Gaṇeśastavaḥ - A Hymn To Gaṇeśa

|| गणेशस्तवः ||
gaṇeśastavaḥ

Summary
Gaṇeśa is simultaneously the manifest form of nāda, the cosmic sound distilled in praṇava or OM, and the first among Rudras, the deity presiding over the phonetic structure that constitutes mantras. In Sanskrit, the phonemes are segmented into eight groups, and these are called Mātṛkās, with eight Gaṇeśas as presiding deities of these groups. In his collective form, Gaṇeśa removes all obstacles that prevent one from recognizing reality. Through his manifest manifold forms, Gaṇeśa destroys the demons of negativity and helps us overcome limitations.

In this prayer, the devotee supplicates Gaṇeśa in his eightfold forms. In the form of Vakratuṇḍa, Gaṇeśa destroys the demon that assumes the form of envy. In his Ekadanta form, he destroys drunkenness that intoxicates us with our limited forms. As Mahodara, the Lord removes the demon of the form of delusion, and next removes greed by assuming the form of Gajānana. As Lambodara, he destroys anger. Gaṇeśa then removes afflicting desires by assuming the form of Vikaṭa, while as Vighnarāja, the Lord removes our attachments that give us the sense of possession: this is mine, this is mine. And by assuming the form of Dhumravarṇa, Lord Gaṇeśa destroys the demon in the form of our own ego. By assuming these eightfold forms, Lord Gaṇeśa helps us become free from all obstacles and attain liberation.

Composed by AcharyaJi Dr. Sthaneshwar Timalsina
Vocals - Vidushi Sivasri Skandaprasad
Flute - Vidushi Varijashree Venugopal
Sitar - Vidushi Shruti Kamath
Veena - Vidushi Pushpa Kashina
Keyboards - Pt. Praveen D Rao
Tabla - Pt. Gurumurthy Vaidya
Mridangam and creative percussions - Vidwan Sai Vamshi
Original music score by Pt. Praveen D Rao
Recorded at Prabhath Studios, Bangalore by Rangaswamy
Mixed and Mastered by Ashwin Prabhath

Lyrics.
गणेशस्तवः
gaṇeśastavaḥ

he vakratuṇḍa jahi matsaramātmabodhaiḥ।
saṃkalpasiṃhamadhiruhya vikalpahānaiḥ॥
śīghraṃ vināśaya madaṃ bhavabandhamūlaṃ।
devīsuta prakaṭabodhamayaikadanta ॥1॥

Vakratuṇḍa [the one with curved trunk]! By riding the lion of the form of determination (saṃkalpa) and by erasing all mental conceptualizations, destroy [the demon in the form of] envy (matsara) by granting us self-realization. Dear Ekadanta [the one with a single tusk]! Son of the Goddess! The one of the character of manifest self-realization, please remove my drunkenness (mada) that is the root of bondage in the cycle of becoming.

vande mahodaramahaṃ karuṇaikamūrtiṃ।
durbuddhimohadanujāntakaraṃ prasannam॥
āyāhi lobhaditijāntagajānanastvam।
maccittavāgghṛdayabhūmivilāsahetoḥ॥2॥

I bow to Mahodara, the one with big belly, who is an embodiment of compassion. Always delightful, he is the destroyer of the demon called delusion (moha) as a manifestation of ignorance (durbuddhi). Gajānana or the one with the head of elephant! The destroyer of the demon in the form of greed! Please come to play in the realms of my mind, speech, heart.

lambodaraṃ sakalavighnavināśadakṣam।
krodhāntakaṃ pratidinaṃ hṛdi dhārayāmi॥
kāmāsurāntavikaṭaṃ śikhivāhanogram।
yogeśvarīsutamahaṃ manasā bhajāmi॥3॥

Every day, I place in my heart Lambodara, the one with a large belly, who is skilled in eliminating all obstacles and is the destroyer [of the demon in the form of] anger (krodha). With my mind, I pray [to] the son of Yogeśvarī called Vikaṭa or the dreadful [one] who rides on a peacock and who destroys the demon in the form of desire (kāma).


śeṣāsanaṃ śubhadamagrajavighnarājam।
vande mamedamitibhedavināśahetum॥
taṃ dhūmravarṇamahamāsuramātmabodha -।
jvālāvalīkavalitaṃ satataṃ namāmi॥4।

I bow to Vighnarāja the lord of obstacles who resides on Śeṣa snake, who comes into being before all [manifest reality] and who grants all auspiciousness. He is the cause for destruction of the demon in the form of difference [manifesting as] ‘mineness.’ Accordingly, I constantly bow to Dhūmravarṇa who incinerates the demon in the form of the ego (aham) by surrounding it within the ring of flames of the character of self-knowledge.

इत्याचार्यस्थानेश्वरप्रणीतो गणेशस्तवः
ityācāryasthāneśvarapraṇīto gaṇeśastavaḥ