Understanding complete Ganapati Atharvashirsha this Ganesh Chaturthi!
गणनायकाय गणदैवताय गणाध्यक्षाय धीमहि ।
गुणशरीराय गुणमण्डिताय गुणेशानाय धीमहि ।
गुणातीताय गुणाधीशाय गुणप्रविष्टाय धीमहि ।
एकदंताय वक्रतुण्डाय गौरीतनयाय धीमहि ।
gaṇanāyakāya gaṇadaivatāya gaṇādhyakṣāya dhīmahi।
guṇaśarīrāya guṇamaṇḍitāya guṇeśānāya dhīmahi।
guṇātītāya guṇādhīśāya guṇapraviṣṭāya dhīmahi।
ekadaṃtāya vakratuṇḍāya gaurītanayāya dhīmahi॥
Hindi Translation:
हम श्री गणेश का ध्यान करते हैं, जो गणों के नायक, देवता, तथा अध्यक्ष हैं,
जो गुणों के विग्रह हैं, गुणों द्वारा मण्डित हैं, गुणों के अधीश हैं, और गुणों के परे हैं।
English translation:
The leader, god, and chief of the gaṇas. The embodiment, adornment, and master of the guṇas, and one who is beyond the guṇas.
The one with one tusk, and a curved trunk, the son of Gaurī (Pārvati), we meditate upon you.
त्वं गुणत्रयातीतः।
त्वमवस्थात्रयातीतः।
त्वं कालत्रयातीतः।
त्वं देहत्रयातीतः।
tvaṃ guṇatrayātītaḥ।
tvamavasthātrayātītaḥ।
tvaṃ kālatrayātītaḥ।
tvaṃ dehatrayātītaḥ।
Hindi Translation:
आप तीनों गुणों के (सत्त्व, रजस् ,तमस्), तीनों अवस्थाओं के (जाग्रत, निद्रामय, स्वप्नमय), तीनों काल के (भूत, भविष्य, वर्तमान), तीनों शरीरों के (स्थूल, सूक्ष्म, कारण) परे हैं।
English translation:
You are beyond the three qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas), beyond the three conditions (awake, sleepful, dreaming), beyond the three states of time (past present and future), and beyond the three bodies (physical, astral and causal).
गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे कविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम्।
ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पत आ नः शृण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम्॥
gaṇānāṃ tvā gaṇapatiṃ havāmahe kaviṃ kavīnāmupamaśravastamam।
jyeṣṭharājaṃ brahmaṇāṃ brahmaṇaspata ā naḥ śṛṇvannūtibhiḥ sīda sādanam॥
Hindi Translation:
हे गणों के स्वामी हम आप का हवन करते है। क्रान्तदर्शियों (कवियों)
में श्रेष्ठ कवि और सभीसे तेजस्वी है। मंत्रों के राजा, मंत्रों मे अग्रीम है।
हम आपका आवाहन करते हैं। हमारी स्तुतियों को सुनते हुए पालनकर्ता
के रुप में आप इस सदन में आसीन हों।
English translation:
The leader of the Ganas, you are the wisdom of the wise and uppermost in glory. You are the foremost king of prayers (Brahmanaspati).
Please come to us and be present in the seat of this sacred altar (to charge our prayers with your wisdom), we offer our sacrificial oblations to you.
What is Ganapati Atharvashirsha (गणपती अथर्वशीर्ष)?
On this occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, we will be taking a deeper look at the famous Ganapati Atharvashirsha (गणपति अथर्वशीर्ष) its meaning and explanation. Ganapati Atharvashirsha is said to be a part of the Atharvaveda which is one of the four Vedas. Atharva is made up of two words अ (a) means not and थर्व (tharva) means of unchanging mind. Therefore Atharvashirsha is a hymn addressed prior to any serious adventure, for keeping the head cool and mind concentrated.
Here’s how to correctly pronounce Ganapati Atharvashirsha with the help of transliteration and its literal translation in English.
English translation and transliteration
ॐ नमस्ते गणपतये ॥१॥
oṃ namaste gaṇapataye ॥1॥
Aum, I offer salutation to that one, to Ganapati.
त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्त्वमसि ।
त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽसि ।
त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि ।
त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि ।
त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि ।
त्वं साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम् ॥२॥
tvameva pratyakṣaṃ tattvamasi ।
tvameva kevalaṃ kartā’si ।
tvameva kevalaṃ dhartā’si ।
tvameva kevalaṃ hartā’si ।
tvameva sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahmāsi ।
tvaṃ sākṣādātmā’si nityam ॥2॥
You are, verily, the prime principle. You are verily the unswerving (direct or straight) creator and the upholder. You are verily the unswerving destroyer. You are verily this assuredly absolute Brahman. You are verily the eternal self.
ऋतं वच्मि । सत्यं वच्मि ॥३॥
ṛtaṃ vacmi । satyaṃ vacmi ॥3॥
I speak of the cosmic law, I speak of the prime existence.
अव त्वं माम् । अव वक्तारम् । अव श्रोतारम् । अव दातारम् । अव धातारम् । अवानूचानमव शिष्यम् ।
ava tvaṃ mām । ava vaktāram । ava śrotāram । ava dātāram । ava dhātāram । avānūcānamava śiṣyam ।
Let that one make me receptive. Let that one make the speaker receptive. Let that one make the listener receptive. Let that one make the donor receptive. Let that one make the supporter receptive. Let that one make the meditative student receptive as well.
अव पुरस्तात् । अव दक्षिणात्तात् । अव पश्चात्तात् । अवोत्तरात्तात् । अव चोर्ध्वात्तात् । अवाधरात्तात् । सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात् ॥४॥
ava purastāt । ava dakṣiṇāttāt । ava paścāttāt । avottarāttāt । ava cordhvāttāt । avādharāttāt । sarvato māṃ pāhi pāhi samantāt ॥4॥
Let the ones who come from the west be receptive. Let the ones who come from the east be receptive. Let the ones who come from the north be receptive. Let the ones who come from the south be receptive. Let the ones who come from the higher regions be receptive. Let the ones who come from the lower regions be receptive. Let me perceive those who come from all sides.
वं वाङ्मयस्त्वं चिन्मयः । त्वमानन्दमयस्त्वं ब्रह्ममयः ।
त्वं सच्चिदानन्दाऽद्वितीयोऽसि । त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि । त्वं ज्ञानमयो विज्ञानमयोऽसि ॥५॥
vaṃ vāṅmayastvaṃ cinmayaḥ । tvamānandamayastvaṃ brahmamayaḥ ।
tvaṃ saccidānandā’dvitīyo’si । tvaṃ pratyakṣaṃ brahmāsi । tvaṃ jñānamayo vijñānamayo’si ॥5॥
You are the speech-incarnate. You are the intellect-incarnate. You are the bliss-incarnate. You are the effulgent Brahma-incarnate. You are second to none as existence, intelligence and bliss. You are verily unswerving Brahma.
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तो जायते । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तस्तिष्ठति । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि लयमेष्यति । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि प्रत्येति।
sarvaṃ jagadidaṃ tvatto jāyate । sarvaṃ jagadidaṃ tvattastiṣṭhati । sarvaṃ jagadidaṃ tvayi layameṣyati । sarvaṃ jagadidaṃ tvayi pratyeti ।
All this world is born unto you. All this world subsists in you. This entire world fades out in you. This entire world revert backs to you.
त्वं भूमिरापोऽनलोऽनिलो नभः । त्वं चत्वारि वाक् पदानि ।
tvaṃ bhūmirāpo’nalo’nilo nabhaḥ । tvaṃ catvāri vāk padāni ।
You are the earth, water, wind, fire, and space. You are four-fold speech.
त्वं गुणत्रयातीतः । त्वं अवस्थात्रयातीतः । त्वं देहत्रयातीतः । त्वं कालत्रयातीतः । त्वं मूलाधारस्थितोऽसि नित्यम् ।
त्वं शक्तित्रयात्मकः । त्वां योगिनो ध्यायन्ति नित्यम् । त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं रुद्रस्त्वमिन्द्रस्त्वमग्निस्त्वं वायुस्त्वं सूर्यस्त्वं चन्द्रमास्त्वं ब्रह्म भूर्भुवस्सुवरोम् ॥६॥
tvaṃ guṇatrayātītaḥ । tvaṃ avasthātrayātītaḥ । tvaṃ dehatrayātītaḥ । tvaṃ kālatrayātītaḥ । tvaṃ mūlādhārasthito’si nityam । tvaṃ śaktitrayātmakaḥ । tvāṃ yogino dhyāyanti nityam । tvaṃ brahmā tvaṃ viṣṇustvaṃ rudrastvamindrastvamagnistvaṃ vāyustvaṃ sūryastvaṃ candramāstvaṃ Brahma bhūrbhuvassuvarom ॥6॥
You transcend three attributes. You transcend three states of the body. You transcend three moments in time. You are the eternal one who abides as the foundation. You are the center of the three-fold energy. You are the one of whom the ascetics mediate upon. You are Brahma, you are Vishnu, you are Rudra, you are Indra, you are Fire, you are the Wind, you are the Sun, you are the Moon. You are effulgence as the earth, the mid-region, and space above.
गणादिं पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णादींस्तदनन्तरम् । अनुस्वारः परतरः । अर्धेन्दुलसितम् । तारेण ऋद्धम् । एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपम् ॥७॥
gaṇādiṃ pūrvamuccārya varṇādīṃstadanantaram । anusvāraḥ parataraḥ । ardhendulasitam । tāreṇa ṛddham । etattava manusvarūpam ॥7॥
Pronouncing the syllabus ग (ga) in the beginning and other syllables thereafter, the sibilant marked with half-moon transcending, mature with stars. Thus is your form. The ग (ga) is the prior form, अ (a) is the later form, sibilant is the final form, the dot is the supreme form. The sound is the connecting link, the hymn is the connection.
सैषा गणेशविद्या । गणक ऋषिः । निचृद्गायत्रीच्छन्दः । गणपतिर्देवता । ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥९॥
saiṣā gaṇeśavidyā । gaṇaka ṛṣiḥ । nicṛdgāyatrīcchandaḥ । gaṇapatirdevatā ।
oṃ gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ ॥9॥
This, verily, is the wisdom of Ganesha. Ganak is the seer, Gayatri is the metre, Ganapati is the deity. Aum, obeisance to Ganapati as ‘gam’.
एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि । तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात् ॥१०॥
ekadantāya vidmahe vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi । tanno dantiḥ pracodayāt ॥10॥
I know the single tusked one; I meditate of the exterminator of the obstacles; let That one with single tooth energize me.
