Ganesha Pancharatnam means "five gems for Ganesha". Adi Shankaracharya wrote these five verses in praise of Ganesha. It is widely sung in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra, and is read before a new start.
Ganesha Pancharatnam: full text
मुदा करात्तमोदकं सदा विमुक्तिसाधकं
कलाधरावतंसकं विलासिलोकरक्षकम्।
अनायकैकनायकं विनाशितेभदैत्यकं
नताशुभाशुनाशकं नमामि तं विनायकम्॥१॥
नतेतरातिभीकरं नवोदितार्कभास्वरं
नमत्सुरारिनिर्जरं नताधिकापदुद्धरम्।
सुरेश्वरं निधीश्वरं गजेश्वरं गणेश्वरं
महेश्वरं तमाश्रये परात्परं निरन्तरम्॥२॥
समस्तलोकशङ्करं निरस्तदैत्यकुञ्जरं
दरेतरोदरं वरं वरेभवक्त्रमक्षरम्।
कृपाकरं क्षमाकरं मुदाकरं यशस्करं
मनस्करं नमस्कृतां नमस्करोमि भास्वरम्॥३॥
अकिञ्चनार्तिमार्जनं चिरन्तनोक्तिभाजनं
पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनं सुरारिगर्वचर्वणम्।
प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणं धनञ्जयादिभूषणं
कपोलदानवारणं भजे पुराणवारणम्॥४॥
नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तकान्तकात्मजं
अचिन्त्यरूपमन्तहीनमन्तरायकृन्तनम्।
हृदन्तरे निरन्तरं वसन्तमेव योगिनां
तमेकदन्तमेव तं विचिन्तयामि सन्ततम्॥५॥
In Roman letters
Muda karatta modakam sada vimukti sadhakam
Kaladharavatamsakam vilasi loka rakshakam
Anayakaika nayakam vinashitebha daityakam
Natashubhashu nashakam namami tam vinayakam (1)
Natetarati bhikaram navoditarka bhasvaram
Namatsurari nirjaram natadhikapaduddharam
Sureshvaram nidhishvaram gajeshvaram ganeshvaram
Maheshvaram tamashraye paratparam nirantaram (2)
Samasta loka shankaram nirasta daitya kunjaram
Daretarodaram varam varebha vaktram aksharam
Kripakaram kshamakaram mudakaram yashaskaram
Manaskaram namaskritam namaskaromi bhasvaram (3)
Akinchanarti marjanam chirantanokti bhajanam
Puraripurva nandanam surari garva charvanam
Prapancha nasha bhishanam dhananjayadi bhushanam
Kapola dana varanam bhaje purana varanam (4)
Nitanta kanta danta kanti mantakanta katmajam
Achintya rupam antahina mantarayakrintanam
Hridantare nirantaram vasantameva yoginam
Tamekadantameva tam vichintayami santatam (5)
Meaning in simple words
Each verse paints Ganesha in a few strokes: he holds a sweet modak in his hand, wears the crescent moon, gives freedom to those who seek it, ends the sorrow of the poor, removes the fear of those who bow to him, and rests in the heart of yogis. The poem ends by saying that one who reads these five verses at dawn gets health, wisdom, long life and good fortune.
How to recite it
Bathe, sit in a clean place, light a diya and read with a calm mind. For an aarti, sing together and ring the bell. Check today's panchang for the best day and time. Today's panchang.
Questions people ask
When should I recite the Ganesha Pancharatnam?
Wednesdays, Sankashti and Ganesh Chaturthi. You can also read it on any day with faith.
Who wrote the Ganesha Pancharatnam?
Adi Shankaracharya (8th century, from Kerala).