- śrīgaṇeśāvatārastotramthe Shri Ganesha Avatara Stotra
anvaya śrīgaṇeśāvatārastotram
chandas Prose, the title
avatāra a coming down — Avatara is a descent. In the Mudgala Purana Ganesha has eight, and each one puts down a particular fault.
note The eight descents and the eight faults they put down are the frame of the whole Mudgala Purana. This hymn is the short list of them.
- aṅgirāḥAngiras
- uvācasaid
anvaya aṅgirāḥ uvāca
chandas Prose, a speaker's line
na śakyate kathāṃ vaktuṃ mayā varṣaśatairapi || 1 ||
- anantāḥwithout number
- avatārāḥthe comings down
- caand
- gaṇeśasyaof Ganesha
- mahātmanaḥthe great one
- nanot
- śakyateis possible
- kathāmthe story
- vaktumto tell
- mayāby me
- varṣaśataiḥin a hundred years
- apieven
anvaya mahātmanaḥ gaṇeśasya avatārāḥ ca anantāḥ mayā varṣaśataiḥ api kathām vaktum na śakyate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
avatārāṃśca tasyāṣṭau vikhyātān brahmadhārakān || 2 ||
- saṅkṣepeṇashortly
- pravakṣyāmiI shall tell
- mukhyānāmamong the chief
- mukhyatāmthe chief place
- gatānwhich have taken
- avatārānthe descents
- caand
- tasyahis
- aṣṭaueight
- vikhyātānfamous
- brahmadhārakānwhich carry Brahman
anvaya mukhyānām mukhyatām gatān tasya aṣṭau vikhyātān brahmadhārakān avatārān ca saṅkṣepeṇa pravakṣyāmi
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
matsurāsurahantā sa siṃhavāhanagaḥ smṛtaḥ || 3 ||
- vakratuṇḍāvatāraḥthe Vakratunda descent
- caand
- dehināmfor those who wear bodies
- brahmadhārakaḥcarries Brahman
- matsarāsurahantāthe killer of the demon Matsara
- saḥhe
- siṃhavāhanagaḥriding a lion
- smṛtaḥis remembered
anvaya vakratuṇḍāvatāraḥ ca dehinām brahmadhārakaḥ saḥ matsarāsurahantā siṃhavāhanagaḥ smṛtaḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
matsara Matsara — Envy, the grudging of another's good. Each of the eight demons in this hymn is a fault of that kind, given a body and a name.
note matsurāsura is printed for matsarāsura.
madāsurasya hantā sa ākhuvāhanagaḥ smṛtaḥ || 4 ||
- ekadantāvatāraḥthe Ekadanta descent
- vaiindeed
- dehināmfor those who wear bodies
- brahmadhārakaḥcarries Brahman
- madāsurasyaof the demon Mada
- hantāthe killer
- saḥhe
- ākhuvāhanagaḥriding the mouse
- smṛtaḥis remembered
anvaya ekadantāvatāraḥ vai dehinām brahmadhārakaḥ saḥ madāsurasya hantā ākhuvāhanagaḥ smṛtaḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
mada Mada — The swagger of a man who has had a drink or a win. It is the same word used for the fluid that runs from a rutting elephant.
mohāsurasya śatrurvai ākhuvāhanagaḥ smṛtaḥ || 5 ||
- mahodaraḥMahodara
- itiso
- khyātaḥknown
- jñānabrahmaprakāśakaḥwho shows the Brahman that is knowledge
- mohāsurasyaof the demon Moha
- śatruḥthe enemy
- vaiindeed
- ākhuvāhanagaḥriding the mouse
- smṛtaḥis remembered
anvaya mahodaraḥ iti khyātaḥ jñānabrahmaprakāśakaḥ vai mohāsurasya śatruḥ ākhuvāhanagaḥ smṛtaḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
moha Moha — Being taken in: the state of a man who has mistaken one thing for another and acts on it.
lobhāsuraprahartā ca mūṣakagaḥ prakīrtitaḥ || 6 ||
- gajānanaḥGajanana
- saḥhe
- vijñeyaḥis to be known
- sāṅkhyebhyaḥto those who follow Samkhya
- siddhidāyakaḥthe giver of success
- lobhāsuraprahartāwho struck down the demon Lobha
- caand
- mūṣakagaḥriding the mouse
- prakīrtitaḥis spoken of
anvaya saḥ gajānanaḥ sāṅkhyebhyaḥ siddhidāyakaḥ vijñeyaḥ lobhāsuraprahartā ca mūṣakagaḥ prakīrtitaḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
lobha Lobha — Greed, the wanting that does not stop when enough has come.
ākhugaḥ śaktibrahmā san tasya dhāraka ucyate || 7 ||
- lambodarāvatāraḥthe Lambodara descent
- vaiindeed
- krodhāsuranibarhaṇaḥwho cuts down the demon Krodha
- ākhugaḥriding the mouse
- śaktibrahmāthe Brahman that is power
- sanbeing
- tasyaof it
- dhārakaḥthe holder
- ucyateis called
anvaya lambodarāvatāraḥ vai krodhāsuranibarhaṇaḥ ākhugaḥ śaktibrahmā san tasya dhārakaḥ ucyate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
krodha Krodha — Anger. The Lambodara section of the Mudgala Purana is where Krodhasura is beaten and then makes his own hymn.
mayūravāhanaścāyaṃ sauramātmadharaḥ smṛtaḥ || 8 ||
- vikaṭaḥVikata
- nāmaby name
- vikhyātaḥfamous
- kāmāsurapradāhakaḥwho burns up the demon Kama
- mayūravāhanaḥriding the peacock
- caand
- ayamthis one
- saurambelonging to the sun
- ātmadharaḥholding the self
- smṛtaḥis remembered
anvaya vikaṭaḥ nāma vikhyātaḥ kāmāsurapradāhakaḥ ca ayam mayūravāhanaḥ sauram ātmadharaḥ smṛtaḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
kāma Kama — Desire. Vikata is the only one of the eight who burns his demon rather than killing him, which is how Shiva dealt with Kama too.
mamāsuraprahantā sa viṣṇubrahmeti vācakaḥ || 9 ||
- vighnarājāvatāraḥthe Vighnaraja descent
- caand
- śeṣavāhanaḥriding Shesha
- ucyateis said to be
- mamāsuraprahantāwho struck down the demon Mama
- saḥhe
- viṣṇubrahmathe Brahman that is Vishnu
- itiso
- vācakaḥthe word for him
anvaya vighnarājāvatāraḥ ca śeṣavāhanaḥ ucyate saḥ mamāsuraprahantā viṣṇubrahma iti vācakaḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
mama Mama — The word means mine. The demon is the habit of calling things one's own, and he is the only one of the eight named by a bare pronoun.
ākhuvāhanatāṃ prāptaḥ śivātmakaḥ sa ucyate || 10 ||
- dhūmravarṇāvatāraḥthe Dhumravarna descent
- caand
- abhimānāsuranāśakaḥwho destroys the demon Abhimana
- ākhuvāhanatāmthe state of riding the mouse
- prāptaḥhaving taken
- śivātmakaḥwhose self is Shiva
- saḥhe
- ucyateis called
anvaya dhūmravarṇāvatāraḥ ca abhimānāsuranāśakaḥ ākhuvāhanatām prāptaḥ saḥ śivātmakaḥ ucyate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
abhimāna Abhimana — Thinking well of oneself, the last of the eight and the hardest to see in oneself.
eṣāṃ bhajanamātreṇa svasvabrahmapradhārakāḥ || 11 ||
- etethese
- aṣṭaueight
- teto you
- mayāby me
- proktāḥhave been told
- gaṇeśāṃśāḥportions of Ganesha
- vināyakāḥthe Vinayakas
- eṣāmof them
- bhajanamātreṇaby worship alone
- svasvabrahmapradhārakāḥeach coming to hold his own Brahman
anvaya ete aṣṭau gaṇeśāṃśāḥ vināyakāḥ mayā te proktāḥ eṣām bhajanamātreṇa svasvabrahmapradhārakāḥ
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
svānande yogibhirdṛṣṭo brahmaṇi nātra saṃśayaḥ || 12 ||
- svānandavāsakārīwho makes his home in Svananda
- saḥhe
- gaṇeśānaḥGaneshana
- prakathyateis called
- svānandein Svananda
- yogibhiḥby the yogis
- dṛṣṭaḥseen
- brahmaṇiin Brahman
- nano
- atrahere
- saṃśayaḥdoubt
anvaya svānandavāsakārī saḥ gaṇeśānaḥ prakathyate yogibhiḥ svānande brahmaṇi dṛṣṭaḥ atra saṃśayaḥ na
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
svānandabhajanenaiva līlāstatra bhavanti hi || 13 ||
- tasyahis
- avatārarūpāḥforms of descent
- caand
- aṣṭaueight
- vighnaharaṇāḥthe takers-away of obstacles
- smṛtāḥare remembered
- svānandabhajanenaby the worship of Svananda
- evaalone
- līlāḥthe plays
- tatrathere
- bhavanticome about
- hiindeed
anvaya tasya aṣṭau avatārarūpāḥ ca vighnaharaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ svānandabhajanena eva hi tatra līlāḥ bhavanti
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
samyoge maunabhāvaśca samādhiḥ prāpyate janaiḥ || 14 ||
- māyāmaya
- tatrathere
- svayamof itself
- līnādissolved
- bhaviṣyatiwill be
- suputrakamy good son
- samyogein that joining
- maunabhāvaḥsilence
- caand
- samādhiḥsamadhi
- prāpyateis reached
- janaiḥby men
anvaya suputraka tatra māyā svayam līnā bhaviṣyati samyoge maunabhāvaḥ ca janaiḥ samādhiḥ prāpyate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
māyābhedamayaṃ brahma nirvṛttiḥ prāpyate parā || 15 ||
- ayogewhere the joining is missing
- gaṇarājasyaof the king of the ganas
- bhajanein worship
- nanot
- evaat all
- siddhyaticomes off
- māyābhedamayammade of the divisions maya sets up
- brahmaBrahman
- nirvṛttiḥrest
- prāpyateis reached
- parāthe highest
anvaya gaṇarājasya ayoge bhajane na eva siddhyati māyābhedamayam brahma [atītya] parā nirvṛttiḥ prāpyate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
note The verse is compressed even for this text, and copies of it differ in the second half.
tatra śāntiḥ samākhyātā yogarūpā janaiḥ kṛtā || 16 ||
- yogātmakagaṇeśānaḥGaneshana whose self is yoga
- brahmaṇaspativācakaḥis what the word Brahmanaspati means
- tatrathere
- śāntiḥthe peace
- samākhyātāis spoken of
- yogarūpātaking the form of yoga
- janaiḥby men
- kṛtāmade
anvaya yogātmakagaṇeśānaḥ brahmaṇaspativācakaḥ tatra janaiḥ kṛtā yogarūpā śāntiḥ samākhyātā
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
śāntīnāṃ śāntirūpā sā yogaśāntiḥ prakīrtitā || 17 ||
- nānāśāntipramodaḥmany kinds of peace and gladness
- caand
- sthāne sthānein one place and another
- prakathyateis spoken of
- śāntīnāmof those peaces
- śāntirūpāthe peace itself
- sāthat
- yogaśāntiḥthe peace of yoga
- prakīrtitāis called
anvaya sthāne sthāne nānāśāntipramodaḥ ca prakathyate śāntīnām śāntirūpā sā yogaśāntiḥ prakīrtitā
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
na yogātparamaṃ brahma brahmabhūtena labhyate || 18 ||
- yogasyaof yoga
- yogatāthe yoga
- dṛṣṭāis seen
- sarvabrahmaeverything is Brahman
- suputrakamy good son
- nanot
- yogātthan yoga
- paramamhigher
- brahmaBrahman
- brahmabhūtenaby the one who has become Brahman
- labhyateis reached
anvaya suputraka yogasya yogatā dṛṣṭā sarvabrahma yogāt paramam na brahma brahmabhūtena labhyate
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
bhaja tvaṃ sarvabhāvena gaṇeśaṃ brahmanāyakam || 19 ||
- etatthis
- evaitself
- paramthe highest
- guhyamsecret
- kathitamtold
- vatsaO child
- teto you
- alikhamI have set down
- bhajaworship
- tvamyou
- sarvabhāvenawith the whole of your being
- gaṇeśamGanesha
- brahmanāyakamthe lord of Brahman
anvaya vatsa etat eva param guhyam te kathitam alikham tvam sarvabhāvena brahmanāyakam gaṇeśam bhaja
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
- phalaśrutiḥthe account of what it gives
anvaya phalaśrutiḥ
chandas Prose, a heading
dhanadhānyasamṛddhyādipradaṃ bhāvi na saṃśayaḥ || 20 ||
- putrapautrādipradamwhich gives children and grandchildren
- stotramhymn
- idamthis
- śokavināśanamwhich puts an end to grief
- dhanadhānyasamṛddhyādipradamwhich brings money, grain and plenty
- bhāviit will be
- nano
- saṃśayaḥdoubt
anvaya idam stotram putrapautrādipradam śokavināśanam dhanadhānyasamṛddhyādipradam bhāvi saṃśayaḥ na
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
bhaktidṛḍhakaraṃ caiva bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ || 21 ||
- dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāmof right living, wealth, what is wanted and release
- sādhanamthe means
- brahmadāyakamwhich gives Brahman
- bhaktidṛḍhakaramwhich makes devotion firm
- caand
- evaindeed
- bhaviṣyatiit will be
- nano
- saṃśayaḥdoubt
anvaya dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇām sādhanam brahmadāyakam ca eva bhaktidṛḍhakaram bhaviṣyati saṃśayaḥ na
chandas Anuṣṭubh (śloka), 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas