Ganapati Atharvashirsha: Lyrics and Deep Meaning of the Sacred Hymn

श्री गणपति अथर्वशीर्ष 

ॐ नमस्ते गणपतये। त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्वमसि त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽ सि त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि त्व साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम्।।1।।

Meaning: Om, salutations to Ganapati. You are the directly perceived reality. You are the only doer. You are the only bearer. You are the only destroyer. You are indeed all this Brahma. You are the directly perceived Atman, eternally.

ऋतं वच्मि। सत्यं वच्मि।।2।।

Meaning: I speak the right. I speak the truth.

अव त्व मां। अव वक्तारं। अव श्रोतारं। अव दातारं। अव धातारं। अवानूचानमव शिष्यं। अव पश्चातात। अव पुरस्तात। अवोत्तरात्तात। अव दक्षिणात्तात्। अवचोर्ध्वात्तात्।। अवाधरात्तात्।। सर्वतो मां पाहि-पाहि समंतात्।।3।।

Meaning: O son of Parvati, protect me (the disciple). Protect the speaker (teacher). Protect the listener. Protect the giver. Protect the bearer. Protect the commentator and the disciple. Protect from the west, protect from the east. Protect from the north. Protect from the south. Protect from above. Protect from below. Protect me from all sides. Protect me all around.

त्वं वाङ्‍मयस्त्वं चिन्मय:। त्वमानंदमसयस्त्वं ब्रह्ममय:। त्वं सच्चिदानंदाद्वितीयोऽषि। त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्माषि। त्वं ज्ञानमयो विज्ञानमयोऽषि।।4।।

Meaning: You are the word, you are the consciousness. You are full of bliss, you are Brahman. You are truth, consciousness, and bliss, and you are second to none. You are the directly perceived Brahman. You are knowledge and wisdom.

सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तो जायते। सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तस्तिष्ठति। सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि लयमेष्यति। सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि प्रत्येति। त्वं भूमिरापोऽनलोऽनिलो नभ:। त्वं चत्वारिकाकूपदानि।।5।।

Meaning: This world is born from you. This whole world stands in you. This whole world will merge in you. This whole world is perceived in you. You are the earth, water, fire, air and sky. You are the four parts of speech.

त्वं गुणत्रयातीत: त्वमवस्थात्रयातीत:। त्वं देहत्रयातीत:। त्वं कालत्रयातीत:। त्वं मूलाधारस्थितोऽसि नित्यं। त्वं शक्तित्रयात्मक:। त्वां योगिनो ध्यायंति नित्यं। त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं रूद्रस्त्वं इंद्रस्त्वं अग्निस्त्वं वायुस्त्वं सूर्यस्त्वं चंद्रमास्त्वं ब्रह्मभूर्भुव:स्वरोम्।।6।।

Meaning: You are beyond the three gunas. You are beyond the three states. You are beyond the three bodies. You are beyond the three times. You reside eternally in the Muladhara chakra. You are the three powers. Yogis meditate upon you constantly. You are Brahma, you are Vishnu, you are Rudra, you are Indra, you are Agni, you are Vayu, you are Surya, you are Chandrama, you are Brahma, you are the three worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah), and you are the Om sound.

गणादि पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णादिं तदनंतरं। अनुस्वार: परतर:। अर्धेन्दुलसितं।

तारेण ऋद्धं। एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपं। गकार: पूर्वरूपं। अकारो मध्यमरूपं। अनुस्वारश्चान्त्यरूपं। बिन्दुरूत्तररूपं। नाद: संधानं। सँ हितासंधि: सैषा गणेश विद्या। गणकऋषि: निचृद्गायत्रीच्छंद:। गणपतिर्देवता। ॐ गं गणपतये नम:।।7।।

Meaning: The first letter ‘G’ of ‘Gana’ is pronounced first. Then the first letter of the alphabet ‘A’ is pronounced. After that, the anusvara is pronounced. In this way, adorned with a half-moon, ‘Gam’ when obstructed by Om becomes the form of your seed mantra (Om Gam). ‘Ga’ is its initial form. The bindu is the final form. Nada is the connection. Samhita is the combination. This is the Ganesha Vidya. The sage of this mantra is Ganaka. The meter is Nicrdgayatri. The deity is Shri Mahaganapati. That great mantra is: Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha.

एकदंताय विद्‍महे। वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि। तन्नो दंती प्रचोदयात।।8।।

Meaning: We know the one-tusked one. We meditate on the one with a curved trunk. May that tusked one (Gajanana) inspire us. This is the Ganesha Gayatri.

एकदंतं चतुर्हस्तं पाशमंकुशधारिणम्। रदं च वरदं हस्तैर्विभ्राणं मूषकध्वजम्। रक्तं लंबोदरं शूर्पकर्णकं रक्तवाससम्। रक्तगंधाऽनुलिप्तांगं रक्तपुष्पै: सुपुजितम्।। भक्तानुकंपिनं देवं जगत्कारणमच्युतम्। आविर्भूतं च सृष्टयादौ प्रकृ‍ते पुरुषात्परम्। एवं ध्यायति यो नित्यं स योगी योगिनां वर:।।9।।

Meaning: One who has one tusk and four hands, holding a noose, a goad, a tusk, and bestowing boons, having a mouse as his banner, red in color, with a large belly, large ears like winnowing baskets, wearing red clothes, having his body smeared with red sandalwood paste, and worshipped with red flowers. The deity who is compassionate to devotees, the cause of the universe, the imperishable one, manifested at the beginning of creation, beyond Prakriti and Purusha. The one who meditates on him like this constantly, that yogi is the best among yogis.

नमो व्रातपतये। नमो गणपतये। नम: प्रमथपतये। नमस्तेऽस्तु लंबोदरायैकदंताय। विघ्ननाशिने शिवसुताय। श्रीवरदमूर्तये नमो नम:।।10।।

Meaning: Salutations to the lord of the hosts. Salutations to Ganapati. Salutations to the lord of Shiva’s attendants. Salutations to the long-bellied, one-tusked one. Salutations to the destroyer of obstacles, the son of Shiva. Salutations to the form of bestower of boons.

एतदथर्वशीर्ष योऽधीते। स ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते। स सर्व विघ्नैर्नबाध्यते। स सर्वत: सुखमेधते। स पञ्चमहापापात्प्रमुच्यते।।11।।

Meaning: Whoever studies this Atharvashirsha (Upanishad of the Atharva Veda) becomes capable of attaining Brahman. He is not obstructed by any obstacles. He enjoys happiness everywhere. He is freed from the five great sins and minor sins.

सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति। प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति। सायंप्रात: प्रयुंजानोऽपापो भवति। सर्वत्राधीयानोऽपविघ्नो भवति। धर्मार्थकाममोक्षं च विंदति।।12।।

Meaning: One who recites it in the evening destroys the sins committed during the day. One who recites it in the morning destroys the sins committed during the night. One who practices it both morning and evening becomes sinless. He becomes free from obstacles everywhere. He attains Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.

इदमथर्वशीर्षमशिष्याय न देयम्। यो यदि मोहाद्‍दास्यति स पापीयान् भवति। सहस्रावर्तनात् यं यं काममधीते तं तमनेन साधयेत्।13।।

Meaning: This Atharvashirsha should not be given to one who is not a disciple. One who gives it out of delusion becomes a sinner. By reciting it a thousand times, one can achieve whatever desires one recites.

अनेन गणपतिमभिषिंचति स वाग्मी भवति चतुर्थ्यामनश्र्नन जपति स विद्यावान भवति। इत्यथर्वणवाक्यं। ब्रह्माद्यावरणं विद्यात् न बिभेति कदाचनेति।।14।।

Meaning: Whoever bathes Ganapati with this becomes eloquent. One who fasts and chants on Chaturthi becomes knowledgeable. This is the saying of Atharva. One who knows the covering of Brahma is never afraid.

यो दूर्वांकुरैंर्यजति स वैश्रवणोपमो भवति। यो लाजैर्यजति स यशोवान भवति स मेधावान भवति। यो मोदकसहस्रेण यजति स वाञ्छित फलमवाप्रोति। य: साज्यसमिद्भिर्यजति स सर्वं लभते स सर्वं लभते।।15।।

Meaning: One who worships with Durva grass becomes like Kubera. One who worships with parched grains becomes famous and intelligent. One who worships with a thousand modakas (sweet dumplings) attains the desired fruit. One who worships with ghee and Samidha (sacrificial wood) obtains everything.

अष्टौ ब्राह्मणान् सम्यग्ग्राहयित्वा सूर्यवर्चस्वी भवति। सूर्यग्रहे महानद्यां प्रतिमासंनिधौ वा जप्त्वा सिद्धमंत्रों भवति। महाविघ्नात्प्रमुच्यते। महादोषात्प्रमुच्यते। महापापात् प्रमुच्यते। स सर्वविद्भवति से सर्वविद्भवति। य एवं वेद इत्युपनिषद्‍।।16।।

Meaning: One who duly honors eight Brahmanas becomes radiant like the sun. One who chants during a solar eclipse, in a great river, or near an image attains mantra siddhi (perfection). He is freed from great obstacles, great faults, and great sins. He becomes all-knowing. He becomes all-knowing. Thus ends the Upanishad.

अथर्ववेदीय गणपतिउपनिषद समाप्त।।

Meaning: The Atharva Vedic Ganapati Upanishad is complete.