Ganesha: Who Lord Ganesh Is, With His Mantras and Stotram

Who is Ganesha?

Ganesha is traditionally worshipped before a new endeavor begins. In Hindu tradition, Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is shown with an elephant's head and a round belly. His birth is celebrated each year at Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival of ten days.

Ganesh mantras and stotram verses, with meaning

Below are the 16 mantras and verses to Ganesha in Diya's prayer library, in Sanskrit and in English letters, each with its meaning in plain English.

Mantra (Sanskrit and transliteration)	Meaning in English
Oṃ Gaṃ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ ॐ गं गणपतये नमः oṃ gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ	Om, gam. I bow to Ganapati, Lord of the divine hosts. “Gam” is a sacred seed syllable used in this invocation; it has no ordinary word-for-word English equivalent.
Śuklāmbaradharaṃ Viṣṇuṃ शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् । प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥ śuklāmbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam | prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye ||	Meditate on the all-pervading Lord, clothed in white, bright as the moon, with four arms and a gracious face, for the removal of all obstacles.
Invocation to Ganesha ॐ श्री गणेशाय नमः । oṃ śrī gaṇeśāya namaḥ |	Om. I bow to revered Ganesha, Lord of the divine hosts.
Invocation to Ganapati ॐ श्री गणपतये नमः । oṃ śrī gaṇapataye namaḥ |	Om. I bow to revered Ganapati, Lord of the divine hosts.
Invocation to Vinayaka ॐ श्री विनायकाय नमः । oṃ śrī vināyakāya namaḥ |	Om. I bow to revered Vinayaka, Lord Ganesha.
Vakratuṇḍa Mahākāya वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ । निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥ vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭisamaprabha | nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarvakāryeṣu sarvadā ||	O Lord Ganesha, with your curved trunk and mighty body, shining like ten million suns, make all my undertakings free of obstacles, always.
Gajānanaṃ Bhūtagaṇādisevitaṃ गजाननं भूतगणादिसेवितं कपित्थजंबूफलसारभक्षितम् । उमासुतं शोकविनाशकारणं नमामि विघ्नेश्वरपादपङ्कजम् ॥ gajānanaṃ bhūtagaṇādisevitaṃ kapitthajaṃbūphalasārabhakṣitam | umāsutaṃ śokavināśakāraṇaṃ namāmi vighneśvarapādapaṅkajam ||	I bow at the lotus feet of Vighneshvara, Ganesha, Lord of obstacles: elephant-faced, served by spirit hosts, eating the pulp of wood-apple and jambu fruit, son of Parvati, called Uma, and remover of sorrow.
Mudākarātta Modakaṃ मुदाकरात्तमोदकं सदाविमुक्तिसाधकं कलाधरावतंसकं विलासिलोकरक्षकम् । अनायकैकनायकं विनाशितेभदैत्यकं नताशुभाशुनाशकं नमामि तं विनायकम् ॥ १॥ mudākarāttamodakaṃ sadāvimuktisādhakaṃ kalādharāvataṃsakaṃ vilāsilokarakṣakam | anāyakaikanāyakaṃ vināśitebhadaityakaṃ natāśubhāśunāśakaṃ namāmi taṃ vināyakam || 1||	I bow to Vinayaka, joyfully holding a modaka sweet, always granting liberation, wearing the crescent moon, and protecting the world in his play. He is the sole guide of those without one, destroyer of the elephant demon, and swift remover of misfortune for those who bow.
Agajānana Padmārkaṃ अगजाननपद्मार्कं गजाननमहर्निशम् । अनेकदन्तं भक्तानामेकदन्तमुपास्महे ॥ agajānanapadmārkaṃ gajānanamaharniśam | anekadantaṃ bhaktānāmekadantamupāsmahe ||	Day and night we worship the elephant-faced Ganesha, the single-tusked Lord who gives many blessings to his devotees and is like the sun that opens the lotus of Parvati’s face.
Gaṇeśa Pañcaratna 2 नतेतरातिभीकरं नवोदितार्कभास्वरं नमत्सुरारिनिर्जरं नताधिकापदुद्धरम् । सुरेश्वरं निधीश्वरं गजेश्वरं गणेश्वरं महेश्वरं तमाश्रये परात्परं निरन्तरम् ॥ २॥ natetarātibhīkaraṃ navoditārkabhāsvaraṃ namatsurārinirjaraṃ natādhikāpaduddharam | sureśvaraṃ nidhīśvaraṃ gajeśvaraṃ gaṇeśvaraṃ maheśvaraṃ tamāśraye parātparaṃ nirantaram || 2||	I always take refuge in Ganesha, the Great Lord beyond the highest: bright as the rising sun, fearsome to those who do not bow, revered by gods and their enemies, rescuing devotees from great distress. He is Lord of gods, treasures, elephants, and divine hosts.
Gaṇeśa Pañcaratna 3 समस्तलोकशङ्करं निरस्तदैत्यकुञ्जरं दरेतरोदरं वरं वरेभवक्त्रमक्षरम् । कृपाकरं क्षमाकरं मुदाकरं यशस्करं मनस्करं नमस्कृतां नमस्करोमि भास्वरम् ॥ ३॥ samastalokaśaṅkaraṃ nirastadaityakuñjaraṃ daretarodaraṃ varaṃ varebhavaktramakṣaram | kṛpākaraṃ kṣamākaraṃ mudākaraṃ yaśaskaraṃ manaskaraṃ namaskṛtāṃ namaskaromi bhāsvaram || 3||	I bow to radiant Ganesha, benefactor of every world, destroyer of the elephant demon, excellent and imperishable, with a great belly and noble elephant face. To those who bow he gives compassion, forgiveness, joy, honor, and understanding.
Gaṇeśa Pañcaratna 4 अकिञ्चनार्तिमार्जनं चिरन्तनोक्तिभाजनं पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनं सुरारिगर्वचर्वणम् । प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणं धनञ्जयादिभूषणं कपोलदानवारणं भजे पुराणवारणम् ॥ ४॥ akiñcanārtimārjanaṃ cirantanoktibhājanaṃ purāripūrvanandanaṃ surārigarvacarvaṇam | prapañcanāśabhīṣaṇaṃ dhanañjayādibhūṣaṇaṃ kapoladānavāraṇaṃ bhaje purāṇavāraṇam || 4||	I worship the ancient elephant Lord, with fluid streaming from his temples as in a mighty elephant, adorned with serpents such as Dhananjaya. Praised in ancient words, he is the eldest son of Shiva, who destroyed the three cities. He relieves the suffering of those who have nothing, crushes the pride of the gods’ enemies, and is terrifying at the world’s dissolution.
Gaṇeśa Pañcaratna 5 नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तकान्तकात्मजं अचिन्त्यरूपमन्तहीनमन्तरायकृन्तनम् । हृदन्तरे निरन्तरं वसन्तमेव योगिनां तमेकदन्तमेव तं विचिन्तयामि सन्ततम् ॥ ५॥ nitāntakāntadantakāntimantakāntakātmajaṃ acintyarūpamantahīnamantarāyakṛntanam | hṛdantare nirantaraṃ vasantameva yogināṃ tamekadantameva taṃ vicintayāmi santatam || 5||	I continually contemplate single-tusked Ganesha, whose beautiful tusk shines: son of Shiva, who overcomes Death, with an inconceivable form, endless, cutting away obstacles, and always dwelling in the hearts of yogis.
Gaṇapati Atharvaśīrṣa opening ॐ नमस्ते गणपतये । त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्त्वमसि । त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि । त्वं साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम् ॥ oṃ namaste gaṇapataye | tvameva pratyakṣaṃ tattvamasi | tvameva kevalaṃ kartā’si | tvameva kevalaṃ dhartā’si | tvameva kevalaṃ hartā’si | tvameva sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahmāsi | tvaṃ sākṣādātmā’si nityam ||	Om. Homage to you, Ganapati. You alone are reality directly present: the sole creator, sustainer, and dissolver. You are indeed all this, Brahman, the ultimate reality; you are the eternal Self directly present.
Praṇamya Śirasā Devaṃ प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं गौरीपुत्रं विनायकम् । भक्तावासं स्मरेन्नित्यमायुःकामार्थसिद्धये ॥ १॥ praṇamya śirasā devaṃ gaurīputraṃ vināyakam | bhaktāvāsaṃ smarennityamāyuḥkāmārthasiddhaye || 1||	Bow your head to Vinayaka, Ganesha, who dwells in his devotees and is the divine son of Parvati, called Gauri. Remember him continually, seeking long life, the fulfillment of desires, and prosperity.
Gaṇeśa Bhujaṅga 1 रणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम् । लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥ १॥ raṇatkṣudraghaṇṭāninādābhirāmaṃ calattāṇḍavoddaṇḍavatpadmatālam | lasattundilāṅgoparivyālahāraṃ gaṇādhīśamīśānasūnuṃ tamīḍe || 1||	I praise Ganadhisha, Lord of the divine hosts and son of Shiva: delightful with the ringing of little bells, his lotus feet beating the rhythm of a vigorous tandava dance, a serpent garland gleaming over his rounded body.

Diya's English gives the meaning of each verse in plain language; it is not a word-for-word translation.

Prayers to Ganesha

• Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha: Meaning of the Ganesha Mantra
• Vakratunda Mahakaya Lyrics in English and Meaning
• Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Deva Lyrics: Ganesha Aarti

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Related reading

• Hindu Gods and Goddesses: Who They Are and Their Prayers
• Ganesh Chaturthi: Meaning and Observance at Home
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