68 - Ganesha Mantra

Shri Sanatkumara said: 

1. Henceforth, I shall describe the mantras of Ganesha that bestow all desired objects. O leading brahmana by propitiating Ganesha the aspirant shall attain worldly pleasures and liberation. 

2-5.1 The immutable, the consort of Vishnu, the wife of Shambhu, minaketana, smruti, maṁsa adorned with indu and manu and with the moon in the crest, Ganapati in the dative, then at the end vara varada be added, then at the end of sarva one should utter janam, then add me vašham anaya bring them all to my control. This mantra ends in vahnipriya ‘svaha’ with twenty-eight letters. 

1. The combination of the mantra is as follows: 

Om Shrim hrim klim glaum

Ganapataye Vara Varada sarvajanam

me vašhamānaya svaha.

avyaya=om, vişhnuvanita=shrim, shambhustri=hrim, minaketana=klim, smruti= ga, maṁsa=la, indu= manu=au, chandrashekhara=., Ganapati in the dative=ganapataye vara, varada, sarvalokam me vashamanaya, vahnipriya=svaha. 

Its sage is Ganaka, the metre nivrut Gayatri etc. the presiding deity is gaṇeśha. The Bija is six Shaktis beginning with a and the application of it (the mantra) is for the propitiation of Mahåganapati. 

6. The excellent sadhaka should place the sage (of the mantra) on the head, the metre on the face, the deity on the heart, the bijas in the private parts and shakti in the feet. 

7. The bija is possessed of six long vowels which again are to be joined with the bija, then he the knower of mantras should make the placement of letters in six limbs with the Jati 

- (namah, svaha etc.) 

8. The mudras as known to belong to Shiva are to be placed in six of the limbs. He should make the placement (nyasa) beginning with gam from the feet to the navel and also the region of bhu 

9. From the navel to the throat he should place gim and others and the bhuva region. The syllable gum etc and the region of svar are to be placed from the throat to the head. 

10-11.1 The vyåpaka nyasa (the extended one) is to be done with mulamantra (the principal mantra). This is called bhuvana nyasa. After uttering the mulamantra one should utter the matruka then there should be the mula and namah in place of matruka. Thus, he should proceed upto the letter kşha, then he should make the extended nyasa with the principal mantra. 

1. These verses give indication how Varna nyasa is to be performed. The direction has been given in Prapanchasåra-samgraha, pp. 431, First utter Mahaganapati mantra then put the first syllables of the vowels with bindu, then place the mahaganapati mantra ending with namah. This should be continued upto Ksha. The method of Padanyasa is as follows. Say Tatpuruṣhāya namah. Vidmahe namah, Vakratundaya namah. dhimahi namah, tannamah, no namah, dantih namah. prachodaya annamah. There are the eight divisions and the syllables of the mantra are to be placed in the eight limbs of the body. 

12-13. The placement with letters has been mentioned. Now padanyasa (the placement with pada = words) is being mentioned. The words of the mulagayatri divided into eight portions of syllables containing five, three, five, three, one, one, two and four respectively. (Pancha, tri, vana, vahni, indu, chandra, akshi, nigama) and adding hit -- namah at the end. They are to be placed on the forehead, in the face, in the neck, in the heart, in the navel, in thighs, on the knees and on the feet. After making the nyasa he should make the extended one with the mula. 

14-16. He should say— ‘tatpuruşhaya’ and then say at the end of it ‘vidmahe’. After the end of the word, vakratundāya’ he should say ‘dhimahi’. Then the word tanno dantih, he should utter the word pracodayāt.1 This is the mulagayatri which bestows all attainments. After performing this, one should meditate thus in his lotus-heart. 

1. The Ganesha Gayatri is as follows:

Tatpuruşhaya vidmahe vakratundāya dhimahi tanno dantih prachodayát.

This is called Pīthamantra and the asana (seat) should be given. 

17. “I meditate upon the deity who resembles the rising sun, who is the cause of maintenance and dissolution of the world. He is accompanied with Shakti, well-adorned and has lifted up chakra (discus) and tooth (danta).” 

18-20. Thus, meditating one shall repeat the mantra four hundred and forty-four thousand times. He should perform the homa rite with eight kinds of articles in the consecrated fire with one tenth of the number repeated. The eight articles are: sugarcane, fried grain, flour, unripe banana flower, the beaten rice, the sesamum seeds, sweetmeats, coconuts and the parched grain. He should worship the Pitha beginning with ādhāraśhakti and ending with the Paratattva (the supreme truth). 

21. He should inscribe a triangle inside two intersecting triangles (şhaţkoņa) and then outside of it he should draw an eight-petalled lotus. Then outside of them he should draw bhūpura and worship Ganesha there. 

22-23. Tivrā, Jvalini, Nandá, Bhogadā, Kámarūpini, Ugra, Tejovati, Satya, and the ninth one is Vighnanášhini. All these are to be worshipped with hrudaya =namah in the end. 

24-25. Gaņådhisha is to be invoked there and be worshipped in the middle carefully. Outside the triangle in the eastern quarters etc, one should worship Shri and the consort of Shri, Gauri and the consort of Gauri. He shall worship Rati and the consort of Rati, the earth and the boar. 

26-28. He should worship them under the bilva, vata, ashvattha and priyangu trees respectively. Rama has two lotuses in her hands, Hari holds Shankha and chakra (conch and discus), Gauri holds noose and goad, and Hara holds axe and trident. Rati has a lotus in her hand and Kama holds the flower arrows and the bow. In the tip of her hands the Earth has the awn of barley and grains, the Boar holds the discus and the iron club. In front of the Lord, one should worship Vinayaka accompanied by Lakshmi. 

29-31. He should worship Amoda etc. with their consorts in the six corners. He should worship Amoda with Siddhi in front. He should worship Pramoda accompanied by Samruddhi in the south-east corner. In the same way he should worship Sumukha accompanied by Kirti in the north-east corner. He should worship Durmukha accompanied by Madanávati in the West. He should worship vighna accompanied by Madadravā in South-West corner. 

32-35. He should worship Vighnakarta with Dravini in the north-west corner. All of them have the noose, goad, mudra of protection in their hands. They have the lustre resembling the young sun and are adorned with the bees covetous of ichor oozing out of their cheeks, On each side of the şhaţkoņa (two intersecting triangles) the two divine treasures Shankha and padma are to be meditated upon along with their shaktis and worshipped as before. In the filaments of the lotus, he should worship the six angas (limbs) and on the petals eight måtrus are to be worshipped. He should worship Indra etc. and the weapons vajra (thunderbolt) etc. in the bhūgruha (the square outside the chakra). Thus, worshipping Vighnesha one should achieve one’s cherished desires. 

36. The intelligent devotee shall perform attentively the tarpana rite of Gajäsya (the elephant-faced deity) by means of pure water four hundred and forty-four times every day. 

37-38. He should captivate kings by means of oblations through lotuses, their queens by lilies, one shall captivate the ministers through kumuda (white lilies) flowers and brahmins by means of the auspicious twigs of fig trees. A learned man should captivate kings by means of udumbara twigs: vaishyas through plakṣha twigs and the castes placed in the last. 

39. One obtains prosperity and glory by means of ghee and acquisition of gold by means of honey. Cows are obtained through cow’s milk and one shall have all prosperity through curds. 

40. The acquisition of cooked food (anna) by means of (Homa) oblation is done with cooked rice. Water is obtained by means of samidh (fuel) of Vetasa reeds. One obtains clothes by performing the sacrifice with the auspicious kusumbha flowers. 

41. Henceforth, I shall recount tarpana that are repeated four times and which bestow desired things to everyone. In the beginning he should offer water four times to everyone uttering the mulamantra. 

42-43. He should perform tarpana four times with each of the syllables of the previous mantra, then four times with the mantra ending in svaha: then propitiating the deity four times with the mulamantra, he should propitiate the pairs (of deities) in the previous manner. The Shakti accompanied by the lord and the lord accompanied by the Shakti should be propitiated. 

44. Thus there will be twenty-six pairs. He should perform tarpana by means of seed letters which is the first letter of their respective names. 

45-47. Thus, it will be four hundred and forty-four times in aggregate. After doing propitiation of the deity in this way, he should then offer (upachára) services as before. Then praying for all his cherished desires and paying homage to the deity, the learned devotee should dismiss the lord. He shall begin the vrata thus. On the fourth day, in the dark half of the month of Bhadra, he should be free from lassitude (in performing the Vrata). Beginning with the sunrise till the rising of the moon he should not take his seat on the ground, he should have control over his speech, and attain steadiness of mind. 

48. When the moon rises, the mantri (the worshipper of a mantra) should worship Gananayaka properly in the manner mentioned before, by means of various offerings of flowers. 

49. He should offer to him twenty-one modakas (sweet meat). He should repeat mantra one thousand and eight times before him. 

50. Then he should offer arghya with camphor, saffron, red flowers and sandal pastes with the mulamantra adding ganapati in the dative in the end. 

51. (Idamarghyam kalpayami namah) I present this arghya and bow. This is considered to be the mantra for the arghya. After eulogising, bowing down and dismissing (the deity) he should worship the moon again. 

52. He should offer arghya four times. Then after worshipping his preceptor, he should give half the number of sweet meats and the arghya to brahmanas 

53-55. Half the number of sweet meats he shall himself partake of. He should avoid sexual intercourse and should have control over his senses. One who performs this vrata properly for a year, attains sons, grandsons, happiness, wealth and health. If he is unable to perform vrata (the pious observance) beginning from sunrise, the knower of the mantra should perform it from the sunset till the rising of the moon according to procedure given before. Even if he performs thus, he would certainly attain fruits as stated before. 

56-58. The idol of Ganesha is to be made of ivory, or of a margosa tree (branch) broken by a monkey or an elephant or of a white arka plant. After instilling prana in it and invoking Ganesha there and worshipping him properly when the moon is in eclipse, he should touch it without taking any food and should carry it in the shikha (the sacred hair on the hair). Thereby he shall be victorious in gambling, battles and legal disputes. 

59-60.1 Bijam (gam) Varaha (ha) adorned with bindu (m) then k and 1 adorned with Manu (au) and bindu, smruti (ga) maṁsa (la) attached with manu (au) and bindu, then one should utter Karna (a), Ucchishtagane, baka (sh) with a long vowel (i.e., a) then pavana (ya), then utter maha Yakşhaya unto the great Yaksha this bali (offering) is presented. This mantra is intended for presenting an offering which serves the purpose of attaining all desired ends. 

1. These two verses give the Bali mantra thus:

Gam ham klaum glaum ucchishta-ganeshaya mahayakşhayayam balih.

61-62. Pranava = om, then bhuvanešhvari=hrim, then after the deitie’s own bija=gam the nine-syllabled mantra. will come which is hasti pishachi likhe and agnisundari – Svaha This nine-syllabled one which has just been mentioned is the bestower of all siddhis to those who worship (it). With all the letters of the mantra he should make six ancillary parts.2 

2. The combination of the mantra will be as follows:

Om hrim gam hastipishãchilikhe svaha.

63. O Narada, everything else is similar to the previous mantra. Henceforth, I shall duly recount the mantra of the excellent Vakratunda. 

64. Toya=va, Vidhi=k, attached with Vahni-ra, Hari is equipped ith Karna = t u; indu= dirghadaraka - daya. This six-syllabled mantra ends with Varman= hum.3 (The whole mantra comes to this: Vakratundaya hum). 

3. It gives the mantra thus: Vakratundaya hum. 

65. Bhargava is its sage, the metre is anuşhtup, the lord is Gaņādhipa. (He who is called Vakratunda is the = Bija (the seed), Vam is Shakti and Kavacha (coat of mail). 

66-69. With the syllables of the Mantra stationed between tara=Om and hrut-namaḥ and bedecked with chandra 

=He shall make the syllables of the Mantras for the six limbs. He should fix the syllables of the mantra in the middle of the eyebrows, in the neck, in the heart, in the navel, the penis and in feet. After the nyasa rite he shall perform the Vyapaka rite with the whole mantra. One should worship the elephant-faced lord whose lustre is like that of the rising sun, who holds the noose, goad, the gestures of offering boons and assurance and whose ornaments and garments are red. Thus, meditating he should perform japa of the mantra for twelve lakhs of times. By eight kinds of articles, he should perform homa one tenth of the number of japa. He should worship the lord along with Tivrā etc. in the pedestal. He should conceive of the idol with the root Mantra. After invoking the Lord in it, he should worship him there. 

70-73. In the six corners the six angas (limbs) and in the (eight) petals the Shaktis shall be worshipped. One should worship Vidya (learning), Vidhatri (the dispenser of destinies). Bhogadā (the bestower of worldly enjoyment) Vipraghatini (the annihiletrix), Nidhipradipa (one who has the treasure-trove as the light), Papaghni (the destroyer of sins), Punya (meritorious goddess), then in the end Śhaśhīprabhå (having the lustre of the moon). At the tips of the petals Vakratunda, Ekadamshtra, Mahodara, Gajäsya, Lambodara, Vikata, Vighnarăț, Dhumravarna (are worshipped). 

Outside, he shall worship lords of the worlds equipped with weapons. Thus, performing worship of Gananayaka along with his five åvarana deities, one shall achieve all desirable things by the grace of Vakratunda. 

74-75. The celibate shall obtain the mantra from the teacher along with dikşhă (initiation) and samskara (consecration). He shall pertake of only havishya, be truthful in speech, should have control over his senses. He should perform japa for twelve thousand times along with the homas for six months. Then he can withstand poverty and becomes comparable to Kuvera. 

76. Beginning with the fourth day (of the lunar fortnight) to the end of the other chaturthi (the fourth day) he should respectfully complete japa for ten thousand times. By performing homa for hundred and eight times every day he shall attain benefit as before. 

77. In both the halves of the lunar months the repeator of the mantras shall perform hundred Homas with apūpas (sweet pics) on the chaturthi day. Within a year he shall attain the highest prosperity. 

78. One shall perform worship of the Lord, in accordance with the injunctions on the angáraka chaturthi when a Tuesday falls on the Chaturthi day) and performs homa with havis. He shall make milkpudding as naivedya (food offering). 

79-80. Thereafter, the intelligent devotee shall duly worship and feed the preceptor. He shall perform Homa in the fire for a thousand times by means of offerings dedicated. By doing thus for a year he shall attain great glory and prosperity. 

Henceforth, I shall recount another means (of attaining glory) with a desire for the welfare of the world. 

81-84. The intelligent devotee shall worship Ganesha with the offerings of beaten rice, milk-pudding, sweet pies, other sweets and fruits. Then repeating the mantras, he shall take turmeric, sea salt, orris root weighing half a nishka or still half of it. (A nishka - 16 måşhas). He shall purify them and grind them into powder. Keeping powder in the palm of his hand he shall repeat the mantra. He shall drop powder in Cow’s urine. Then charging them with the mantra thousand times, the wise devotee should make the lady who has just bathed after menstruation and has become pure and put on beautiful white clothes, to drink the medicine just before the deity. Even a barren woman will give birth to a son endowed with good marks. 

85-87. Henceforth, I shall mention a wonderful secret. One shall strenuously smear a plot of ground extending to gocharman (i.e., 150 hastas in length and 150 hastas in breadth). He should strew grains over there and place a jar over it. The jar should be filled with pure water. As auspicious new platter shall be placed over the jar, the platter should be filled with ghee made of tawny cow’s milk. A nice wick shall be lighted therein with six-syllabled and eight-syllabled mantras. 

88. He should invoke the Lord in the lamp and worship him with sandal pastes, flowers etc. The wise devotee shall also worship a virgin or a bachelor who has taken his (her) bath. 

89. The bachelor or the virgin should be placed in front of the lamp. Then meditating the lord in the lamp thus placed he should repeat the mantra and look to it as if he was Ganeshavara himself who had taken the form of a brahmin. 

90. Then, the virgin or the bachelor will be able to answer any question concerning riches, things lost or any matter of the future. 

91. If one adds hrut = namah to the six syllabled mantra it becomes eight-syllabled one. O Celestial sage, there are other Mantras in the Tantra of Ganesha. 

92. What is it in the three worlds that cannot be achieved by Sadhakas? One cannot see anything that cannot be achieved by means of twenty-eight syllabled mantra or nine syllabled mantra. 

93. Thus the procedure of the mantras of Ganesha has been recounted to you. Do not mention this to the knaves or cheats or anyone other than disciples. 

94. He who worships Lord Ganesha, the bestower of everything, shall attain all pleasures here and in the end will attain salvation.