śrī gaṇapati mantrākṣarāvali stotram

• śrīgaṇapatimantrākṣarāvalistotramthe hymn of the garland of letters of Shri Ganapati's mantra

anvaya śrīgaṇapatimantrākṣarāvalistotram

chandas Prose, the title

mantrākṣarāvali garland of mantra letters — The hymn is strung on the twenty-eight syllables of the Mahaganapati mantra. From verse 4 to verse 31, each verse opens with the next syllable, in order.

• śrīdevīthe Goddess
• uvācasaid

anvaya śrīdevī uvāca

chandas Prose, the speaker's line

• vināwithout
• tapaḥpenance
• vināwithout
• dhyānammeditation
• vināwithout
• homamfire offerings
• vināwithout
• japamrepeating mantras
• anāyāsenaan easy
• vighneśaprīṇanamway to please the lord of obstacles
• vadatell
• meme
• prabhoO lord

anvaya prabho tapaḥ vinā dhyānam vinā homam vinā japam vinā anāyāsena vighneśaprīṇanam me vada

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

• maheśvaraḥMaheshvara
• uvācasaid

anvaya maheśvaraḥ uvāca

chandas Prose, the speaker's line

• mantrākṣarāvalistotramthe hymn of the garland of mantra letters
• mahāsaubhāgyavardhanamgreatly increases good fortune
• durlabhamhard to reach
• duṣṭamanasāmfor the wicked-minded
• sulabhameasy
• śuddhacetasāmfor the pure in heart

anvaya mantrākṣarāvalistotram mahāsaubhāgyavardhanam duṣṭamanasām durlabham śuddhacetasām sulabham

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

• mahāgaṇapatiprītipratipādakamwhich wins the love of Mahaganapati
• añjasāquickly
• kathayāmiI will tell it
• ghanaśroṇiO fair lady
• karṇābhyāmon your ears
• avataṃsayawear it like an ornament

anvaya añjasā mahāgaṇapatiprītipratipādakam kathayāmi ghanaśroṇi karṇābhyām avataṃsaya

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note Wear it on your ears: listen closely, and keep it.

• oṅkāravalayākāramround like the shape of Om
• acchakallolamālikamgarlanded with clear waves
• aikṣavamof sugarcane juice
• cetasāin my mind
• vandeI bow to
• sindhumthe ocean
• sandhukṣitasvanamits roar rising high

anvaya oṅkāravalayākāram acchakallolamālikam sandhukṣitasvanam aikṣavam sindhum cetasā vande

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for Om. From here the hymn builds Mahaganapati's world from the outside in: the ocean, the island, the garden, the pavilion, the throne and the god.

• śrīmantamglorious
• ikṣujaladheḥof the sugarcane ocean
• antaḥin the middle
• abhyuditamthat rises
• numaḥwe praise
• maṇidvīpamthe island of jewels
• mahākāramvast
• mahākalpamfull of great wishing trees
• mahodayamrich in every good

anvaya ikṣujaladheḥ antaḥ abhyuditam śrīmantam mahākāram mahākalpam mahodayam maṇidvīpam numaḥ

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for shrim.

• hrīpradenawhich puts to shame
• mahādhāmnāwhose great radiance
• dhāmnāmof all lights
• īśethe lord
• vibhārakethe sun
• kalpodyānasthitamin the garden of wishing trees
• vandeI bow to
• bhāsvantamthe shining
• maṇimaṇḍapamjewel pavilion

anvaya dhāmnām īśe vibhārake hrīpradena mahādhāmnā bhāsvantam kalpodyānasthitam maṇimaṇḍapam vande

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for hrim, heard in hrī, shame. vibhārake is most likely vibhākare, the sun.

• klībasyain one who has no desire
• apieven
• smaronmādakāriśṛṅgāraśāliniwhose loveliness would stir the madness of love
• tanmadhyein the middle of it
• gaṇanāthasyaof the lord of the ganas
• maṇisiṃhāsanamthe jewelled lion-throne
• bhajeI worship

anvaya klībasya api smaronmādakāriśṛṅgāraśālini tanmadhye gaṇanāthasya maṇisiṃhāsanam bhaje

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for klim, the seed syllable of desire, which is why it speaks of love.

• glaukalābhiḥthe digits of the moon
• ivaas
• acchābhiḥclear
• tīvrādinavaśaktibhiḥby the nine powers beginning with Tivra
• juṣṭamattended
• lipimayammade of letters
• padmamthe lotus
• dharmādyāśrayamwhich stands on dharma and the other supports
• āśrayeI take refuge in

anvaya glaukalābhiḥ iva acchābhiḥ tīvrādinavaśaktibhiḥ juṣṭam dharmādyāśrayam lipimayam padmam āśraye

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

tīvrādi navaśakti the nine powers beginning with Tivra — Tivra, Jvalini, Nanda and the others: nine goddesses who sit on the lotus seat in Ganapati's worship.

dharmādi dharma and the other supports — The seat of worship is pictured on four legs: dharma, knowledge, detachment and mastery.

note The verse for glaum. Glau is also a word for the moon, hence the moon's digits.

• gambhīramdeep
• ivaas
• tatrathere
• abdhimthe ocean
• vasantamwho lives
• tryaśramaṇḍalein the triangle
• utsaṅgagatalakṣmīkamwith Lakshmi on his lap
• udyattigmāṃśupāṭalamrosy as the rising sun

anvaya tatra tryaśramaṇḍale vasantam abdhim iva gambhīram utsaṅgagatalakṣmīkam udyattigmāṃśupāṭalam [paśyāmi]

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for gam. Verses 9 to 12 are one sentence, which ends with I see the leader of the ganas.

• gadekṣukārmukarujācakrāmbujaguṇotpalaiḥmace, sugarcane bow, trident, discus, lotus, noose and blue lily
• vrīhyagranijadantāgrakalaśīmātuluṅgakaiḥear of rice, tip of his own tusk, pot and citron

anvaya gadekṣukārmukarujācakrāmbujaguṇotpalaiḥ vrīhyagranijadantāgrakalaśīmātuluṅgakaiḥ

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ga, in gadā, the mace. rujā, the breaker, stands where other lists of these weapons have the trident.

• ṇaṣaṣṭhavarṇavācyasyanamed by a riddle of letters reckoned from na
• dāridryasyapoverty
• vibhañjakaiḥwhich break
• etaiḥwith these
• ekādaśakarānhis eleven hands
• alaṅkurvāṇamadorning
• unmadamheady with delight

anvaya ṇaṣaṣṭhavarṇavācyasya dāridryasya vibhañjakaiḥ etaiḥ ekādaśakarān alaṅkurvāṇam unmadam

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for na. No Sanskrit word begins with na, so the poet opens with a riddle about letters. The eleven hands are ten arms and the trunk, which holds the pot.

• parānandamayammade of the highest joy
• bhaktapratyūhavyūhanāśanamwho destroys the massed obstacles of his devotees
• paramārthaprabodhābdhiman ocean of awakening to the highest truth
• paśyāmiI see
• gaṇanāyakamthe leader of the ganas

anvaya parānandamayam bhaktapratyūhavyūhanāśanam paramārthaprabodhābdhim gaṇanāyakam paśyāmi

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for pa.

• tatpuraḥin front of him
• prasphuradbilvamūlapīṭhasamāśrayauseated at the foot of a gleaming bilva tree
• ramārameśauRama and her lord
• vimṛśāmiI hold in mind
• aśeṣaśubhadāyakauwho give every blessing

anvaya tatpuraḥ prasphuradbilvamūlapīṭhasamāśrayau aśeṣaśubhadāyakau ramārameśau vimṛśāmi

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ta. Rama is Lakshmi, and her lord is Vishnu.

• yenawho
• dakṣiṇabhāgasthanyagrodhatalamthe foot of the banyan tree on the right
• āśritamhas taken his place at
• sākalpamadorned
• sāyudhamarmed
• vandeI bow to
• tamthat
• sāmbamwith Amba
• parameśvaramsupreme lord

anvaya yena dakṣiṇabhāgasthanyagrodhatalam āśritam tam sākalpam sāyudham sāmbam parameśvaram vande

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ye. The supreme lord with Amba is Shiva with Parvati.

• varasambhogaruciraulovely in their union
• paścimebehind
• pippalāśrayauunder a pipal tree
• ramaṇīyataraumore beautiful than words can say
• vandeI bow to
• ratipuṣpaśilīmukhauRati and the god of the flower arrows

anvaya paścime pippalāśrayau varasambhogarucirau ramaṇīyatarau ratipuṣpaśilīmukhau vande

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for va. The god of the flower arrows is Kama.

• ramamāṇaudelighting in each other
• gaṇeśānottaradikphalinītalenorth of Ganesha, under a phalini tree
• bhūbhūdharauEarth and the one who bears the earth
• udārābhaubright and noble
• bhajeI worship
• bhuvanapālakauprotectors of the worlds

anvaya gaṇeśānottaradikphalinītale ramamāṇau udārābhau bhuvanapālakau bhūbhūdharau bhaje

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ra. The one who bears the earth is Vishnu as the Boar, and phalini is the priyangu tree.

• valamānavapurjyotiḥwhose bodies shine with a spreading light
• kaḍāritakakuptaṭīḥturning the edges of the sky tawny
• hṛdayādyaṅgaṣaḍdevīḥthe six goddesses of the limbs, the heart and the rest
• aṅgarakṣākṛteto guard my body
• bhajeI worship

anvaya aṅgarakṣākṛte valamānavapurjyotiḥ kaḍāritakakuptaṭīḥ hṛdayādyaṅgaṣaḍdevīḥ bhaje

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for va.

• radakāṇḍarucijyotsnākāśagaṇḍasravanmadamwhose temples, bright in the moonlight of his tusk, flow with mada
• ṛddhyāśleṣakṛtāmodamwho delights in Riddhi's embrace
• āmodamAmoda
• devamthe god
• āśrayeI take refuge in

anvaya radakāṇḍarucijyotsnākāśagaṇḍasravanmadam ṛddhyāśleṣakṛtāmodam āmodam devam āśraye

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ra. Amoda and the five gods after him each come with a consort; Amoda and amoda, delight, make a play of sound.

• dalatkapolavigalanmadadhārāvalāhakama rain cloud pouring streams of mada from his bursting temples
• samṛddhitaṭidāśliṣṭamembraced by Samriddhi as by lightning
• pramodamPramoda
• hṛdiin my heart
• bhāvayeI meditate on

anvaya dalatkapolavigalanmadadhārāvalāhakam samṛddhitaṭidāśliṣṭam pramodam hṛdi bhāvaye

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for da.

• sakāntimradiant
• kāntilatikāparirabdhatanumwhose body Kanti embraces like a creeper
• bhajeI worship
• bhujaprakāṇḍasacchāyamwhose strong arms give good shade like branches
• sumukhamSumukha
• kalpapādapama wishing tree

anvaya sakāntim kāntilatikāparirabdhatanum bhujaprakāṇḍasacchāyam kalpapādapam sumukham bhaje

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for sa.

• vandeI bow to
• tundilamgreat of belly
• indhānamshining
• candrakandalaśītalamcool as a shoot of moonlight
• durmukhamDurmukha
• madanāvatyāfor whom Madanavati
• nirmitāliṅganāmṛtammakes the nectar of her embrace

anvaya madanāvatyā nirmitāliṅganāmṛtam tundilam indhānam candrakandalaśītalam durmukham vande

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for rva, the end of sarva.

• jambhavairikṛtābhyarcyauwhom Indra, the enemy of Jambha, worships
• jagadabhyudayapradauwho bring the world its welfare
• ahamI
• madadravāvighnauMadadrava and Vighna
• hatayeto destroy
• tuindeed
• enasāmmy sins
• śrayetake refuge in

anvaya aham enasām tu hataye jambhavairikṛtābhyarcyau jagadabhyudayapradau madadravāvighnau śraye

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ja.

• navaśṛṅgāraruciraulovely in fresh beauty
• namatsarvasurāsurauto whom all the gods and demons bow
• drāviṇīvighnakartārauDravini and Vighnakarta
• drāvayetāmmay drive away
• daridratāmpoverty

anvaya navaśṛṅgārarucirau namatsarvasurāsurau drāviṇīvighnakartārau daridratām drāvayetām

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for nam. Dravini and dravayetam, may they drive away, make a play of sound.

• meduramthick
• mauktikāsāramshowers of pearls
• varṣantauwho rain
• bhaktiśālināmon those who have devotion
• vasudhārāśaṅkhanidhīVasudhara and the treasure Shankha
• vākpuṣpāñjalibhiḥwith handfuls of flowers made of words
• stumaḥwe praise

anvaya bhaktiśālinām meduram mauktikāsāram varṣantau vasudhārāśaṅkhanidhī vākpuṣpāñjalibhiḥ stumaḥ

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for me.

• varṣantauwho rain down
• ratnavarṣeṇaa rain of gems
• valadbālātapatviṣauglowing like the early morning sun
• varadauwho give boons
• namatāmto those who bow
• vandeI bow to
• vasudhāpadmaśevadhīVasudha and the treasure Padma

anvaya ratnavarṣeṇa varṣantau valadbālātapatviṣau namatām varadau vasudhāpadmaśevadhī vande

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for va.

• śamitādhimahāvyādhīḥwho have ended pain and great sickness
• sāndrānandakarambitāḥfilled with deep joy
• brāhmyādīḥBrahmi and the other
• kalayeI hold in mind
• śaktīḥgoddesses
• śaktīnāmmy powers
• abhivṛddhayeto increase

anvaya śaktīnām abhivṛddhaye śamitādhimahāvyādhīḥ sāndrānandakarambitāḥ brāhmyādīḥ śaktīḥ kalaye

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for sha. Brahmi and the others are the Mothers, the powers of the gods.

• māmme
• avantumay protect
• mahendrādyāḥMahendra and the other
• dikpālāḥguardians of the directions
• darpaśālinaḥproud
• saṃnatāḥbowing low
• śrīgaṇādhīśamto Shri Ganadhisha
• savāhāyudhaśaktayaḥwith their mounts, weapons and powers

anvaya śrīgaṇādhīśam saṃnatāḥ savāhāyudhaśaktayaḥ darpaśālinaḥ mahendrādyāḥ dikpālāḥ mām avantu

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ma.

• navīnapallavacchāyādāyādavapurujjvalamwhose bright body shares the colour of fresh young leaves
• medasvithick
• madaniṣyandasrotasvirunning with streams of mada
• kaṭakoṭaramwhose temples

anvaya navīnapallavacchāyādāyādavapurujjvalam medasvi madaniṣyandasrotasvi kaṭakoṭaram [devam āśraye]

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for na. Verses 28 to 31 are one sentence, which ends with I take refuge in the god.

• yajamānatanumwhose body is the one who offers the sacrifice
• yāgarūpiṇamwhose form is the sacrifice
• yajñapūruṣamthe person of the sacrifice
• yamamself-control itself
• yamavatāmby the self-controlled
• arcyamworshipped
• yatnabhājāmfor those who make the effort
• adurlabhameasy to reach

anvaya yajamānatanum yāgarūpiṇam yajñapūruṣam yamam yamavatām arcyam yatnabhājām adurlabham

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ya, and almost every word in it begins with ya.

• svārasyaparamānandasvarūpamwhose nature is the highest joy, sweet in itself
• svayamof himself
• udgatamwho rose
• svayamby himself
• vedyamknown
• svayamby himself
• śaktampowerful
• svayamby himself
• kṛtyatrayākaramwho does the three works of making, keeping and ending

anvaya svārasyaparamānandasvarūpam svayam udgatam svayam vedyam svayam śaktam svayam kṛtyatrayākaram

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for sva.

• hārakeyūramukuṭakanakāṅgadakuṇḍalaiḥwith necklaces, armlets, a crown, golden bracelets and earrings
• alaṅkṛtamadorned
• caand
• vighnānāmof obstacles
• hartāramthe remover
• devamthat god
• āśrayeI take refuge in

anvaya hārakeyūramukuṭakanakāṅgadakuṇḍalaiḥ alaṅkṛtam ca vighnānām hartāram devam āśraye

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note The verse for ha, the last syllable of the mantra.

• phalaśrutiḥthe account of what it gives

anvaya phalaśrutiḥ

chandas Prose, a heading

• mantrākṣarāvalistotramthe hymn of the garland of mantra letters
• kathitamhave told
• tavayou
• sundariO lovely one
• samastameverything
• īpsitamyou wish for
• tenathrough it
• sampādayabring about
• śiveO auspicious lady
• śivamall that is good

anvaya sundari mantrākṣarāvalistotram tava kathitam śive tena śivam samastam īpsitam sampādaya

chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas

note Shive, auspicious lady, is a name of Parvati, and the verse ends by playing it against shivam, the good.