Ganapati Atharvashirsha
An Upanishad of the Atharva Veda · The Vedic text of Ganesha · Fourteen sections between two peace invocations
First, one thing
This text is short, and its weight is large. It reaches past praise into something more: it is an Upanishad, and behind it stands the full authority of the Atharva Veda. In homes it is often heard in the morning, on special occasions, and through the days of Ganesha Chaturthi. It runs ten or fifteen minutes, yet read it with its meaning understood and it becomes a whole small journey of meditation.
Here we will open each section slowly, first saying what it holds and then setting the original Devanagari before you. Make one thing clear at the outset: this text treats Ganesha as far more than a single deity. It says that Ganesha is that very Brahman, the one that is everything. This is a statement of Vedanta. Devotion to image and form took shape after it.
How to read this
One way is to read the whole thing in a single sitting, pausing here and there, a thirty-minute experience. Another way is to take one section a day and finish over ten or twelve days, resting ten minutes on each section. A third is to read only the Devanagari, again and again, without looking at the meaning, so that the rhythm of the mantra settles into you on its own, and then to return one day with the meaning in hand. Many people recite it once a day for eleven days during Ganesha Chaturthi.
The opening prayer
Every Upanishad of the Atharva Veda opens with this prayer, and before the recitation begins it steadies the ears, the eyes, and the body. The plea to the gods is that we hear what is auspicious with our ears, see what is auspicious with our eyes, and with strong and steady limbs live out the full span of life that is dear to the gods. Then four Vedic deities are called on, Indra, Pushan, Garuda, and Brihaspati, that all of them bring us well-being. This is a recitation made in company, a gesture of sitting down with the whole tradition. At the end, peace three times, and that same “Bhadram karnebhih” line that appears in the Mundaka, Mandukya, and Prashna Upanishads as well, because they too belong to the Atharva.
Peace invocation
भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ॥
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः ।
व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः ।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ॥
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः ।
स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥
ॐ शान्तिः । शान्तिः ॥ शान्तिः ॥
The principle of Ganapati: “You alone are Brahman”
The whole of Vedanta is laid down in the very first line. Salutation to Hari, to Om, and to Ganapati, and then the plain declaration: you are the manifest principle in front of us, you alone the maker, you alone the sustainer, you alone the remover. All of this is surely Brahman, and you are that, directly and eternally the atman (the self). The echo of “तत्त्वमसि”, you are that, settles here. To name the three roles of making, sustaining, and removing is to place the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva within a single reality. And “सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म”, all this is truly Brahman, is a sentence from the Chandogya Upanishad, carried here exactly as it stands, which ties this text to the entire Vedic and Upanishadic tradition.
Section 1
त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्त्वमसि ॥
त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽसि ॥
त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि ॥
त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि ॥
त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि ॥
त्वं साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम् ॥ 1 ॥
Rita and Satya
Two words, and a complete declaration. “I speak rita, I speak satya.” In the Vedic tradition these two are not the same. Rita means the order of the universe, the way things ought to be. Satya means what actually is, the way things are. One is an ideal, the other a fact. This small line is saying that whatever follows now will rest on both of them. It brings to mind the old habit of lawyers and judges, a silent pause before speaking; this is the very compressed Vedic form of that.
Section 2
A plea for protection, from every direction
This whole section is a protective prayer that closes in from every side. “अव”, meaning protect, is repeated twelve times, each time from a slightly different angle. Protect me, protect the speaker, the listener, the giver, the sustainer, the guru, and the student too. Then the six directions, behind, in front, north, south, above, below, and at the end a repeated call for protection from every side. This repetition builds a rhythm that carries the signature quality of a mantra. When someone in a household is sent off on an important errand, a mother’s prayer runs much the same way, watch over him from every side. This is the formal Vedic form of that.
Section 3
अव दातारम् ॥ अव धातारम् ॥
अवानूचानमव शिष्यम् ॥
अव पश्चात्तात् ॥ अव पुरस्तात् ॥
अवोत्तरात्तात् ॥ अव दक्षिणात्तात् ॥
अव चोर्ध्वात्तात् ॥ अवाधरात्तात् ॥
सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात् ॥ 3 ॥
Ganapati in five layers
Here Ganesha is placed within the framework of the five sheaths, the same one that appears in the Taittiriya Upanishad. You are made of speech, you are made of consciousness, you are made of bliss, you are made of Brahman. You are being, consciousness, and bliss, one without a second. You are the manifest Brahman, and you are made of knowledge as well as of deep wisdom. Yet there is a leap here: by calling him “sat-chit-ananda, one without a second”, the text carries Ganesha past the map of the sheaths, all the way to that underlying unity which holds every one of the sheaths in place.
Section 4
त्वमानन्दमयस्त्वं ब्रह्ममयः ॥
त्वं सच्चिदानन्दाद्वितीयोऽसि ॥
त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि ॥
त्वं ज्ञानमयो विज्ञानमयोऽसि ॥ 4 ॥
Creation, sustenance, dissolution, all of it you
Now the whole of creation is set on Ganesha. All this world is born from you, rests on you, will dissolve into you, and will return into you. You are earth, water, fire, air, and space, the five great elements. And you are the four levels of speech. “चत्वारि वाक्पदानि”, the four stations of the word, is a phrase from the Rigveda, Para, Pashyanti, Madhyama, and Vaikhari, where Para is the subtlest form of speech and Vaikhari the most concrete, the spoken word. So the building blocks of creation and the whole of language are both mapped onto Ganesha. This cycle of creation, sustenance, and dissolution appears in the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita as well.
Section 5
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तस्तिष्ठति ॥
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि लयमेष्यति ॥
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि प्रत्येति ॥
त्वं भूमिरापोऽनलोऽनिलो नभः ॥
त्वं चत्वारि वाक्पदानि ॥ 5 ॥
Beyond the gunas, the states, and time
This section is the heart of the whole text. First it lists what Ganesha stands beyond: the three gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas), the three states (waking, dream, deep sleep), the three bodies (gross, subtle, causal), and all three tenses of time. Then a very precise pointer, that he is forever seated in the Muladhara chakra, that base point of Kundalini yoga. He is the very form of the three powers (will, knowledge, and action), and yogis meditate on him without pause. And then the founding declaration, you are Brahma, you are Vishnu, you are Rudra, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Surya, Chandrama, you are the three worlds and ॐ. Every deity is one facet, and all of them are faces of a single reality.
Section 6
त्वं देहत्रयातीतः ॥ त्वं कालत्रयातीतः ॥
त्वं मूलाधारस्थितोऽसि नित्यम् ॥
त्वं शक्तित्रयात्मकः ॥
त्वां योगिनो ध्यायन्ति नित्यम् ॥
त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं रुद्रस्त्वं इन्द्रस्त्वं अग्निस्त्वं वायुस्त्वं सूर्यस्त्वं चन्द्रमास्त्वं ब्रह्मभूर्भुवःस्वरोम् ॥ 6 ॥
The Ganesha mantra: “ॐ गं”
This whole section explains how a mantra is built. First say “ग”, then “अ”, then add the anusvara, place a half-moon above it, and let it be made firm with the high note, which is ॐ. This is your mantra form, “ॐ गं”. “ग” is its first part, “अ” the middle, the anusvara the last, and the dot the upper form. The sound itself is the join, the samhita itself is the sandhi. This is the Ganesha-vidya, whose rishi is Ganaka, whose meter is the Nichrid-Gayatri, and whose deity is Ganapati. Then the plain mantra, “ॐ गं गणपतये नमः”. In the Vedic tradition every syllable carries its own weight; a mantra’s words matter, and so do its pronunciation, its rhythm, and its context. This same short mantra is still chanted at the start of worship today, often one hundred and eight times.
Section 7
अनुस्वारः परतरः ॥ अर्धेन्दुलसितम् ॥ तारेण ऋद्धम् ॥
एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपम् ॥
गकारः पूर्वरूपम् ॥ अकारो मध्यमरूपम् ॥
अनुस्वारश्चान्त्यरूपम् ॥ बिन्दुरुत्तररूपम् ॥
नादः सन्धानम् ॥ संहिता सन्धिः ॥
सैषा गणेशविद्या ॥
गणकऋषिः ॥ निचृद्गायत्रीच्छन्दः ॥
गणपतिर्देवता ॥
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥ 7 ॥
The Ganesha Gayatri
Now that same famous Gayatri meter, cast for Ganesha. May we know the one with a single tusk, may we meditate on the one with the curved trunk, and may that tusked one urge us on. Like every Vedic Gayatri, this too has the three-step frame of knowing, meditating, and being inspired. Ekadanta and Vakratunda are marks of Ganesha, and each holds its meaning: the broken tusk a sign of sacrifice (it was snapped off and made into a pen to write the Mahabharata), and the curved trunk a sign of the path that does not run straight. This Gayatri frame comes from the Rigveda, and on it were built the Gayatris of Surya, of Durga, of every deity.
Section 8
तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात् ॥ 8 ॥
Ganesha’s form for meditation
Here the full form of Ganesha stands before the eyes. One tusk, four hands, a noose and a goad in the hands, one broken tusk, and the gesture of blessing, and with it the banner of the mouse. A red body, a large belly, ears like winnowing baskets, red garments, smeared with red sandal paste, worshipped with red flowers. Gracious to devotees, the cause of the world, Achyuta the imperishable, appeared at the beginning of creation, beyond both Prakriti and Purusha. Whoever meditates on this form daily is the finest yogi among yogis. Every detail carries meaning: the four hands the four aims of life (dharma, artha, kama, moksha), the noose the bond that will be cut, the goad the staff that shows the way, the red color the power of Prakriti, and the mouse the ego, which Ganesha rides as his mount and keeps beneath him.
Section 9
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 ॥ 9 ॥
The eight names of Ganapati
Now eight names, each from a different angle. Salutation to Vratapati, the lord of all the groups of vows. To Ganapati, the leader of all hosts. To Pramathapati, the lord of Shiva’s attendants. To Lambodara and Ekadanta, the one who holds vast capacity and the one who stands for sacrifice. To the destroyer of obstacles, the son of Shiva, and to Shri-Varada-murti, grace made visible, salutation again and again. This list of names is made for recitation aloud, and the collection of 108 names begins from these same eight.
Section 10
नमः प्रमथपतये ।
नमस्तेऽस्तु लम्बोदरायैकदन्ताय ।
विघ्ननाशिने शिवसुताय ।
श्रीवरदमूर्तये नमो नमः ॥ 10 ॥
Phalashruti, the fruit of the recitation
Now the phalashruti, what comes of this. Whoever reads this Atharvashirsha becomes fit for the state of Brahman, his happiness grows on every side, no obstacle binds him, and he is freed from the five great sins. Reading it in the evening erases the day’s wrong, reading it in the morning the night’s, and doing it at both times leaves him free of sin. Reading it anywhere clears away hindrances, and all four of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha come to him. Then a warning, do not give this recitation to one who is unfit, and whoever gives it out of infatuation becomes guilty. And at the end, by a thousand repetitions whatever desire is held is fulfilled. That line, “do not give it to the unfit”, is a reminder that a mantra handed over without context and preparation stays barren.
Section 11
स सर्वतः सुखमेधते ॥ स सर्वविघ्नैर्न बाध्यते ॥
स पञ्चमहापापात्प्रमुच्यते ॥
सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति ॥
प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति ॥
सायं-प्रातः प्रयुञ्जानो अपापो भवति ॥
सर्वत्राधीयानोऽपविघ्नो भवति ॥
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षं च विन्दति ॥
इदमथर्वशीर्षमशिष्याय न देयम् ॥
यो यदि मोहाद्दास्यति स पापीयान् भवति ।
सहस्रावर्तनात् यं यं काममधीते तं तमनेन साधयेत् ॥ 11 ॥
Special observances, and the close
The last three sections hold some special observances and their fruits, and each offering carries its own distinct reward. One who consecrates Ganapati with this mantra becomes a master of speech; one who chants it on Chaturthi without eating becomes learned and renowned; and one who comes to know all the coverings, beginning from Brahma, is never afraid. Further, one who worships with shoots of durva grass grows wealthy like Kubera, one who worships with parched rice becomes renowned and gifted, one who worships with a thousand laddus obtains the fruit he desires, and one who worships with ghee and sacrificial sticks obtains everything. At the end, one who has eight Brahmins receive this properly becomes radiant like the sun, and by chanting during a solar eclipse on the bank of a great river or near an image, the mantra becomes perfected, and he is freed from great obstacles, great faults, and great sins, and becomes all-knowing. Whoever knows it thus, this is the Upanishad. Modak, durva grass, parched rice, all these offerings are still tied directly to this same tradition in the homes and pandals of Ganesha Chaturthi today.
Sections 12-14
चतुर्थ्यामनश्नन् जपति स विद्यावान् भवति ।
स यशोवान् भवति ॥ इत्यथर्वणवाक्यम् ॥
ब्रह्माद्यावरणं विद्यात् न बिभेति कदाचनेति ॥ 12 ॥
यो दूर्वाङ्कुरैर्यजति स वैश्रवणोपमो भवति ॥
यो लाजैर्यजति स यशोवान् भवति ॥
स मेधावान् भवति ॥
यो मोदकसहस्रेण यजति स वाञ्छितफलमवाप्नोति ॥
यः साज्यसमिद्भिर्यजति स सर्वं लभते स सर्वं लभते ॥ 13 ॥
अष्टौ ब्राह्मणान् सम्यग्ग्राहयित्वा सूर्यवर्चस्वी भवति ॥
सूर्यग्रहे महानद्यां प्रतिमासन्निधौ वा जप्त्वा सिद्धमन्त्रो भवति ॥
महाविघ्नात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ महादोषात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ महापापात् प्रमुच्यते ॥
स सर्वविद्भवति स सर्वविद्भवति ॥
य एवं वेद इत्युपनिषत् ॥ 14 ॥
The final peace invocation
The recitation ends with that famous Upanishadic prayer found in nearly every Upanishad, “सह नाव अवतु”. It is the shared plea of guru and student, may we both be protected, may we both be nourished, may we gain strength together, may our study be radiant, and may we bear no ill will toward each other. Then the opening peace invocation returns, and with peace three times the Shri Ganapati-Atharvashirsha is complete here. This spillover shows that knowledge is held here as a discipline undertaken together, something two people build side by side. “सह नाव अवतु” is a closing mantra of the Yajurveda, and several Upanishads such as the Taittiriya, the Katha, and the Shvetashvatara close with it as well, which shows this text’s continuity with the whole of the Veda.
Closing peace invocation
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ॥
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवा ।
भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ॥
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः ।
व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः ।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ॥
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः ।
स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥
ॐ शान्तिः । शान्तिः ॥ शान्तिः ॥
इति श्रीगणपत्यथर्वशीर्षं समाप्तम् ॥
Read alongside
- Saundarya LahariA hymn to the Devi, from this same lineage
- Vishnu SahasranamaA hymn of 1000 names, a parallel format
- Hanuman ChalisaBhakti (devotion) in its Hindi form
- Other UpanishadsFrom this same Upanishad family
- Yoga Sutras, Pada 1The formal text behind the “yogis meditate” line