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Mantra · The Ganapati Upanishad: fourteen mantras naming Ganesha as Brahman

Ganesha Atharvashirsha

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः । स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः । स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः । स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः । स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु । ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Also known as Ganapati Upanishad

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

What the Ganesha Atharvashirsha is

The Ganesha Atharvashirsha, often written Ganesh Atharvashirsha, is a short prose Upanishad attached to the Atharva Veda, and it is the central Sanskrit scripture of the Ganapatya tradition, which worships Ganesha as the supreme reality. It names no human author; Mantra 7 gives its seer as Ganaka, its metre as Nichrid Gayatri and its deity as Ganapati. The fourteen mantras sit between Vedic peace chants and move in clear stages. Mantra 1 addresses Ganapati as the visible form of 'That thou art'. Mantras 2 and 3 are a vow of truthful speech and a request for protection from all six directions. Mantras 4 to 6 place every element, state of mind and god within him. Mantra 7 spells out the seed gam letter by letter, Mantra 8 is the Ganesha Gayatri and Mantra 9 a meditation picture of the red, four-armed deity. Mantra 10 offers salutations, and Mantras 11 to 14 are the phala shruti, closing with 'Thus the Upanishad'.

A late Upanishad that took a temple doorway

No legend tells how the Atharvashirsha was revealed. The text speaks for itself instead: Mantra 12 calls its teaching the word of Atharvan, the ancient sage whose name the fourth Veda carries, and Mantra 7 credits the mantra to the seer Ganaka. Its claim to Upanishad rank is made in its last words, 'iti upanishat'. Historians read its age differently from its voice. G. S. Ghurye judged it of very late origin, and Paul Courtright and Anita Thapan place it in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, a period when Ganapatya worship was growing in Maharashtra; a few scholars argue for an earlier date. The Muktika list of 108 Upanishads, compiled in the mid-seventeenth century, counts it as number 89. Gudrun Buhnemann published a critical edition in 1984. Maharashtra remains its home ground. The whole text is written over the entrance to the hall of the Ashtavinayaka shrine at Ranjangaon, and in Pune, on Rishi Panchami during the Ganesh festival, tens of thousands of women gather before the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati to recite it together, a custom the temple trust has kept for some four decades. Its own closing verses also guard it: Mantra 11 says it is not to be given to one who is not a disciple.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः । स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः । स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः । स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः । स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु । ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Tamilௐ பத்ரம் கர்ணேபிஃ ஶ்ருணுயாம தேவாஃ । பத்ரம் பஶ்யேமாக்ஷபிர்யஜத்ராஃ । ஸ்திரைரங்கைஸ்துஷ்டுவாம்ஸஸ்தநூபிஃ । வ்யஶேம தேவஹிதம் யதாயுஃ । ஸ்வஸ்தி ந இந்த்ரோ வ்ருத்தஶ்ரவாஃ । ஸ்வஸ்தி நஃ பூஷா விஶ்வவேதாஃ । ஸ்வஸ்தி நஸ்தார்க்ஷ்யோ அரிஷ்டநேமிஃ । ஸ்வஸ்தி நோ ப்ருஹஸ்பதிர்ததாது । ௐ ஶாந்திஃ ஶாந்திஃ ஶாந்திஃ ॥

Teluguఓం భద్రం కర్ణేభిః శృణుయామ దేవాః । భద్రం పశ్యేమాక్షభిర్యజత్రాః । స్థిరైరఙ్గైస్తుష్టువాంసస్తనూభిః । వ్యశేమ దేవహితం యదాయుః । స్వస్తి న ఇన్ద్రో వృద్ధశ్రవాః । స్వస్తి నః పూషా విశ్వవేదాః । స్వస్తి నస్తార్క్ష్యో అరిష్టనేమిః । స్వస్తి నో బృహస్పతిర్దధాతు । ఓం శాన్తిః శాన్తిః శాన్తిః ॥

Kannadaಓಂ ಭದ್ರಂ ಕರ್ಣೇಭಿಃ ಶೃಣುಯಾಮ ದೇವಾಃ । ಭದ್ರಂ ಪಶ್ಯೇಮಾಕ್ಷಭಿರ್ಯಜತ್ರಾಃ । ಸ್ಥಿರೈರಙ್ಗೈಸ್ತುಷ್ಟುವಾಂಸಸ್ತನೂಭಿಃ । ವ್ಯಶೇಮ ದೇವಹಿತಂ ಯದಾಯುಃ । ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ನ ಇನ್ದ್ರೋ ವೃದ್ಧಶ್ರವಾಃ । ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ನಃ ಪೂಷಾ ವಿಶ್ವವೇದಾಃ । ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ನಸ್ತಾರ್ಕ್ಷ್ಯೋ ಅರಿಷ್ಟನೇಮಿಃ । ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ನೋ ಬೃಹಸ್ಪತಿರ್ದಧಾತು । ಓಂ ಶಾನ್ತಿಃ ಶಾನ್ತಿಃ ಶಾನ್ತಿಃ ॥

Malayalamഓം ഭദ്രം കര്ണേഭിഃ ശൃണുയാമ ദേവാഃ । ഭദ്രം പശ്യേമാക്ഷഭിര്യജത്രാഃ । സ്ഥിരൈരങ്ഗൈസ്തുഷ്ടുവാംസസ്തനൂഭിഃ । വ്യശേമ ദേവഹിതം യദായുഃ । സ്വസ്തി ന ഇന്ദ്രോ വൃദ്ധശ്രവാഃ । സ്വസ്തി നഃ പൂഷാ വിശ്വവേദാഃ । സ്വസ്തി നസ്താര്ക്ഷ്യോ അരിഷ്ടനേമിഃ । സ്വസ്തി നോ ബൃഹസ്പതിര്ദധാതു । ഓം ശാന്തിഃ ശാന്തിഃ ശാന്തിഃ ॥

EnglishRoman transliterationoṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ | bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ | sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāṃsastanūbhiḥ | vyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ | svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ | svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ | svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ | svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

“O gods, may we hear what is auspicious with our ears; O worshipful ones, may we see what is auspicious with our eyes. Praising you with steady limbs and bodies, may we live out the life span the gods have granted. May Indra of great fame, Pushan who knows all, Garuda (Tarkshya) who wards off harm, and Brihaspati grant us well-being. Om, peace, peace, peace.”

हरिः: hariḥ — Hari
ॐ: oṃ — Om
नमस्ते: namaste — salutations to you
गणपतये: gaṇapataye — to Ganapati
त्वमेव: tvameva — you alone
प्रत्यक्षं: pratyakṣaṃ — visible, manifest
तत्त्वमसि: tattvamasi — the truth 'That thou art'
त्वमेव: tvameva — you alone
केवलं: kevalaṃ — solely
कर्ताऽसि: kartā'si — are the creator

Ganesh Atharvashirsha lyrics in full

The fourteen mantras of the Upanishad, opened by the Vedic peace chant bhadram karnebhih and closed by saha navavatu and the same peace chant repeated.

All 17 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Ganesh Atharvashirsha PDFAll 17 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

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Shanti Mantra 1

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः ।
भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ।
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः ।
व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ।
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः ।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ।
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः ।
स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

O gods, may we hear what is auspicious with our ears; O worshipful ones, may we see what is auspicious with our eyes. Praising you with steady limbs and bodies, may we live out the life span the gods have granted. May Indra of great fame, Pushan who knows all, Garuda (Tarkshya) who wards off harm, and Brihaspati grant us well-being. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Mantra 1

हरिः ॐ नमस्ते गणपतये ।
त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्त्वमसि ।
त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽसि ।
त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि ।
त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि ।
त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि ।
त्वं साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम् ॥

Hari Om. Salutations to you, Ganapati. You alone are the visible form of the truth 'That thou art'; you alone are the creator, the sustainer and the destroyer. You alone are all this, truly Brahman, and you are forever the Self made manifest.

Mantra 2

ऋतं वच्मि ।
सत्यं वच्मि ॥

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

Mantra 3

अव त्वं माम् ।
अव वक्तारम् ।
अव श्रोतारम् ।
अव दातारम् ।
अव धातारम् ।
अवानूचानमव शिष्यम् ।
अव पश्चात्तात् ।
अव पुरस्तात् ।
अवोत्तरात्तात् ।
अव दक्षिणात्तात् ।
अव चोर्ध्वात्तात् ।
अवाधरात्तात् ।
सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात् ॥

Protect me. Protect the one who speaks and the one who listens, the one who gives and the one who holds this knowledge; protect the teacher and protect the disciple. Protect me from behind and in front, from the north and the south, from above and below; guard me on every side, all around.

Mantra 4

त्वं वाङ्मयस्त्वं चिन्मयः ।
त्वमानन्दमयस्त्वं ब्रह्ममयः ।
त्वं सच्चिदानन्दाद्वितीयोऽसि ।
त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि ।
त्वं ज्ञानमयो विज्ञानमयोऽसि ॥

You are made of speech and made of consciousness; you are made of bliss and made of Brahman. You are being, consciousness and bliss, one without a second. You are Brahman made visible; you are made of knowledge and of wisdom.

Mantra 5

सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तो जायते ।
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तस्तिष्ठति ।
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि लयमेष्यति ।
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि प्रत्येति ।
त्वं भूमिरापोऽनलोऽनिलो नभः ।
त्वं चत्वारि वाक्पदानि ॥

This whole world is born from you, stands by you, will dissolve into you and returns to you. You are earth, water, fire, air and space. You are the four levels of speech.

Mantra 6

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 भूर्भुवः स्वरोम् ॥

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

Mantra 7

गणादिं पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णादिंस्तदनन्तरम् ।
अनुस्वारः परतरः ।
अर्धेन्दुलसितम् ।
तारेण ऋद्धम् ।
एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपम् ।
गकारः पूर्वरूपम् ।
अकारो मध्यमरूपम् ।
अनुस्वारश्चान्त्यरूपम् ।
बिन्दुरुत्तररूपम् ।
नादः सन्धानम् ।
संहिता सन्धिः ।
सैषा गणेशविद्या ।
गणक ऋषिः ।
निचृद्गायत्रीच्छन्दः ।
गणपतिर्देवता ।
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥

First utter 'ga', the first sound of 'gana', then 'a', the first of the letters, then the nasal after it, adorned with the half-moon and joined with Om: this is the form of your mantra. 'G' is its first part, 'a' its middle, the nasal its last, the bindu its upper part, and the resonance joins them; their union is the whole. This is the knowledge of Ganesha: its seer is Ganaka, its metre Nichrid Gayatri, its deity Ganapati. Om Gam, salutations to Ganapati.

Mantra 8

एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि ।
तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात् ॥

We come to know the one-tusked one; we meditate on the one with the curved trunk. May that tusked one inspire and guide us.

Mantra 9

एकदन्तं चतुर्हस्तं पाशमङ्कुशधारिणम् ।
रदं च वरदं हस्तैर्बिभ्राणं मूषकध्वजम् ।
रक्तं लम्बोदरं शूर्पकर्णकं रक्तवाससम् ।
रक्तगन्धानुलिप्ताङ्गं रक्तपुष्पैः सुपूजितम् ।
भक्तानुकम्पिनं देवं जगत्कारणमच्युतम् ।
आविर्भूतं च सृष्ट्यादौ प्रकृतेः पुरुषात्परम् ।
एवं ध्यायति यो नित्यं स योगी योगिनां वरः ॥

One tusk, four hands holding the noose, the goad, the tusk and the gesture of blessing, with the mouse on his banner; red in colour, big-bellied, with ears like winnowing fans, dressed in red, his body smeared with red sandal paste and worshipped with red flowers. He is the god who is kind to devotees, the unfailing cause of the world, who appeared at the start of creation, beyond Prakriti and Purusha. The verse says that one who meditates on him this way every day is the best of yogis.

Mantra 10

नमो व्रातपतये ।
नमो गणपतये ।
नमः प्रमथपतये ।
नमस्तेऽस्तु लम्बोदरायैकदन्ताय विघ्नविनाशिने शिवसुताय श्रीवरदमूर्तये नमः ॥

Salutations to the lord of the hosts, to the lord of the ganas, to the lord of the Pramathas. Salutations to you, the big-bellied, one-tusked destroyer of obstacles, son of Shiva, the auspicious giver of boons.

Mantra 11

एतदथर्वशीर्षं योऽधीते ।
स ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ।
स सर्वविघ्नैर्न बाध्यते ।
स सर्वतः सुखमेधते ।
स पञ्चमहापापात् प्रमुच्यते ।
सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति ।
प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति ।
सायं प्रातः प्रयुञ्जानः पापोऽपापो भवति ।
सर्वत्राधीयानोऽपविघ्नो भवति ।
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षं च विन्दति ।
इदमथर्वशीर्षमशिष्याय न देयम् ।
यो यदि मोहाद् दास्यति स पापीयान् भवति ।
सहस्रावर्तनाद्यं यं काममधीते तं तमनेन साधयेत् ॥

The verse says that one who studies this Atharvashirsha becomes fit to become one with Brahman, is not troubled by obstacles, grows in happiness everywhere and is freed from the five great sins; recited in the evening it removes the faults of the day, in the morning those of the night, and recited at both times it makes the wrongdoer free of wrong. Reciting it anywhere removes obstacles and one gains dharma, wealth, desire and liberation. It is not to be given to one who is not a disciple, and one who gives it out of delusion incurs fault; whatever wish one recites it for a thousand times, one attains by it.

Mantra 12

अनेन गणपतिमभिषिञ्चति स वाग्मी भवति ।
चतुर्थ्यामनश्नन् जपति स विद्यावान् भवति ।
इत्यथर्वणवाक्यम् ।
ब्रह्माद्यावरणं विद्यान्न बिभेति कदाचनेति ॥

The verse says that one who bathes Ganapati while reciting this becomes eloquent, and one who recites it fasting on Chaturthi becomes learned. This is the word of Atharvan: one who knows the veils beginning with Brahma never knows fear.

Mantra 13

यो दूर्वाङ्कुरैर्यजति स वैश्रवणोपमो भवति ।
यो लाजैर्यजति स यशोवान् भवति ।
स मेधावान् भवति ।
यो मोदकसहस्रेण यजति स वाञ्छितफलमवाप्नोति ।
यः साज्य समिद्भिर्यजति स सर्वं लभते स सर्वं लभते ॥

The verse says that one who worships with sprouts of durva grass becomes like Kubera, and one who worships with puffed rice becomes famous and intelligent. One who offers a thousand modakas obtains the fruit desired, and one who offers sacrificial sticks with ghee obtains everything, everything.

Mantra 14

अष्टौ ब्राह्मणान् सम्यग् ग्राहयित्वा सूर्यवर्चस्वी भवति ।
सूर्यग्रहे महानद्यां प्रतिमासन्निधौ वा जप्त्वा सिद्धमन्त्रो भवति ।
महाविघ्नात् प्रमुच्यते ।
महादोषात् प्रमुच्यते ।
महापापात् प्रमुच्यते ।
महाप्रत्यवायात् प्रमुच्यते ।
स सर्वविद्भवति स सर्वविद्भवति ।
य एवं वेद ।
इत्युपनिषत् ॥

The verse says that one who has eight brahmins learn it properly becomes radiant as the sun, and one who recites it during a solar eclipse, on a great river or before an image gains mastery of the mantra. Such a person is freed from great obstacles, great faults, great sins and great lapses, and comes to know all; so it is for one who knows this. Thus the Upanishad.

Shanti Mantra 2

ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om. May he protect us both together; may he nourish us both together. May we work together with energy. May our study be full of light, and may we not dislike each other. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Shanti Mantra 3

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः ।
भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ।
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः ।
व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ।
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः ।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ।
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः ।
स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

The opening peace chant is repeated to close: may we hear and see what is auspicious, live out our god-given span in praise, and may Indra, Pushan, Garuda and Brihaspati grant us well-being. Om, peace, peace, peace.

The syllable people get wrong

In Mantra 10, namo vrātapataye has a long ā: vrāta means a host or band, so the line salutes the lord of hosts. Said with a short a, as 'vratapataye', it becomes vrata, a vow, and the title changes to 'lord of vows'; say VRAA-ta-pa-ta-ye.

When the Ganesha Atharvashirsha is chanted

Weekday. Tuesday

Festival. Ganesh Chaturthi, and Rishi Panchami in Pune

Questions

It has no named human author. The text gives Ganaka as the seer of its mantra and calls its teaching the word of Atharvan, which is why it is counted among the Upanishads of the Atharva Veda. Scholars generally date its composition to about the sixteenth or seventeenth century, with some arguing for an earlier origin. It was already in the Muktika list of 108 Upanishads, compiled in the mid-seventeenth century.

No. Marathi and Hindi books print the same Sanskrit in Devanagari, often with a translation alongside, so the words recited do not change. English versions translate the meaning only. Printed editions do differ in small readings: in Mantra 11 some have papo'papo bhavati and others apapo bhavati, and in Mantra 12 some read brahmadyavaranam and others brahmadyacharanam. Some books also add the line om tanmamavatu, which is not part of the Upanishad given here.

Yes. Mantra 8 is the Gayatri addressed to Ganesha: ekadantaya vidmahe vakratundaya dhimahi, tanno dantih prachodayat. It asks to know the one-tusked god, to meditate on the one with the curved trunk, and for that tusked one to guide the mind. It comes straight after Mantra 7 builds the seed syllable gam, and straight before Mantra 9 describes his form, so knowledge, sound and image follow in order.

Mantras 11 to 14. The verses say that one who studies the Atharvashirsha is not troubled by obstacles and becomes fit for union with Brahman, that one who bathes an image of Ganapati while reciting it becomes eloquent, and that one who recites it while fasting on Chaturthi becomes learned. They list offerings such as durva sprouts, puffed rice and modakas, each with its fruit. Mantra 11 also forbids handing the text to someone who is not a disciple.

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Ganesha Atharvashirsha

What the Ganesha Atharvashirsha is

A late Upanishad that took a temple doorway

The mantra, in six scripts

Ganesh Atharvashirsha lyrics in full

The syllable people get wrong

When the Ganesha Atharvashirsha is chanted

Questions

Have your chart read before you decide

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