ganeshatwelve-namesdwadasa-namabefore-study

සුමුඛශ්චෛකදන්තශ්ච

सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 12× repetitions·🕐 Before beginning any new work — at the start of study, journeys, ventures, ceremonies, or each morning·📜 Ganesha Dwadasanama Stotra (traditional, from Puranic / Smriti devotional literature)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Ganesha Dwadasanama Stotra (traditional, from Puranic / Smriti devotional literature) · Traditional (anonymous Puranic verse) · Classical (Puranic devotional tradition)

Lord Ganesha is the Vighnaharta — the remover of obstacles — and is therefore invoked at the very beginning of every auspicious act. This 'Dwadasanama' verse gathers twelve of his most celebrated names into a compact prayer and, crucially, specifies the occasions on which its recitation guarantees an obstacle-free path: education, marriage, entering and leaving, battle and crisis. Because of this explicit promise, the verse became one of the most widely used 'mangala' (auspicious beginning) prayers across Hindu households, recited before students open their books, travellers set out, and families begin any important ceremony.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that students who recite these twelve names before their lessons and examinations find their path to knowledge cleared of confusion and hindrance, and travellers who chant them before setting out complete their journeys safely — for, as the verse promises, 'for that person no obstacle ever arises.'

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

සුමුඛශ්චෛකදන්තශ්ච කපිලෝ ගජකර්ණකඃ. ලම්බෝදරශ්ච විකටෝ විඝ්නනාශෝ ගණාධිපඃ..

Sumukhaś caikadantaś ca kapilo gajakarṇakaḥ। Lambodaraś ca vikaṭo vighnanāśo gaṇādhipaḥ॥

Meaning:सुमुख (सुन्दर मुख वाले), एकदन्त (एक दाँत वाले), कपिल (कपिल वर्ण के), गजकर्ण (हाथी जैसे कानों वाले), लम्बोदर (बड़े उदर वाले), विकट (विशालकाय), विघ्ननाश (विघ्नों के नाशक), गणाधिप (गणों के स्वामी), धूम्रकेतु (धूम्र-ध्वज वाले), गणाध्यक्ष (गणों के अध्यक्ष), भालचन्द्र (मस्तक पर चन्द्र धारण करने वाले) और गजानन (गजमुख) — गणेश के इन बारह नामों का जो विद्यारम्भ, विवाह, प्रवेश एवं प्रस्थान, संग्राम तथा किसी भी सङ्कट के समय पाठ करता है या सुनता भी है — उसके लिए कोई विघ्न उत्पन्न नहीं होता।

Verse 2

ධූම්රකේතුර්ගණාධ්යක්ෂෝ භාලචන්ද්රෝ ගජානනඃ. ද්වාදශෛතානි නාමානි යඃ පඨේච්ඡෘණුයාදපි..

Dhūmraketur gaṇādhyakṣo bhālacandro gajānanaḥ। Dvādaśaitāni nāmāni yaḥ paṭhec chṛṇuyād api॥

Verse 3

විද්යාරම්භේ විවාහේ ච ප්රවේශේ නිර්ගමේ තථා. සංග්රාමේ සඞ්කටේ චෛව විඝ්නස්තස්ය න ජායතේ..

Vidyārambhe vivāhe ca praveśe nirgame tathā। Saṅgrāme saṅkaṭe caiva vighnas tasya na jāyate॥

Word-by-Word Meaning

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සුමුඛඃ🔊sumukhaḥthe one with a beautiful (auspicious) face

ඒකදන්තඃ🔊ekadantaḥthe single-tusked one

කපිලඃ🔊kapilaḥthe tawny / reddish-brown coloured one

ගජකර්ණකඃ🔊gajakarṇakaḥthe one with elephant ears

ලම්බෝදරඃ🔊lambodaraḥthe one with a large (pendulous) belly

විකටඃ🔊vikaṭaḥthe immense / extraordinary one

විඝ්නනාශඃ🔊vighnanāśaḥthe destroyer of obstacles

ගණාධිපඃ🔊gaṇādhipaḥthe lord of the ganas (Shiva's hosts)

ධූම්රකේතුඃ🔊dhūmraketuḥthe one with a smoke-coloured banner

ගණාධ්යක්ෂඃ🔊gaṇādhyakṣaḥthe presiding chief of the ganas

භාලචන්ද්රඃ🔊bhālacandraḥthe one bearing the moon on his forehead

ගජානනඃ🔊gajānanaḥthe elephant-faced one

ද්වාදශ ඒතානි නාමානි🔊dvādaśa etāni nāmānithese twelve names

යඃ පඨේත් ශෘණුයාත් අපි🔊yaḥ paṭhet śṛṇuyāt apiwhoever recites them or even hears them

විද්යාරම්භේ🔊vidyārambheat the start of study / education

විවාහේ🔊vivāheat a marriage

ප්රවේශේ නිර්ගමේ🔊praveśe nirgamewhile entering and while setting out (departing)

සංග්රාමේ සඞ්කටේ🔊saṅgrāme saṅkaṭein battle and in times of crisis / difficulty

විඝ්නඃ තස්ය න ජායතේ🔊vighnas tasya na jāyateno obstacle ever arises for that person

Benefits of Chanting सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च

✦

Removes all obstacles (vighnas) from any new undertaking or important task

✦

Ideal auspicious prayer before studies, exams, journeys, ventures and ceremonies

✦

Invokes Lord Ganesha by his twelve most powerful names (Dwadasa Nama)

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Grants success and smooth progress in battle, crisis and difficult situations

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Brings the blessings of Ganesha simply by reciting or even hearing the names

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Easy to memorise, making it a perfect daily and occasion-based protective prayer

How to Chant सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च

Repetitions12times

Best TimeBefore beginning any new work — at the start of study, journeys, ventures, ceremonies, or each morning

Recite this verse at the outset of any important undertaking — before opening a book to study, sitting an exam, starting a journey, entering a new place, beginning a venture, or facing a difficult situation. Begin with a remembrance of Ganesha, then chant the twelve names attentively; reciting the full verse three or twelve times is traditional. The verse itself promises that even hearing the names brings the same protection, so it may also be played or recited aloud for the benefit of a gathering before an auspicious event.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च written in the Sinhala 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.

They are Sumukha, Ekadanta, Kapila, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vikata, Vighnanasha, Ganadhipa, Dhumraketu, Ganadhyaksha, Bhalachandra and Gajanana — together known as the Dwadasa Nama (twelve names) of Lord Ganesha.

The verse itself lists the occasions: at the start of study (vidyarambha), at a marriage (vivaha), while entering or departing (pravesha-nirgama), in battle (sangrama) and in any crisis (sankata). It is the ideal prayer before exams, journeys, new ventures and ceremonies to ensure a hindrance-free outcome.

Both honour Ganesha's names, but they are distinct verses. The Sankatanashana stotra lists the names in an ordinal sequence ('Prathamam Vakratundam...'), while this verse names them directly ('Sumukhashchaikadantashcha...') and emphasises the specific life-occasions on which reciting them removes all obstacles.

The verse states 'yah pathet shrinuyad api' — whoever recites them OR even hears them. So both reciting the names yourself and attentively listening to them are said to grant Ganesha's protection from obstacles.