūnoḥof Gauri's son
- pādāmbhojein the lotus feet
- līnālost
- cetovṛttiḥthe workings of the mind
- memy
- ghorein the fearful
- saṃsārāraṇyeforest of worldly life
- vāsaḥlet me live
- kailāseon Kailasa
- vāor
- astulet it be
anvaya me cetovṛttiḥ gaurīsūnoḥ pādāmbhoje līnā [astu] vāsaḥ ghore saṃsārāraṇye kailāse vā astu
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
vahasi manasi yadi śamayasi duritam || 7 ||
- guhagurupadayugamthe two feet of Guha's elder brother
- aniśamalways
- abhayadamwhich give safety
- vahasiyou keep
- manasiin your mind
- yadiif
- śamayasiyou will put to rest
- duritamyour wrongs
anvaya yadi abhayadam guhagurupadayugam aniśam manasi vahasi duritam śamayasi
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
note A tiny verse made only of short syllables, the quickest song in the set.
naya mama cetastava caraṇaṃ niyamaya dharme'ntaḥ karaṇam || 8 ||
- jayavictory
- jayavictory
- śaṅkaravarasūnoO noble son of Shankara
- bhayaharaO you who take away the fear
- bhajatāmof those who worship you
- gaṇarājaO king of the ganas
- nayalead
- mamamy
- cetaḥmind
- tavayour
- caraṇamto feet
- niyamayahold steady
- dharmein dharma
- antaḥkaraṇammy heart
anvaya śaṅkaravarasūno bhajatām bhayahara gaṇarāja jaya jaya mama cetaḥ tava caraṇam naya antaḥkaraṇam dharme niyamaya
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
kalaya vṛttimamṛta dātṛkarivarānane |
tulaya khedamodayugalamidamaśāśvataṃ
vilaya bhayamalaṅghyameva janmani smṛtam || 9 ||
- calasido you wander
- cittaO mind
- kimwhy
- nuthen
- viṣamaviṣayakānanein the rough forest of the things of the senses
- kalayaset
- vṛttimyourself
- amṛtadātṛkarivarānaneon the elephant-faced one, who gives the nectar that ends death
- tulayaweigh
- khedamodayugalamthe pair, pain and pleasure
- idamthis
- aśāśvatamdoes not last
- vilayalet go of
- bhayamthe fear
- alaṅghyamthat cannot be escaped
- evasurely
- janmaniwith birth
- smṛtamsaid to come
anvaya citta viṣamaviṣayakānane kim nu calasi amṛtadātṛkarivarānane vṛttim kalaya idam khedamodayugalam aśāśvatam tulaya janmani alaṅghyam eva smṛtam bhayam vilaya
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
note The singer turns from Ganapati to his own mind and talks to it like a restless friend.
yāminīpatimaulaye yamihṛdayaviracitakelaye |
mūṣakādhipagāmine mukhyātmano'ntaryāmine
maṅgalaṃ vighnadviṣe mattebhavaktrajyotiṣe || 10 ||
- somaśekharasūnaveto the son of moon-crested Shiva
- sindūrasodarabhānavewhose glow is as red as sindura
- yāminīpatimaulayewho wears the moon on his head
- yamihṛdayaviracitakelayewho plays in the hearts of the self-controlled
- mūṣakādhipagāminewho rides the king of mice
- mukhyātmanaḥof the self, first of all
- antaryāminethe inner ruler
- maṅgalamblessings
- vighnadviṣeto the enemy of obstacles
- mattebhavaktrajyotiṣethe light with the face of an elephant in its prime
anvaya somaśekharasūnave sindūrasodarabhānave yāminīpatimaulaye yamihṛdayaviracitakelaye mūṣakādhipagāmine mukhyātmanaḥ antaryāmine mattebhavaktrajyotiṣe vighnadviṣe maṅgalam
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
-rmāmavatu gaṇeśajyotiḥ |
hastacatuṣṭayadhṛta varadābhaya pustakabījāpūraṃ
dhṛta pustakabījāpūram || 11 ||
- avadhīritadāḍimasumasaubhagamwhose beauty puts the pomegranate flower to shame
- avatumay protect
- gaṇeśajyotiḥthe light of Ganesha
- māmme
- avatumay protect
- gaṇeśajyotiḥthe light of Ganesha
- hastacatuṣṭayadhṛtavaradābhayapustakabījāpūramshowing boon and safety in four hands, and holding a book and a citron
- dhṛtapustakabījāpūramholding a book and a citron
anvaya avadhīritadāḍimasumasaubhagam hastacatuṣṭayadhṛtavaradābhayapustakabījāpūram dhṛtapustakabījāpūram gaṇeśajyotiḥ [mām] avatu gaṇeśajyotiḥ mām avatu
chandas Moric: a song with a refrain
note Each half ends by singing its last words again, the way a devotional song is sung in a group.
bhaja śrīgajarājāsyamudāram |
phaṇiparikṛta kaṭivalayābharaṇaṃ kṛṇu re janahṛdikāraṇaṃ
tava kṛṇu re janahṛdikāraṇam || 12 ||
- rajatācalavaprakrīḍotsukagajarājāsyamthe elephant-faced one who loves to play on the slopes of the silver mountain
- udāramnoble
- bhajaworship
- śrīgajarājāsyamthe blessed elephant-faced one
- udāramnoble
- phaṇiparikṛtakaṭivalayābharaṇamwho wears a snake for the belt round his waist
- kṛṇuset
- refriend
- janahṛdikāraṇamin your heart as the cause of all
- tavayour
- kṛṇuset
- refriend
- janahṛdikāraṇamin the heart as the cause of all
anvaya rajatācalavaprakrīḍotsukagajarājāsyam udāram bhaja śrīgajarājāsyam udāram [bhaja] re phaṇiparikṛtakaṭivalayābharaṇam janahṛdikāraṇam kṛṇu re tava janahṛdikāraṇam kṛṇu
chandas Moric: a song with a refrain
rajatācala the silver mountain — Kailasa, Shiva's mountain, white as silver.
kṛṇu set — An old Vedic word for make or do, rare in later Sanskrit, used here for its sound.
- phalaśrutiḥthe account of what it gives
anvaya phalaśrutiḥ
chandas Prose, a heading
sa prayāti pavitritāṅgo vipragaṅgādyadhikatām || 13 ||
- yaḥwhoever
- prageearly in the morning
- gajarājamthe king of elephants
- anudinamevery
- aprameyambeyond all measure
- anusmaretremembers
- saḥhe
- prayātibecomes
- pavitritāṅgaḥmade pure in body
- vipragaṅgādyadhikatāmpurer than brahmins, the Ganga and every other holy thing
anvaya yaḥ anudinam prage aprameyam gajarājam anusmaret saḥ pavitritāṅgaḥ vipragaṅgādyadhikatām prayāti
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
gaṇapatigītā gānasamucitā samyakpaṭhatāṃ siddhāntaḥ || 14 ||
- subrahmaṇyamanīṣiviracitāmade by the wise Subrahmanya
- tuindeed
- abrahmaṇyamall that goes against the sacred
- apākurutedrives away
- gaṇapatigītāthis Ganapati Gita
- gānasamucitāfit to be sung
- samyakwell
- paṭhatāmfor those who read it
- siddhāntaḥthat is settled
anvaya subrahmaṇyamanīṣiviracitā gānasamucitā gaṇapatigītā tu samyak paṭhatām abrahmaṇyam apākurute siddhāntaḥ
chandas Moric: a sung metre counted in beats
note A pun closes the song: Subrahmanya's Gita drives out abrahmanya, whatever goes against the sacred.
- itihere
- śrīsubrahmaṇyayogiviracitawritten by Shri Subrahmanya Yogi
- śrīgaṇapatigītāthe Shri Ganapati Gita
- sampūrṇamends
anvaya iti śrīsubrahmaṇyayogiviracita śrīgaṇapatigītā sampūrṇam
chandas Prose, the colophon