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Ganapathi Ganesha Bhujangam: red Ganesha dancing on a dawn terrace with a citron in his trunk, celestial women playing the veena and waving fly-whisks
Ganesha dances to bells and vina, a citron in his trunk, as celestial women wave fly-whisks
Mantra · Nine serpent-metre verses to Ganesha dancing to small bells

Ganesha Bhujangam

रणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम् । लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

Also known as Ranat Kshudra Ghanta

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

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What the Ganesha Bhujangam is

The Ganesha Bhujangam is a Sanskrit hymn of nine verses to Ganesha, attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, which opens on the ring of small bells as he dances. Its title comes from its metre: every verse is in bhujangaprayata, the 'serpent's gait', four quarters of twelve syllables each, and the printed closing line gives the fuller name, Ganesha Bhujangaprayata Stotra. Verses 1 to 6 paint the figure and share one last line, 'I praise that chief of the ganas, the son of Ishana'. The first two are full of sound: bells, feet keeping time, the vina, humming bees. Verses 3 to 6 turn to his colour, crown, arms and eyes. Verse 7 leaves the picture behind and calls him the one imperishable syllable, formless and beyond the gunas, keeping only the verb 'I praise'. Verse 8 changes to direct salutation and closes by asking him to be gracious. Verse 9 is the phala shruti.

The Hymn That Names No Shrine

Two other hymns in this metre given to Shankara come with well-known stories. The Subramanya Bhujangam is tied to the shore at Tiruchendur, and tradition sets the Vishnu Bhujanga Prayata at his mother's deathbed. The Ganesha Bhujangam has no such account. Its verses name no temple, river or hill, and they give no occasion. The link to Shankara rests on tradition and on a closing line found in some printings, while others of the same verses end without one. That title was also carried by later heads of the monasteries he founded, and one twentieth-century holder of the office remarked that hymns by such successors could come to be believed the work of the first Shankara. He was speaking of the Shiva hymn in this metre, not of this one, but the attribution here too stands as tradition rather than proven history. What the text gives in place of a story is a scene. Bells ring, feet beat time in the tandava, the vina plays, bees circle, and in verse 5 celestial women wave fly-whisks as if at a royal court. Tandava is the word for his father's dance, here given to the son, and some read the portrait as Nritya Ganapathi, the dancing form.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiरणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम् । लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥
Tamilரணத்க்ஷுத்ரகண்டாநிநாதாபிராமம் சலத்தாண்டவோத்தண்டவத்பத்மதாலம் । லஸத்துந்திலாங்கோபரிவ்யாலஹாரம் கணாதீஶமீஶாநஸூநும் தமீடே ॥
Teluguరణత్క్షుద్రఘణ్టానినాదాభిరామం చలత్తాణ్డవోద్దణ్డవత్పద్మతాలమ్ । లసత్తున్దిలాఙ్గోపరివ్యాలహారం గణాధీశమీశానసూనుం తమీడే ॥
Kannadaರಣತ್ಕ್ಷುದ್ರಘಣ್ಟಾನಿನಾದಾಭಿರಾಮಂ ಚಲತ್ತಾಣ್ಡವೋದ್ದಣ್ಡವತ್ಪದ್ಮತಾಲಮ್ । ಲಸತ್ತುನ್ದಿಲಾಙ್ಗೋಪರಿವ್ಯಾಲಹಾರಂ ಗಣಾಧೀಶಮೀಶಾನಸೂನುಂ ತಮೀಡೇ ॥
Malayalamരണത്ക്ഷുദ്രഘണ്ടാനിനാദാഭിരാമം ചലത്താണ്ഡവോദ്ദണ്ഡവത്പദ്മതാലമ് । ലസത്തുന്ദിലാങ്ഗോപരിവ്യാലഹാരം ഗണാധീശമീശാനസൂനും തമീഡേ ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationraṇatkṣudraghaṇṭāninādābhirāmaṃ calattāṇḍavoddaṇḍavatpadmatālam | lasattundilāṅgoparivyālahāraṃ gaṇādhīśamīśānasūnuṃ tamīḍe ||
“I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, lovely with the sound of tinkling small bells, whose lotus feet keep time in the vigorous, moving tandava dance, and who wears a serpent as a necklace on his round body.”
रणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं
raṇatkṣudraghaṇṭāninādābhirāmaṃ — lovely with the sound of tinkling small bells
चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम्
calattāṇḍavoddaṇḍavatpadmatālam — whose lotus feet keep time in the vigorous, moving tandava
लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं
lasattundilāṅgoparivyālahāraṃ — with a serpent necklace on the round, gleaming body
गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं
gaṇādhīśamīśānasūnuṃ — the chief of the ganas, the son of Ishana
तमीडे
tamīḍe — him I praise

Ganesha Bhujangam lyrics in full

Eight verses of praise and the phala shruti, all in the bhujangaprayata metre. The printed closing line is given at the end.

All 10 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Ganesha Bhujangam PDFAll 10 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Verse 1

रणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम् ।
लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, lovely with the sound of tinkling small bells, whose lotus feet keep time in the vigorous, moving tandava dance, and who wears a serpent as a necklace on his round body.

Verse 2

ध्वनिध्वंसवीणालयोल्लासिवक्त्रं स्फुरच्छुण्डदण्डोल्लसद्बीजपूरम् ।
गलद्दर्पसौगन्ध्यलोलालिमालं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, whose face brightens to the rhythm of the vina as its notes rise and fade, whose quivering staff-like trunk holds a gleaming citron, and around whom swarms of bees hover, drawn by the fragrance of his flowing temple-juice.

Verse 3

प्रकाशज्जपारक्तरत्नप्रसूनप्रवालप्रभातारुणज्योतिरेकम् ।
प्रलम्बोदरं वक्रतुण्डैकदन्तं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, the one light, red like bright hibiscus, rubies, blossoms, coral and the dawn, with hanging belly, curved trunk and single tusk.

Verse 4

विचित्रस्फुरद्रत्नमालाकिरीटं किरीटोल्लसच्चन्द्ररेखाविभूषम् ।
विभूषैकभूषं भवध्वंसहेतुं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, whose crown is set with wonderful sparkling rows of jewels, who is adorned by the crescent moon shining on that crown, who is the one ornament of all ornaments and the cause of the ending of worldly existence.

Verse 5

उदञ्चद्भुजावल्लरीदृश्यमूलोच्चलद्भ्रूलताविभ्रमभ्राजदक्षम् ।
मरुत्सुन्दरीचामरैः सेव्यमानं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, whose creeper-like arms are raised, whose eyes shine with the play of his moving creeper-like brows, and who is served by celestial maidens waving fly-whisks.

Verse 6

स्फुरन्निष्ठुरालोलपिङ्गाक्षितारं कृपाकोमलोदारलीलावतारम् ।
कलाबिन्दुगं गीयते योगिवर्यैर्गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥

I praise that lord of the ganas, the son of Ishana, the tawny pupils of whose eyes flash, stern and restless, whose descent in play is gentle with compassion and noble, and who is sung by the foremost yogis as abiding in kala and bindu.

Verse 7

यमेकाक्षरं निर्मलं निर्विकल्पं गुणातीतमानन्दमाकारशून्यम् ।
परं पारमोङ्कारमाम्नायगर्भं वदन्ति प्रगल्भं पुराणं तमीडे ॥

I praise him whom they declare to be the one imperishable syllable, stainless and free of all division, beyond the gunas, bliss itself, without form; the supreme, the further shore, Omkara, the womb of the Vedas, the mighty and ancient one.

Verse 8

चिदानन्दसान्द्राय शान्ताय तुभ्यं नमो विश्वकर्त्रे च हर्त्रे च तुभ्यम् ।
नमोऽनन्तलीलाय कैवल्यभासे नमो विश्वबीज प्रसीदेशसूनो ॥

To you, dense with consciousness and bliss, the peaceful one, and to you, maker and destroyer of the universe, salutations. Salutations to the one of endless play, the light of liberation. Salutations, seed of the universe; be gracious, son of Isha.

Phala Shruti 1

इमं सुस्तवं प्रातरुत्थाय भक्त्या पठेद्यस्तु मर्त्यो लभेत्सर्वकामान् ।
गणेशप्रसादेन सिध्यन्ति वाचो गणेशे विभौ दुर्लभं किं प्रसन्ने ॥

The verse says that the mortal who rises at dawn and reads this fine hymn with devotion gains all his desires. It says that by the grace of Ganesha words find their fulfilment, and asks what could be hard to obtain when the all-pervading Ganesha is pleased.

Closing

इति श्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यकृतं गणेशभुजङ्गप्रयातस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Thus ends the Ganesha Bhujangaprayata Stotra composed by Shri Shankaracharya.

The syllable people get wrong

The refrain word tamīḍe joins taṃ and īḍe, and is said ta-MEE-day: the ī is held long and the ḍ is retroflex, with the tongue curled back to touch the roof of the mouth, not the soft English d of 'tamide'.

When the Ganesha Bhujangam is chanted

Weekday. Tuesday

Questions

It is the opening of verse 1. Ranat means ringing, kshudra ghanta means small bells, ninada is their sound, and abhiramam means lovely or delightful. So Ganesha is praised as the one made lovely by the sound of tinkling small bells. The next quarter of the verse shows why they ring: his lotus feet are keeping time in the tandava, and the bells move with the dance.
Tradition says so, and the closing line in some printings reads 'composed by Shri Shankaracharya'. Other printings of the same nine verses carry no closing line, and no early account of its composition is known. The title Shankaracharya was also held by later heads of his monasteries, so the hymn is best described as attributed to him.
Both are in the same serpent-gait metre and both are attributed to Shankara, but they differ in nearly everything else. The Subramanya Bhujangam runs to 33 verses, addresses Skanda and draws the sea and shrine of Tiruchendur into its lines. The Ganesha Bhujangam has nine verses, names no place, and moves from a dancing figure to the formless Omkara. Ganesha does appear in the longer hymn, but only in its opening salutation.
The phala shruti is verse 9, the last verse before the printed closing line. It says that the mortal who reads this fine hymn with devotion gains all desires, and that by the grace of Ganesha words find their fulfilment. It ends on a question rather than a claim: ganeshe vibhau durlabham kim prasanne, what could be hard to obtain when the all-pervading Ganesha is pleased?
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