vināyaka aṣṭottara śata nāma stotram

• vināyakaḥthe one who leads, and who has no one over him
• vighnarājaḥthe king of obstacles
• gaurīputraḥthe son of Gauri
• gaṇeśvaraḥthe lord of the ganas
• skandāgrajaḥborn before Skanda
• avyayaḥnever running out
• pūtaḥclean
• dakṣaḥdeft
• adhyakṣaḥpresiding
• dvijapriyaḥdear to the twice-born

anvaya vināyakaḥ vighnarājaḥ gaurīputraḥ gaṇeśvaraḥ skandāgrajaḥ avyayaḥ pūtaḥ dakṣaḥ adhyakṣaḥ dvijapriyaḥ

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

aṣṭottaraśata a hundred and eight — The same hundred and eight names also circulate as a namavali, said one at a time with Om and salutation. Here they are strung into verse instead.

note The names run on from verse to verse without a verb until the last two verses, which say what to do with them.

• agnigarvacchitwho broke the pride of fire
• indraśrīpradaḥwho gave Indra his fortune
• vāṇīpradāyakaḥthe giver of speech
• sarvasiddhipradaḥthe giver of every success
• śarvatanayaḥthe son of Sharva
• śarvarīpriyaḥthe one who loves the night

anvaya agnigarvacchit indraśrīpradaḥ vāṇīpradāyakaḥ sarvasiddhipradaḥ śarvatanayaḥ śarvarīpriyaḥ

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

note The namavali of the same names reads agnigarbhacchid, who cut open the womb that held fire.

• sarvātmakaḥthe self of everything
• sṛṣṭikartāthe maker of all that is made
• devānīkārcitaḥworshipped by the army of the gods
• śivaḥthe kindly one
• siddhibuddhipradaḥthe giver of skill and of sense
• śāntaḥthe quiet one
• brahmacārīthe keeper of the student's vow
• gajānanaḥthe elephant-faced

anvaya sarvātmakaḥ sṛṣṭikartā devānīkārcitaḥ śivaḥ siddhibuddhipradaḥ śāntaḥ brahmacārī gajānanaḥ

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

• dvaimāturaḥthe child of two mothers
• munistutyaḥpraised by the sages
• bhaktavighnavināśanaḥthe destroyer of the obstacles of those who love him
• ekadantaḥthe one-tusked
• caturbāhuḥthe four-armed
• caturaḥthe clever one
• śaktisaṃyutaḥthe one joined with his Shakti

anvaya dvaimāturaḥ munistutyaḥ bhaktavighnavināśanaḥ ekadantaḥ caturbāhuḥ caturaḥ śaktisaṃyutaḥ

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

• lambodaraḥthe hanging-bellied
• śūrpakarṇaḥwhose ears are winnowing baskets
• hariḥHari
• brahmaviduttamaḥthe best of those who know Brahman
• kāvyaḥShukra
• grahapatiḥthe lord of the planets
• kāmīthe one who wants, and is wanted
• somasūryāgnilocanaḥwhose eyes are moon, sun and fire

anvaya lambodaraḥ śūrpakarṇaḥ hariḥ brahmaviduttamaḥ kāvyaḥ grahapatiḥ kāmī somasūryāgnilocanaḥ

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

kāvyaḥ Shukra — The son of Kavi Ushanas, teacher of the asuras and the planet Venus. He stands here in a line of planets.

• pāśāṅkuśadharaḥwho holds the noose and the goad
• caṇḍaḥthe fierce one
• guṇātītaḥpast the three strands of nature
• nirañjanaḥwithout a smudge on him
• akalmaṣaḥwithout a stain
• svayaṃsiddhaḥcome to his own perfection
• siddhārcitapadāmbujaḥwhose lotus feet the perfected worship

anvaya pāśāṅkuśadharaḥ caṇḍaḥ guṇātītaḥ nirañjanaḥ akalmaṣaḥ svayaṃsiddhaḥ siddhārcitapadāmbujaḥ

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

• bījāpūraphalāsaktaḥfond of the citron
• varadaḥthe giver of boons
• śāśvataḥthe one who does not end
• kṛtīthe one who gets things done
• dvijapriyaḥdear to the twice-born
• vītabhayaḥwhom fear has left
• gadīthe one with the mace
• cakrīthe one with the disc
• ikṣucāpadhṛtwho carries the sugar-cane bow

anvaya bījāpūraphalāsaktaḥ varadaḥ śāśvataḥ kṛtī dvijapriyaḥ vītabhayaḥ gadī cakrī ikṣucāpadhṛt

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

ikṣucāpa the sugar-cane bow — The bow of the god of desire is a cane stalk strung with bees. Ganapati holds it in his Maha Ganapati form.

• śrīdaḥthe giver of fortune
• ajaḥthe unborn
• utpalakaraḥwith a lotus in his hand
• śrīpatiḥthe lord of fortune
• stutiharṣitaḥdelighted by praise
• kulādribhettāwho split the mountain of his line
• jaṭilaḥwith matted hair
• candracūḍaḥwith the moon in his crest
• amareśvaraḥlord of the deathless ones

anvaya śrīdaḥ ajaḥ utpalakaraḥ śrīpatiḥ stutiharṣitaḥ kulādribhettā jaṭilaḥ candracūḍaḥ amareśvaraḥ

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

• nāgayajñopavītīwhose sacred thread is a snake
• caand
• kalikalmaṣanāśanaḥwho wipes out the stain of the Kali age
• sthūlakaṇṭhaḥthe thick-throated
• svayaṅkartāwho makes himself
• sāmaghoṣapriyaḥwho loves the sound of the Saman
• paraḥthe supreme

anvaya nāgayajñopavītī ca kalikalmaṣanāśanaḥ sthūlakaṇṭhaḥ svayaṅkartā sāmaghoṣapriyaḥ paraḥ

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

• sthūlatuṇḍaḥthe thick-trunked
• agraṇīḥthe one who goes in front
• dhīraḥthe steady one
• vāgīśaḥthe lord of speech
• siddhidāyakaḥthe giver of success
• dūrvābilvapriyaḥwho loves durva grass and bilva leaves
• kāntaḥthe lovely one
• pāpahārīwho carries wrongdoing away
• samāhitaḥwhose mind is gathered

anvaya sthūlatuṇḍaḥ agraṇīḥ dhīraḥ vāgīśaḥ siddhidāyakaḥ dūrvābilvapriyaḥ kāntaḥ pāpahārī samāhitaḥ

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

• āśritaśrīkaraḥwho makes those who come to him prosper
• saumyaḥthe gentle one
• bhaktavāñchitadāyakaḥwho gives his devotees what they long for
• śāntaḥthe quiet one
• acyutārcyaḥworshipped by Achyuta
• kaivalyaḥfreedom itself
• saccidānandavigrahaḥwhose body is being, awareness and joy

anvaya āśritaśrīkaraḥ saumyaḥ bhaktavāñchitadāyakaḥ śāntaḥ acyutārcyaḥ kaivalyaḥ saccidānandavigrahaḥ

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

kaivalyaḥ freedom itself — Kaivalya is being wholly oneself with nothing else mixed in. The name does not say he gives it; it says he is it.

• jñānīthe one who knows
• dayāyutaḥfull of kindness
• dāntaḥwith himself in hand
• brahmadveṣavivarjitaḥin whom there is no hatred of the sacred
• pramattadaityabhayadaḥwho puts fear into reckless demons
• vyaktamūrtiḥwhose form is shown
• amūrtimānwho has no form at all

anvaya jñānī dayāyutaḥ dāntaḥ brahmadveṣavivarjitaḥ pramattadaityabhayadaḥ vyaktamūrtiḥ amūrtimān

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

note The two last names are set against each other on purpose: the form that is shown and the one that cannot be.

• śailendratanujotsaṅgakhelanotsukamānasaḥwhose heart is set on playing in the lap of the mountain king's daughter
• svalāvaṇyasudhāsārajitamanmathavigrahaḥwhose beauty, a flood of nectar, has outdone the god of desire

anvaya śailendratanujotsaṅgakhelanotsukamānasaḥ svalāvaṇyasudhāsārajitamanmathavigrahaḥ

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

note Two names fill the whole verse, one to a line.

• samastajagadādhāraḥwho holds up the whole world
• māyīwho wields maya
• mūṣakavāhanaḥwho rides a mouse
• ramārcitaḥworshipped by Rama
• vidhiḥthe ordinance itself
• caand
• evaindeed
• śrīkaṇṭhaḥShrikantha
• vibudheśvaraḥthe lord of the wise ones

anvaya samastajagadādhāraḥ māyī mūṣakavāhanaḥ ramārcitaḥ vidhiḥ ca eva śrīkaṇṭhaḥ vibudheśvaraḥ

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

vidhiḥ the ordinance — Vidhi is the rule that lays down how a thing must be done, and it is also a name of Brahma, who lays it down.

• cintāmaṇidvīpapatiḥlord of the island of the wishing gem
• paramātmāthe highest self
• gajānanaḥthe elephant-faced
• hṛṣṭaḥglad
• tuṣṭaḥcontented
• prasannātmāclear and kind in himself
• sarvasiddhipradāyakaḥthe giver of every success

anvaya cintāmaṇidvīpapatiḥ paramātmā gajānanaḥ hṛṣṭaḥ tuṣṭaḥ prasannātmā sarvasiddhipradāyakaḥ

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

cintāmaṇidvīpa the island of the wishing gem — The island in the sea of nectar where the goddess is said to live, in the middle of everything. The name sets him there.

note The hundred and eight names end here.

• aṣṭottaraśatenawith the hundred and eight
• evamin this way
• nāmnāmof names
• vighneśvaramVighneshvara
• vibhumthe mighty
• yaḥwhoever
• pūjayetworships
• anenawith this
• evaitself
• bhaktyāwith devotion
• siddhivināyakamSiddhivinayaka

anvaya yaḥ evam anena eva nāmnām aṣṭottaraśatena bhaktyā vibhum vighneśvaram siddhivināyakam pūjayet

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

• dūrvādalaiḥwith blades of durva
• bilvapatraiḥwith bilva leaves
• puṣpaiḥwith flowers
• vāor
• candanākṣataiḥwith sandal and unbroken rice
• sarvānall
• kāmānthe things he wants
• avāpnotihe gets
• sarvavighnaiḥfrom every obstacle
• pramucyatehe is let loose

anvaya dūrvādalaiḥ bilvapatraiḥ puṣpaiḥ vā candanākṣataiḥ [saḥ] sarvān kāmān avāpnoti sarvavighnaiḥ pramucyate

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

akṣata unbroken rice — Whole rice grains, unbroken, offered because what is whole is fit to give. The word means unhurt.

note The list of offerings is deliberately modest: grass, a leaf, a flower, a little sandal and rice.