ganeshaganapatibhujangamshankaracharya

Ganesha Bhujangam

गणेशभुजङ्गम् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 9× repetitions·🕐 Early morning at dawn (Brahma Muhurta), as the hymn itself prescribes 'pratar-utthaya' (rising at dawn); especially on Chaturthi tithi and Ganesh Chaturthi·📜 Stotra attributed to the works of Adi Shankaracharya (Shankaracharya Stotra collection)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Ganesha Bhujangam is a nine-verse hymn composed by Adi Shankaracharya in the flowing 'bhujanga-prayata' (serpentine) metre, praising Ganesha in his Nritya (dancing) form. Each of the first six verses paints his dancing image — tinkling bells, raised trunk, jewelled crown, serpent garland — and ends with the refrain 'I praise Ganadhisha, the son of Ishana.' The closing verses rise to the formless Brahman and promise that whoever recites it at dawn attains all desires and the power of true speech (Vak-Siddhi).

Origin & Story

Stotra attributed to the works of Adi Shankaracharya (Shankaracharya Stotra collection) · Adi Shankaracharya · Traditionally 8th century CE

The Ganesha Bhujangam belongs to Adi Shankaracharya's celebrated series of 'Bhujanga' hymns, in which he poured devotion into a swaying, song-like metre. Where the philosopher-Acharya elsewhere expounds the formless Absolute, here he first delights in the most tangible and joyful image of God — the elephant-faced Ganesha dancing the Tandava, bells ringing, trunk swirling. Verse by verse he ascends from this enchanting form to the realisation that the same Ganesha is the imperishable Om, the supreme Brahman beyond the gunas, thus uniting bhakti (devotion) and jnana (knowledge) in a single short hymn.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that those who rise before dawn and recite this hymn daily with devotion attain Vak-Siddhi — the boon by which whatever they sincerely utter comes to pass. Devotees and scholars recount that consistent recitation has loosened tongues bound by stammering, blessed students with eloquence in examinations, and made the speech of singers and orators carry unusual power and truth.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

raṇat-kṣudra-ghaṇṭā-ninādābhirāmaṁ chalat-tāṇḍavoddaṇḍavat-padma-tālam। lasat-tundilāṅgopari-vyāla-hāraṁ gaṇādhīśam-īśāna-sūnuṁ tam-īḍe॥1॥

Meaning:I praise Ganadhisha, the son of Ishana (Shiva): charming with the resonant tinkling of his little bells, keeping rhythm with uplifted lotus feet in his vigorous Tandava dance, his shining round belly wrapped with a serpent for a garland.

Verse 2

dhvani-dhvaṁsa-vīṇā-layollāsi-vaktraṁ sphurach-chuṇḍa-daṇḍollasad-bīja-pūram। galad-darpa-saugandhya-lolāli-mālaṁ gaṇādhīśam-īśāna-sūnuṁ tam-īḍe॥2॥

Meaning:I praise that Lord of the ganas: his face radiant as he plays the veena that drowns all other sound, his quivering trunk joyfully holding a pomegranate, a swarm of bees humming around the fragrance of his flowing rut.

Verse 3

prakāśaj-japā-rakta-ratna-prasūna- pravāla-prabhā-tāruṇa-jyotir-ekam। pralambodaraṁ vakra-tuṇḍaika-dantaṁ gaṇādhīśam-īśāna-sūnuṁ tam-īḍe॥3॥

Meaning:I praise that son of Shiva, whose single radiance shines like a coral, the red hibiscus and a glowing ruby blossom at sunrise — the large-bellied, curved-trunked, single-tusked Lord.

Verse 4

vichitra-sphurad-ratna-mālā-kirīṭaṁ kirīṭollasach-chandra-rekhā-vibhūṣam। vibhūṣaika-bhūṣaṁ bhava-dhvaṁsa-hetuṁ gaṇādhīśam-īśāna-sūnuṁ tam-īḍe॥4॥

Meaning:I praise Ganadhisha, wearing a crown set with sparkling jewel-garlands, adorned with the crescent-moon's streak gleaming upon it — He who is ornament of all ornaments and the very cause of the destruction of worldly bondage.

Verse 5

udañchad-bhujā-vallarī-dṛśya-mūla- ś-chalad-bhrū-latā-vibhrama-bhrājad-akṣam। marut-sundarī-chāmaraiḥ sevyamānaṁ gaṇādhīśam-īśāna-sūnuṁ tam-īḍe॥5॥

Meaning:I praise that Lord whose raised arms are like creepers revealing his form, his dancing eyebrows lending grace to his face, attended by celestial maidens waving fly-whisks.

Verse 6

sphuran-niṣṭhurālola-piṅgākṣi-tāraṁ kṛpā-komalodāra-līlāvatāram। kalā-bindu-gaṁ gīyate yogi-varyair- gaṇādhīśam-īśāna-sūnuṁ tam-īḍe॥6॥

Meaning:I praise Ganadhisha, whose fixed eyes are tawny-red and rolling, whose very incarnation is a sport of tender and boundless compassion, whom the foremost yogis sing of as residing in the subtle point of the Bindu and Kala.

Verse 7

yam-ekākṣaraṁ nirmalaṁ nirvikalpaṁ guṇātītam-ānandam-ākāra-śūnyam। paraṁ parataraṁ brahma vedānta-vedyaṁ vadanti pragalbhaṁ purāṇaṁ tam-īḍe॥7॥

Meaning:I praise Him whom the wise and ancient sages declare to be the one imperishable syllable — pure, beyond all distinction, transcending the gunas, blissful, formless, the supreme Brahman beyond the highest, knowable only through Vedanta.

Verse 8

chidānanda-sāndrāya śāntāya tubhyaṁ namo viśva-kartre cha hartre cha tubhyam। namo'nanta-līlāya kaivalya-bhāse namo viśva-bīja prasīdeśa-sūno॥8॥

Meaning:Salutations to You, the embodiment of dense consciousness and bliss, the ever-peaceful; salutations to You, creator and destroyer of the universe; salutations to You of endless divine play, the radiance of liberation; salutations to You, the seed of the cosmos — be gracious, O son of Ishana!

Verse 9

imaṁ sustavaṁ prātar-utthāya bhaktyā paṭhed-yas-tu martyo labhet-sarva-kāmān। gaṇeśa-prasādena sidhyanti vācho gaṇeśe vibhau durlabhaṁ kiṁ prasanne॥9॥

Meaning:Whatever mortal rises at dawn and recites this excellent hymn with devotion obtains all his desires. By the grace of Ganesha his speech attains fulfilment — for when the all-pervading Ganesha is pleased, what indeed remains hard to obtain?

Word-by-Word Meaning

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raṇat-kṣudra-ghaṇṭā🔊with tinkling small bells (on his anklets/ornaments)

ninādābhirāmam🔊charming with their resonant sound

chalat-tāṇḍava🔊performing the dynamic Tandava dance

uddaṇḍavat-padma-tālam🔊keeping rhythm with uplifted lotus-soft feet

lasat-tundilāṅga🔊with a shining, rounded pot-belly

upari-vyāla-hāram🔊wearing a serpent as a garland upon his body

gaṇādhīśam🔊the Lord of the ganas (celestial hosts)

īśāna-sūnum🔊the son of Ishana (Lord Shiva)

tam īḍe🔊I praise / I extol Him (the refrain of every verse)

sphurach-chuṇḍa-daṇḍa🔊with a quivering, raised trunk

ullasad-bīja-pūram🔊joyfully holding a pomegranate (bijapura) fruit

vakra-tuṇḍaika-dantam🔊the curved-trunked, single-tusked one

pralambodaram🔊having a large, hanging belly

ratna-mālā-kirīṭam🔊wearing a crown studded with jewel garlands

chandra-rekhā-vibhūṣam🔊adorned with the crescent-moon streak

bhava-dhvaṁsa-hetum🔊the cause of the destruction of worldly bondage (samsara)

marut-sundarī-chāmaraiḥ🔊by the celestial damsels with fly-whisks

sevyamānam🔊being attended upon / served

kṛpā-komalodāra-līlāvatāram🔊whose incarnation is a play of tender, generous compassion

ekākṣaram🔊the single syllable (the primordial Om / the imperishable)

nirvikalpam🔊free of all distinctions, beyond thought

guṇātītam🔊transcending the three gunas of nature

brahma vedānta-vedyam🔊the Brahman knowable through the Vedanta

chidānanda-sāndrāya🔊to Him who is dense with consciousness and bliss

viśva-kartre cha hartre cha🔊to the creator and the dissolver of the universe

imaṁ sustavaṁ prātar-utthāya🔊rising at dawn (and reciting) this beautiful hymn

labhet-sarva-kāmān🔊obtains all his desires

sidhyanti vāchaḥ🔊his words come true (Vak-Siddhi is attained)

Benefits of Chanting गणेशभुजङ्गम्

✦

Grants Vak-Siddhi — the power by which one's spoken words come true

✦

Fulfils all righteous desires when recited at dawn with devotion (as stated in the final verse)

✦

Removes obstacles and dissolves the bondage of samsara ('bhava-dhvamsa-hetum')

✦

Sharpens devotion through vivid contemplation of Ganesha's Nritya (dancing) form

✦

Bestows poetic and oratorical gifts, making it cherished by students and speakers

✦

Carries the special grace of Adi Shankaracharya's lineage and meditative depth

✦

Leads the mind from the saguna (form) to the nirguna (formless Brahman) aspect of God

How to Chant गणेशभुजङ्गम्

Repetitions9times

Best TimeEarly morning at dawn (Brahma Muhurta), as the hymn itself prescribes 'pratar-utthaya' (rising at dawn); especially on Chaturthi tithi and Ganesh Chaturthi

Bathe and sit before an image of Ganesha facing east. Recite all nine verses melodiously, savouring the rolling bhujanga-prayata metre that gives the hymn its serpentine flow. The first six verses are meditations on his dancing form, so visualise each detail — the bells, the trunk holding the pomegranate, the jewelled crown, the serpent garland. The final verse is the phalashruti; recite it as a sincere prayer. Light a lamp and offer modaka or red flowers if possible, and end by chanting Om Gam Ganapataye Namah.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete गणेशभुजङ्गम् written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

Bhujangam refers to the 'bhujanga-prayata' metre — a flowing Sanskrit metre of four feet of laghu-guru syllables whose rhythm sways like the movement of a serpent (bhujanga). Shankaracharya used the same metre for his Subramanya Bhujangam and Shiva Bhujangam, which is why these hymns feel musical and continuous when chanted.

It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century philosopher-saint. It appears in collections of his stotras and shares his characteristic movement from describing the deity's beautiful form to declaring the formless Brahman in the closing verses.

It primarily celebrates Nritya Ganapati — Ganesha as the cosmic dancer. The opening verse describes him keeping rhythm with lotus feet in the vigorous Tandava, his anklet bells tinkling, which is why the hymn is often associated with grace, art and joyful devotion.

The phalashruti declares that a person who rises at dawn and recites this hymn with devotion obtains all desires and that 'his words become accomplished' (Vak-Siddhi). For this reason it is favoured by students, poets, singers and public speakers.