Ganesha, also called Ganapati, is the lord of beginnings, and it is common to call on him before starting a new task, a journey or a study. This page gathers four mantras of Ganesha that are drawn from the longer Sanskrit upanishad known as the Ganapati Atharvashirsha: his seed mantra, a Gayatri-style verse, a verse for meditating on his form, and a salutation of eight names.
Each of the four is short enough to learn by heart. You will find the Devanagari with a simple transliteration, a plain meaning for each, a table of the words in the seed mantra and the Gayatri, and notes on when and how they are used.
The text, transliteration and meaning
The four pieces below are taken one after another, from the shortest to the longest.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Om | the primal sacred sound, used to open and close a prayer |
| gam | the seed syllable (bija) of Ganesha, made from the letter ga with a nasal ending |
| ganapataye | to Ganapati, the lord of the host (gana) |
| namah | salutation, bowing |
| ekadantaya | to the one-tusked one |
| vidmahe | we know, we come to know |
| vakratundaya | to the one with the curved trunk |
| dhimahi | we meditate on |
| tat | that |
| dantih | the tusked one, a name of Ganesha |
| prachodayat | may he inspire, may he urge on |
| vratapati | lord of the hosts (vrata here means a multitude, not a vow) |
| lambodara | the big-bellied one |
| vighnanashin | remover of obstacles |
| shivasuta | son of Shiva |
| varadamurti | the one whose form gives boons |
Seed mantra
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om gam ganapataye namah
MeaningOm, salutation to Ganapati. The syllable gam is his seed sound, and the mantra is a bow to the lord of the host.
Ganesh Gayatri
एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि ।
तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात्
Ekadantaya vidmahe vakratundaya dhimahi
Tanno dantih prachodayat
MeaningWe come to know the one-tusked one, and we meditate on the one with the curved trunk. May the tusked one inspire us.
Dhyana: meditation verse
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
Ekadantam chaturhastam pashamankushadharinam
Radam cha varadam hastairbibhranam mushakadhvajam
Raktam lambodaram shurpakarnakam raktavasasam
Raktagandhanuliptangam raktapushpaih supujitam
Bhaktanukampinam devam jagatkaranamachyutam
Avirbhutam cha srishtyadau prakriteh purushatparam
Evam dhyayati yo nityam sa yogi yoginam varah
MeaningA picture in words: Ganesha has one tusk and four hands, which hold a noose, a goad, a tusk and a boon granting gesture, and a mouse is on his flag. His body is red, his belly large and his ears like winnowing baskets. He wears red cloth, is anointed with red fragrant paste and honoured with red flowers. The verse calls him compassionate to devotees, the cause of the world, unfallen, appearing at the start of creation and beyond Prakriti and Purusha, and says that anyone who meditates on him daily is the best of yogis.
Eight-name salutation
नमो व्रातपतये नमो गणपतये नमः प्रमथपतये
नमस्तेऽस्तु लम्बोदरायैकदन्ताय विघ्ननाशिने शिवसुताय
श्रीवरदमूर्तये नमो नमः
Namo vratapataye namo ganapataye namah pramathapataye
Namaste'stu lambodarayaikadantaya vighnanashine shivasutaya
Shrivaradamurtaye namo namah
MeaningBowing to Vratapati, to Ganapati and to Pramathapati, the leaders of the hosts. You are praised as Lambodara, Ekadanta, the one who destroys obstacles and the son of Shiva, and the verse closes with a deep bow to Shri Varadamurti, the one who grants boons.
Text: Sanskrit Wikisource, page “गणपत्यथर्वशीर्षम्”. Transliteration is simplified; meanings are our own. Verse numbers appear as labels above each verse. The four pieces come from the same Sanskrit upanishad, and the first two are also its sections 7 and 8.
When and how it is traditionally recited
The seed mantra is often repeated on a mala of 108 beads, and many devotees begin their day or a new undertaking with it. The Gayatri is recited in the same way by those who follow Ganapati. The meditation verse is usually read slowly, with the mind resting on the picture of the god, and the eight-name salutation is often spoken aloud at the close of worship.
Some families chant Ganesha mantras on Wednesdays, which many link with him, and during Ganesh Chaturthi and on Sankashti Chaturthi, whose dates are on the festival pages. Customs differ by region and family, and some teachers advise beginning with only a few repetitions. If you have a family tradition or a teacher, follow that.
What the tradition says it is for
In tradition Ganesha is called Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, and the mantras here express that role in four ways: a bow through the seed syllable, a prayer for clear thought in the Gayatri, a portrait for steady attention in the meditation verse, and a litany of names in the salutation. The name Vakratunda in the Gayatri, “curved trunk”, is among the best known of his names.
Teachers describe such mantras as aids to attention and devotion at the start of work, rather than ways of controlling events. They are not a medical, legal or financial remedy, and a worry about health or money deserves proper advice from a doctor or a qualified adviser. The longer text from which they come makes large claims of its own, and these are reported with care on the Ganapati Atharvashirsha page.
Pronunciation notes
Gam has a short a like the u in “but” and ends in a nasal hum, so it sounds close to “gum” with the lips left open at the end. Ganapataye is “ga-na-pa-ta-ye”, with each a short and the e like the ay in “say”. Namah ends in a soft echo of the vowel, a light h.
In the Gayatri, vidmahe is “vid-ma-he” and dhimahi “dhee-ma-hee”, with dh a plain d plus a puff of air. The joined sound in vakratunda is easy to blur, so say “vak-ra-tun-da” and let the n and d be clear. The line tanno dantih prachodayat runs together as “tan-no dan-tih pra-cho-da-yat”, the ch as in “church”.
Related mantras and pages
- Ganapati Atharvashirsha: the full upanishad from which these four are taken
- Ganesh Chaturthi: the main festival of Ganesha
- Sankashti Chaturthi: the monthly vrat for Ganesha
- Gayatri Mantra: the Vedic Gayatri, whose shape the Ganesh Gayatri follows
- Om Namah Shivaya: a mantra of Ganesha’s father, Shiva
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is the Ganesh mantra?
The best known is Om Gam Ganapataye Namah, a salutation to Ganapati built on his seed syllable gam. This page also gives the Ganesh Gayatri, a verse describing his form and a salutation with eight names.
↳ What does Om Gam Ganapataye Namah mean?
It means roughly: Om, salutation to Ganapati. Gam is the seed sound tradition assigns to him, and Ganapataye means to the lord of the host.
↳ What is the Ganesh Gayatri mantra?
It is the verse beginning Ekadantaya vidmahe: we come to know the one-tusked one, we meditate on the one with the curved trunk, may the tusked one inspire us. Vakratunda, the curved trunk, is one of his names. Its shape follows the Vedic Gayatri.
↳ How many times should one chant the Ganesh mantra?
Many devotees use a mala of 108 beads, but some chant three, eleven or twenty-one times, and others follow a count given by a teacher. A small, steady practice with attention matters more than a large count.
↳ Can I chant Ganesh mantras at any time of day?
Yes, they are commonly chanted at any time, and many people say them at the start of the day or before a new task. Some families favour Wednesdays or Chaturthi days, but these are customs and differ by family.