Ganesha Bhujangam
गणेश भुजङ्गम्
Gaṇeśa Bhujaṅgam
All 9 verses
Verse 1
रणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम् । लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥१॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- रणत्क्षुद्रघण्टानिनादाभिरामं
- Delightful with the sound of small tinkling bells ringing.
- चलत्ताण्डवोद्दण्डवत्पद्मतालम् ।
- Whose lotus feet beat time like a drum in the dance of moving tandava.
- लसत्तुन्दिलाङ्गोपरिव्यालहारं
- Wearing a serpent garland over a splendid pot-bellied body.
- गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे
- I praise that lord of the hosts, son of Ishana.
Ganesha dancing to bell and drum is the awakened power that sets the rhythm of creation and removal of obstacles. The serpent on the belly reminds the seeker that the Lord who rules the hosts is born of Shiva, the stillness from which all movement springs.
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Verse 2
ध्वनिध्वंसवीणालयोल्लासिवक्त्रं स्फुरच्छुण्डदण्डोल्लसद्बीजपूरम् । गलद्दर्पसौगन्ध्यलोलालिमालं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥२॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Study note
Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- ध्वनिध्वंसवीणालयोल्लासिवक्त्रं
- Whose face delights like the joyful sound of a vina destroying all other noise.
- स्फुरच्छुण्डदण्डोल्लसद्बीजपूरम् ।
- Whose trunk-staff flashes, holding a gleaming modaka.
- गलद्दर्पसौगन्ध्यलोलालिमालं
- Wearing a swaying garland of aloe rich with dripping fragrant pride.
- गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे
- I praise that lord of the hosts, son of Ishana.
The face bright as a vina and the trunk holding sweet reward show that the remover of obstacles grants both beauty and the fruit of disciplined practice. Fragrance and garland adorn the path by which the mind turns from noise toward inner music.
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Verse 3
प्रकाशज्जपारक्तरत्नप्रसून- प्रवालप्रभातारुणज्योतिरेकम् । प्रलम्बोदरं वक्रतुण्डैकदन्तं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥३॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- प्रकाशज्जपारक्तरत्नप्रसून-
- Of a single crimson radiance like shining hibiscus-jewel blossoms
- प्रवालप्रभातारुणज्योतिरेकम् ।
- one dawn-red light like the splendour of new coral shoots.
- प्रलम्बोदरं वक्रतुण्डैकदन्तं
- Of vast belly, curved trunk, and single tusk.
- गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे
- I praise that lord of the hosts, son of Ishana.
The single tusk and curved form point to the one reality that survives when duality is broken. Dawn-red radiance on the Lord's form is the first light of knowledge that dispels the darkness before worship begins.
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Verse 4
विचित्रस्फुरद्रत्नमालाकिरीटं किरीटोल्लसच्चन्द्ररेखाविभूषम् । विभूषैकभूशं भवध्वंसहेतुं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥४॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Study note
Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- विचित्रस्फुरद्रत्नमालाकिरीटं
- Wearing a crown of wonderfully flashing jewelled garlands.
- किरीटोल्लसच्चन्द्ररेखाविभूषम् ।
- Adorned on the crown with a resplendent crescent moon.
- विभूषैकभूशं भवध्वंसहेतुं
- Whose sole ornament is ornament itself, cause of the destruction of becoming.
- गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे
- I praise that lord of the hosts, son of Ishana.
He whose only ornament is ornament itself needs nothing added yet appears adorned for the devotee's joy. As destroyer of worldly bondage, Ganesha clears the path so that meditation may reach the crown of the Self.
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Verse 5
उदञ्चद्भुजावल्लरीदृश्यमूलो- च्चलद्भ्रूलताविभ्रमभ्राजदक्षम् । मरुत्सुन्दरीचामरैः सेव्यमानं गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥५॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- उदञ्चद्भुजावल्लरीदृश्यमूलो-
- Whose brow, root of the sight of the creeper of upraised arms,
- च्चलद्भ्रूलताविभ्रमभ्राजदक्षम् ।
- shines with the charm of moving eyebrow-vines in playful splendour.
- मरुत्सुन्दरीचामरैः सेव्यमानं
- Served by celestial maidens with chamara whisks.
- गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे
- I praise that lord of the hosts, son of Ishana.
The captivating brow and celestial service show the Lord honoured in the inner shrine as well as in heaven. When the mind is charmed by his presence, the senses that once scattered outward turn into attendants of the one Self.
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Verse 6
स्फुरन्निष्ठुरालोलपिङ्गाक्षितारं कृपाकोमलोदारलीलावतारम् । कलाबिन्दुगं गीयते योगिवर्यै- र्गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे ॥६॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
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Word breakdown
- स्फुरन्निष्ठुरालोलपिङ्गाक्षितारं
- Fierce yet tender, with flashing tawny eye-rays.
- कृपाकोमलोदारलीलावतारम् ।
- A generous, gentle, playful incarnation of grace.
- कलाबिन्दुगं गीयते योगिवर्यै-
- Called the drop of art, sung by the best of yogis
- र्गणाधीशमीशानसूनुं तमीडे
- I praise that lord of the hosts, son of Ishana.
Fierce glance and tender grace are not opposed but united in the Lord whom yogis praise. The drop of artistic skill is a pointer to the subtle creative power that flows from the same source as liberation.
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Verse 7
यमेकाक्षरं निर्मलं निर्विकल्पं गुणातीतमानन्दमाकारशून्यम् । परं पारमोङ्कारमाम्नायगर्भं वदन्ति प्रगल्-भं पुराणं तमीडे ॥७॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- यमेकाक्षरं निर्मलं निर्विकल्पं
- Whom they call the single syllable, pure and free from division,
- गुणातीतमानन्दमाकारशून्यम् ।
- bliss beyond the gunas, empty of form.
- परं पारमोङ्कारमाम्नायगर्भं
- supreme, the transcendent Om, womb of the Vedas,
- वदन्ति प्रगल्-भं पुराणं तमीडे
- the ancient one: I praise him boldly proclaimed.
Ganesha as the immaculate Om beyond form is the bridge between devotion and Vedantic truth. To know him as the womb of the Vedas is to see that the elephant-faced Lord and the formless Brahman are one reality differently praised.
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Verse 8
चिदानन्दसान्द्राय शान्ताय तुभ्यं नमो विश्वकर्त्रे च हर्त्रे च तुभ्यम् । नमोऽनन्तलीलाय कैवल्यभासे नमो विश्वबीज प्रसीदेशसूनो ॥८॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
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Word breakdown
- चिदानन्दसान्द्राय शान्ताय तुभ्यं
- To you, dense with consciousness-bliss, peaceful,
- नमो विश्वकर्त्रे च हर्त्रे च तुभ्यम् ।
- salutations, and to you as creator and destroyer of the world.
- नमोऽनन्तलीलाय कैवल्यभासे
- Salutations to your endless sport, splendour of liberation,
- नमो विश्वबीज प्रसीदेशसूनो
- salutations, seed of the universe; be gracious, son of Ishana.
Salutation to the peaceful Lord who creates, sustains, and dissolves the world confesses that all three acts belong to one consciousness. The seed of the universe and the light of kaivalya are not two but the same Self worshipped as Ganesha.
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Verse 9
इमं सुस्तवं प्रातरुत्थाय भक्त्या पठेद्यस्तु मर्त्यो लभेत्सर्वकामान् । गणेशप्रसादेन सिध्यन्ति वाचो गणेशे विभौ दुर्लभं किं प्रसन्ने ॥९॥
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Editorial Advaita reflection
Study note
Editorial Advaita reflection
Word breakdown
- इमं सुस्तवं प्रातरुत्थाय भक्त्या
- Whoever rises in the morning and recites this fine hymn with devotion
- पठेद्यस्तु मर्त्यो लभेत्सर्वकामान् ।
- that mortal obtains all desires.
- गणेशप्रसादेन सिध्यन्ति वाचो
- By Ganesha's grace speech succeeds,
- गणेशे विभौ दुर्लभं किं प्रसन्ने
- when the mighty Ganesha is pleased, what is hard to obtain?
The fruit of dawn recitation is mastery of true speech, which in Advaita means words aligned with the Self. When Ganesha is pleased, nothing needful remains distant, for the Lord of obstacles is also the opener of the path to freedom.
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