Ganpati Atharvashirsha — Lyrics with Meaning

Verse 1

Om bhadram karnebhih shrinuyama devah | bhadram pashyemakshabhir yajatrah | sthirair angais tushtuvamsas tanubhih | vyashema devahitam yad ayuh || svasti na indro vriddhashravah | svasti nah pusha vishvavedah | svasti nas tarkshyo arishtanemih | svasti no brihaspatir dadhatu || Om shantih shantih shantih ||

O gods, may we hear what is good with our ears and see what is good with our eyes. Praising you with strong bodies, may we live the full life the gods have given. May Indra, Pushan, Garuda and Brihaspati bless us; peace, peace, peace.

Verse 2

Om namaste ganapataye | tvam eva pratyaksham tattvam asi | tvam eva kevalam karta'si | tvam eva kevalam dharta'si | tvam eva kevalam harta'si | tvam eva sarvam khalvidam brahmasi | tvam sakshad atma'si nityam ||1||

Salutations to you, Ganapati. You alone are the visible ultimate truth. You alone create, sustain and dissolve. All this is truly you, the Brahman, and you are the eternal Self itself.

Verse 3

Ritam vachmi | satyam vachmi ||2||

I speak what is right; I speak what is true.

Verse 4

Ava tvam mam | ava vaktaram | ava shrotaram | ava dataram | ava dhataram | avanuchanam ava shishyam | ava pashchattat | ava purastat | avottarattat | ava dakshinattat | ava chordhvattat | avadharattat | sarvato mam pahi pahi samantat ||3||

Protect me. Protect the speaker and the listener, the giver and the keeper, the teacher and the student. Protect me from behind and in front, from north and south, from above and below — guard me from every side.

Verse 5

Tvam vangmayas tvam chinmayah | tvam anandamayas tvam brahmamayah | tvam sachchidanandadvitiyo'si | tvam pratyaksham brahmasi | tvam jnanamayo vijnanamayo'si ||4||

You are speech and you are consciousness; you are bliss and you are Brahman. You are being, awareness and joy, with no second. You are Brahman made visible, full of knowledge and wisdom.

Verse 6

Sarvam jagad idam tvatto jayate | sarvam jagad idam tvattas tishthati | sarvam jagad idam tvayi layam eshyati | sarvam jagad idam tvayi pratyeti | tvam bhumir apo'nalo'nilo nabhah | tvam chatvari vak-padani ||5||

This whole world is born from you, rests in you, will dissolve into you and returns to you. You are earth, water, fire, air and sky; you are all four levels of speech.

Verse 7

Tvam guna-trayatitah | tvam avastha-trayatitah | tvam deha-trayatitah | tvam kala-trayatitah | tvam muladhara-sthito'si nityam | tvam shakti-trayatmakah | tvam yogino dhyayanti nityam | tvam brahma tvam vishnus tvam rudras tvam indras tvam agnis tvam vayus tvam suryas tvam chandramas tvam brahma bhur bhuvah svar om ||6||

You are beyond the three qualities, the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, the three bodies and the three times. You dwell always in the Muladhara and are the three powers; yogis meditate on you constantly. You are Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Indra, Agni, Vayu, the Sun, the Moon, Brahman, the three worlds and Om.

Verse 8

Ganadim purvam uchcharya varnadim tadanantaram | anusvarah paratarah | ardhendu-lasitam | tarena riddham | etat tava manu-svarupam | gakarah purva-rupam | akaro madhyama-rupam | anusvarashchantya-rupam | bindur uttara-rupam | nadah sandhanam | samhita sandhih | saisha ganesha-vidya | ganaka rishih | nichrid-gayatri chhandah | ganapatir devata | Om gam ganapataye namah ||7||

First the sound ga, then a, then the nasal m, crowned with the half-moon and joined with Om — this is the form of your mantra. Ga, a, the nasal, the dot and the resonance together make the Ganesh Vidya. Its seer is Ganaka, its metre Nichrid Gayatri and its deity Ganapati — Om gam ganapataye namah.

Verse 9

Ekadantaya vidmahe | vakratundaya dhimahi | tanno danti prachodayat ||8||

May we know the one-tusked Lord and meditate on the one with the curved trunk. May that tusked Ganesh inspire our minds.

Verse 10

Ekadantam chaturhastam pasham ankusha-dharinam | radam cha varadam hastair bibhranam mushaka-dhvajam | raktam lambodaram shurpa-karnakam rakta-vasasam | rakta-gandhanulipta-angam rakta-pushpaih supujitam | bhaktanukampinam devam jagat-karanam achyutam | avirbhutam cha srishtyadau prakriteh purushat param | evam dhyayati yo nityam sa yogi yoginam varah ||9||

One-tusked and four-armed, holding a noose, a goad, his tusk and the gesture of blessing, with the mouse on his banner; red, big-bellied, with ears like winnowing fans, in red clothes, anointed with red sandal and worshipped with red flowers; kind to devotees, cause of the world, unchanging, appearing at the start of creation, beyond nature and spirit — whoever meditates daily on Ganesh like this is the best of yogis.

Verse 11

Namo vratapataye | namo ganapataye | namah pramathapataye | namaste'stu lambodarayaikadantaya vighnanashine shivasutaya varada-murtaye namah ||10||

Salutations to the lord of all hosts, to the lord of the ganas, to the lord of Shiv's attendants. Salutations to the big-bellied, one-tusked remover of obstacles, son of Shiv, whose form grants blessings.

Verse 12

Etad atharvashirsham yo'dhite | sa brahmabhuyaya kalpate | sa sarva-vighnair na badhyate | sa sarvatah sukham edhate | sa pancha-mahapapat pramuchyate | sayam adhiyano divasa-kritam papam nashayati | pratar adhiyano ratri-kritam papam nashayati | sayam pratah prayunjano'papo bhavati | sarvatradhiyano'pavighno bhavati | dharmartha-kama-moksham cha vindati | idam atharvashirsham ashishyaya na deyam | yo yadi mohad dasyati sa papiyan bhavati | sahasravartanat yam yam kamam adhite tam tam anena sadhayet ||11||

The text says that whoever studies this Atharvashirsha becomes fit to reach Brahman, is not held back by obstacles and finds happiness everywhere. Reading it in the evening removes the day's wrongs and in the morning the night's; it should not be given to one without faith, and a thousand recitations are said to fulfil one's wish.

Verse 13

Anena ganapatim abhishinchati sa vagmi bhavati | chaturthyam anashnan japati sa vidyavan bhavati | ity atharvana-vakyam | brahmadyacharanam vidyat | na bibheti kadachaneti ||12||

One who bathes Ganapati's image while reciting this becomes eloquent. One who fasts on Chaturthi and chants it gains learning — so says the Atharvan seer; one who knows this practice never fears.

Verse 14

Yo durvankurair yajati sa vaishravanopamo bhavati | yo lajair yajati sa yashovan bhavati | sa medhavan bhavati | yo modaka-sahasrena yajati sa vanchhita-phalam avapnoti | yah sajya-samidbhir yajati sa sarvam labhate sa sarvam labhate ||13||

Tradition says one who worships with durva grass becomes like Kuber, and one who offers puffed rice gains fame and wisdom. One who offers a thousand modaks receives the desired fruit, and one who offers sticks with ghee into the fire gains everything.

Verse 15

Ashtau brahmanan samyag grahayitva surya-varchasvi bhavati | surya-grahe mahanadyam pratima-sannidhau va japtva siddha-mantro bhavati | mahavighnat pramuchyate | mahadoshat pramuchyate | mahapapat pramuchyate | sa sarvavid bhavati sa sarvavid bhavati | ya evam veda | ity upanishat ||14||

One who teaches this properly to eight learned people shines like the sun. Chanting it during a solar eclipse, on the bank of a great river or before Ganesh's image perfects the mantra, freeing one from great obstacles, faults and sins — whoever knows this knows all. Thus ends the Upanishad.

Verse 16

Om saha navavatu | saha nau bhunaktu | saha viryam karavavahai | tejasvi navadhitam astu ma vidvishavahai || Om shantih shantih shantih ||

May the Lord protect us both, teacher and student, and nourish us together; may we work together with strength. May our study shine, and may we never hold ill will toward each other. Peace, peace, peace.