Widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the ‘Deva’ of intellect and wisdom, Lord Ganesha (also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka) is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu religion. As the God of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rituals and ceremonies.
He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and the brother of Lord Kartikeya, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati.
Being the embodiment of three virtues namely Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi known as wisdom, spirituality and prosperity respectively, Lord Ganesha is the personification of Buddhi Himself. The other two virtues are personified as Goddesses and considered to be the consorts of Lord Ganesha. Though there are different opinions on His marital status, both Puranas – Mudgala and Shiva Purana which are considered as authority, talk about the marital life of Lord Ganesha.
As per Shiva Purana, Lord Ganesha had two sons who were named as Shubh and Labh. Shubh and Labh are personification of auspiciousness and profit respectively. Shubh was the son of Goddess Riddhi and Labh was the son of Goddess Siddhi.
Here are a few powerful mantras to evoke the blessings of Ganesha
Basic Ganpati Mantra
“Om Gam Ganpataye Namah”
Meaning : It means bowing down to the Almighty Ganpati with all our existence and accepting all his great qualities in our self being.
Benefit : It wards off all the negativities from one’s life before beginning any work. Chanting of this mantra ensures success in all the new ventures that one wishes to undertake.
Vakratunda Ganesh Mantra
One of the most important and also one of the most common Ganpati Mantras, this is the Ganesh mantra for wealth, and is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Goddess Riddhi (Hindu Goddess of Prosperity) and Goddess Siddhi (Hindu Goddess of spiritual enlightenment).
Vakratunda Maha-Kaaya Surya-Kotti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvadaa ||
Full meaning : “Oh god with curved trunk, large body whose aura is like light of crores of sun, Please make my entire work obstacle free, forever.”
Benefit : Chanting of this mantra invokes Lord Ganesha to remove every obstacle between one and one’s well-being and helps to achieve wealth, wisdom, good luck, prosperity and success in all the endeavors.
Ganesh Gayatri Mantra
In a fight with Guru Parashuram, he threw an axe at Lord Gajanan which was a gift to him by his father. So to honor this gift, Ganesha chose to bear the axe’s blow instead of destroying it. Ganesha thus lost one his tusk, but gained humility and modesty.
Aum Ekadantaya Viddhamahe, Vakratundaya Dhimahi,
Tanno Danti Prachodayat॥
Full meaning : “We pray to the one with the single-tusked elephant tooth who is omnipresent. We meditate upon and pray for greater intellect to the Lord with the curved, elephant-shaped trunk. We bow before the one with the single-tusked elephant tooth to illuminate our minds with wisdom.”
Ekadanta referring to one tusk in the elephant face means that God broke the duality and made us to have a complete one-pointed mind.
Benefit : This Mantra encourages modesty, righteousness and high end wisdom in those who chant it.
Namavali Mantras
Lord Ganesha is known by his many names. All his names signify the meaning or qualities associated with him.
i. “Om Ganadhyakhsaya Namah”
Meaning : Ganadhyaksay – Gana means ‘a group’ and ‘Adhyaksh’ means ‘one who is leader of the group’.
Benefit : One can use this Mantra to ensure the well being of a particular state or a city. One can even chant this Mantra to improve or build upon one’s personal leadership characteristics.
ii. “Om Gajananaya Namah”
Meaning : Gajanan here means One who carries the elephant head. In Sanskrit, gaj means elephant. This Mantra says that if God can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, even we should put aside our ego and live our lives dutifully.
Benefit : This Mantra motivates such humble living and chanting of it helps one attain his/her inner peace and consciousness.
iii. ”Om Vignanaashnay Namah”
Meaning : Ganpati is also worshiped to remove obstacles from one’s life. Here vigna means obstacles and nashnay means One who removes obstacles.
Benefit : If one is facing problems with his social life, at work or with interpersonal relationships, it can be made easier by chanting this mantra.
iv. “Om Lambodaraya Namah”
Meaning : Ganesha is known to love his food, and has a big, round belly. ‘Lambodar’ thus refers to him as a God who has a big belly.
Benefit : Chanting this mantra allows an individual to love and be one with the whole universe, just like Lord Ganpati.
v. “Om Sumukhaya Namah”
Meaning : Sumukh means ‘One with a pleasing face’. Lord Ganesha lost his head, and replaced it with that of an elephant’s. However, his good spirit and pure soul shone through even on his elephant face, and this made him look beautiful and calm.
Benefit : This Mantra allows one to look past one’s shortcomings, identify and improve upon one’s inner beauty.
vi. “Om Gajkarnikaya Namah”
Meaning : Gaj means Elephant and Karnikay means ears. With the elephant’s head and elephant ears, Ganesh was unable to listen to everything from all sources.
Benefit : This Mantra allows us to be just like him, and hear and accept only that which is good. Chanting the mantra shields us from external negativity and helps us overcome the stress caused by it.
vii. “Om Vikataya Namah”
Meaning : Here ‘Vikat’ means ‘difficult’.
Benefit : The world is full of difficult situations, and often one may find himself disheartened and unable to focus. This Mantra reminds him that his ultimate goal is salvation, and no matter what happens, he should not lose sight of it. This Ganpati Mantra will keep his eyes on this long-term goal and motivate him towards salvation.
viii. ”Om Vinayakaya Namah”
Meaning : ‘Vinayaka’ is the name of Ganesha in the golden age. Vinayaka means ‘something under control’ and also means ‘the Lord of resolving problems’.
Benefit : So by realizing this mantra, one’s life will have a golden age. In one’s office and in his work, he’ll be the boss.
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