NEELING OR STANDING, SITTING IN PADMASANA OR walking alone, devotees discover in prayer One of the most powerful forms of communication with inner worlds. Through praying with concentrated feeling, or bhava, we can share our inmost sensibilities with Lord Ganapati. Thus we establish a connection with the Deity. One of the finest explanations of prayer from the Hindu perspective was given by the renowned Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, Uttar Pradesh (North India).

"The entire process of spiritual ascent is from start to finish one of earnest practice. There is no other road except abhyasa (dedicated striving and practice). One may have the best feeling, the best heart, the most sublime bhava, but unless and until every part of this is put into actual practice, there is no hope. Abhyasa is the keynote of the life of sadhana. Without it, sadhana will not go towards its fruition of anubhuti, or experience. Thus, we have the celestials standing at the door of Mahadeva. They hymn Him, glorify Him and pray unto Him; and this is our next cue. It is the law of prayer that is now given to us as our sole guide upon the path. Prayer means, first and foremost, a perfect belief in a higher power. It means the desire and willingness to submit our abhimana, or ego, at the feet of a higher power. Thus, the acquisition of shraddha (faith) is now pointed out to us. The submission of our personal ego, or abhimana, is next pointed out to us. Herein its natural corollary, the cultivation of the supreme virtue of absolute humility, also is indicated. The devas prayed not that they may get power to win over the asuras. There is the attitude of willing self-abnegation, self-effacement, a standing aside so that the fullest manifestation of the divine power may stand in front and take over the stand from them. This indicates the recognition of the nondoership of the individual self and the Supreme doership of the one Doer, the Supreme God. It indicates that the sadhaka, or the seeker, is but a mere instrument; and it is the Lord Himself, the Indweller in the individual, who takes over the sadhana and actually does it. When the seeker begins to feel that even this sadhana is not done by him, but that it is the Divine shakti that works within him and enables the sadhana to be worked out and which achieves the ultimate fulfillment of the Divine Will, then he starts on the real upward march and rapid ascent toward triumphant divinity.

"Thus the second aspect of prayer unfolds itself before us. We completely allow the Divine to take charge of our personality. The seeker recedes into the background and there is total resignation to the will of the Divine. 'I am nothing; Thy will be done.' This is the formula that keeps tune to every beat of his heart, every pulsation in his body. The seeker becomes a transformed being" (Lord Shanmukha and His Worship, p. xiii-xv).

When we go to the temple in distress or when we go in great joy and thankfulness, our prayers may flow spontaneously up from our hearts. Some find it very natural to speak out in words, bringing their gratitude, adoration or troubles into a form that can be offered to Lord Ganesha. Others may just stand, feeling but not knowing what to say in their own minds or hearts. Others may not yet feel at all close to the Mahadeva but still yearn to open the door to religious communion with the Deity. In other words, many people want to learn how to pray.

We are indeed fortunate if we have been raised to learn the ancient Hindu hymns or the songs and prayers of the sants. These can be spoken in their original Indian languages, or voiced in the translation to other tongues. There are many types of prayer. There are prayers of invocation performed prior to worship or important actions. There are prayers of entreaty, requesting devonic aid in times of decision, trouble or turmoil. There are prayers of praise, giving thanks for God's grace and the fulfillment of our needs. And, perhaps most importantly, there are prayers specially written for the children, messages that make them aware of their innate intimacy with the Divine. On the following pages we offer a wide variety of prayers to Lord Ganesha composed in recent times in the English language, along with several famous invocations from the Sanskrit tradition.

By memorizing prayers, we make them immediately available to put into use wherever we are. In the temple with God Ganesha before us or by ourselves with the Lord in our mind, we can repeat them with a strong, concentrated feeling which will carry our thoughts into the inner world of the Gods. As our worship matures into an open relationship with the Deity, these prayers will come automatically to mind as our way of talking with the Lord. They are especially useful during and after Ganesha puja, when the Lord is present and listening and we are in close touch with Him. Of course, prayer can be used at any time to make us aware of our being in the mind of Lord Ganesha. As we come to know God Ganesha better, our communication with Him will take on more the spirit of talking with one's intimates, parents or close friends, and our own spontaneous words may mix freely with formal prayers.

Invocations are chants and prayers by which we "invoke" the presence of the Deity. The God is being called. The God and the devotee are being brought together, in touch. Prayers of invocation often sing out the greatness of the Deity, His known attributes and qualities. Vedic rishis and holy sages of olden times were masters of invocation. They could immediately call up the devata through the strength of their mantras. In the puja and japa chapters of this book there are many chants that also serve as powerful invocations. "Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah" is an invocation in itself. We begin this section on prayers with a famous shloka to Lord Ganesha from the root scripture of all denominations of Sanatana Dharma, the Vedas. It has been chanted by billions of Hindus down through the ages, uttering five attributes of Ganesha and invoking His all-powerful protection.

Aum shuklambaradharam vishnum

Shashivarnam chaturbhujam

Prasanna vadanam dhyayet

Sarva vighnopa shantaye

Aum, attired in white and all-pervading,
O moon-hued, four-shouldered One
with smiling face so pleasing,
upon You we meditate
for removing all obstacles.

Shri Adi Sankara prayed in his Ganesha Bhujangam the following invocation. It is particularly suitable for recitation before japa and deep meditation on the highest wisdom of Lord Ganesha, the incomparable Lord:

To You whom the wise exclaim
as the single-syllabled, Supreme sound,
stainless and peerless,
bliss, formless, unconditioned --
the Indweller in the core of
sacred tradition -- to that
Primeval One I bow in adoration.

Prayers of supplication are requests, pleadings or entreaties presented to the Deity in the spirit of personal surrender and loving devotion. Something specific is being asked for, a specific problem is being laid at the Lord's Holy Feet. Such supplications to the one-tusked Lord are given unconditionally, with full trust that He will do what is best for us, though not necessarily what we might think is best. We do not demand of the Lord; for He, like a parent, provides not as we desire, but as we truly need. Prayers of supplication may come forth in the natural language of our hearts.

Leaving a problem at His holy feet means we let it be there and do not carry it home with us. Nor do we worry or wonder about how it will be handled, when it will be taken care of, or if it will be taken care of at all. In full unquenchable faith we leave the matter there, at the feet of the God, and walk away from the temple or shrine, feeling that release has started and solution will be forthcoming. We must have this kind of faith for religion to work within us. To carry home with us the same problems, fears and worries would be to take back the offering we have given the Deity to dissolve. This is like the rich and famous who buy with gifts and do not give at all, slyly expecting more than something in exchange, gaining papa rather than punya and not knowing the difference. The course of events will later show how He works for our ultimate spiritual welfare.

MOMENTS OF DECISION

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah -- Great Lord of Wisdom, here I stand with so many decisions to make, with so many ways to turn. I beg for Your grace. Fill me with righteous judgment and clear discrimination as I lay all confusion at Your holy feet and immerse myself solely in You. Aum, Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

RELEASE FROM WORLDLINESS

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah -- Lord Vinayaka, You are the Destroyer of all sin. I need you; help me. How long I've spent thinking only of worldly pursuits, caring not for the children of the future. How often I forget Your eternal presence. I beg for Your noose to hold me close and Your goad to spur me on. Give me faith in God, Gods and satgurus. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

TIMES OF NEED

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah -- Ganapati, Lord of Ganas. I, too, am a deva under Your command. I know I can never ever separate myself from the intricate mind of the supreme intelligence. O Lord who destroys the obstacles of His devotees, grant me protection, guidance and help in this hour of need. (Devotee states his need or trouble.) Aum, Ganesha sharanam. Grant me Your grace, sharanam Ganesha.

FAMILY WELFARE

O Lord Ganesha, holder of the noose and goad, sweets, fruits and sugarcane, please provide for the welfare of my family. Guide prosperity and abundance to our door. But while we wait and mostly see only our wants and needs, please help us feel within our home Your goodness and Divinity, which no calamity can conceal. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND ANGER

Omnipresent Lambodara, pure and peaceful doer of all good. Take away my fear and anger. Let me see Thee everywhere and at all times. Show me the truth that there is no intrinsic evil. Remove all barriers in my mind to understanding, true trust and love. Guide me to a harmonious life and righteous success in the fulfillment of my dharma. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

RELEASE FROM EGOITY

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah! O keeper of the gate to the life of Sanatana Dharma, open that gate for me to feel Your intricate mind moving all things toward the world of the Gods. Open the gate for me to a life of continuous worship. Let me enter a new world where my ego is not my God. Open the gate; let me through to Your blissful world of trust, love and harmony.
Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

In prayers of praise, adoration and thankfulness we do not ask for anything, but simply offer our feelings of love and recognition to Lord Ganesha when our heart is full of His grace. The more we worship and come to understand Him, the more we realize the greatness of His work in our life and see His presence all around us. It is from this perspective that the great bhaktas of the past sang many of their songs to God. Such prayers confirm our relationship with Lord Ganesha and draw us ever closer to His mind.

JOYOUS PRAISE

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah! Thank You, Umaganesha, for the wonderful fulfillment You have brought into my life. I show gratitude by giving abundant dana to the temple where You received and answered my prayers. Your shakti is the blossoming origin of love. Praise to You who are the source of all sweetness. I take refuge in grateful surrender at Your holy feet. Aum, jai Ganesha!

OFFERING GIFTS

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah! O my grand and
gracious Lord Ganesha. Here I am, with only You in my mind. My body's life is Your warmth. Your fire is my comfort. Now, with puja flames we offer that fire back to You. These fruits and flowers are Yours to enjoy. My very mind, too, is Yours to direct. O peaceful One, praise to You. Take these offerings and take, too, a place in my humble life, in Your heart. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

APPRECIATION

Aum, Shri Ganeshaya namah! Peerless One,
industrious indweller in all, we see You in the full warmth of the Sun, in the full life of Earth and the orderliness of all the turning planets. O Lord and lover of intellect, You are the intricate knowledge blossoming in the mind of the people. O Lord who rules the mind of each and all who worship You, because of You, chaos never was nor will it ever be.
Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

Here is a prayer that has been used for centuries wherever Ganapati is the principal Deity of the home.

TRADITIONAL SALUTATION

Praise be to elephant-faced Ganesha, the Incomprehensible One with a sharp tusk, three eyes and capacious belly, King of all beings, the Eternal One of blood-red hue, Whose forehead is illuminated by the new moon, Son of Siva-Shakti, Remover of all difficulties. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

Teaching children prayers to recite at regular times during the day is a wonderful practice through which we fulfill our duty of passing our religion on to coming generations. Parents are encouraged to sit and say these prayers with the children until they enter the spirit of talking with Lord Ganesha themselves.

MORNING PRAYER

Aum, Lord Ganesha, You make the flowers grow, You keep the Earth going around the Sun. All day You keep things going right. You are Lord of the devas. I am one of Your devas, too. Help me to think of the needs of others, and to be kind to everyone I meet. Help me to think of You first before beginning something new and to always do what is right and kind. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

NOON PRAYER

Aum, Lord Ganesha, You have kept my heart beating. You have guarded me from wrongdoing. Make my love for my family and friends grow stronger each day. Make me careful and wise. Help me to respect and heed the remindings of our kulaguru, to be respectful to my parents and remember above all the wisdom of the Vedas. Ganesha, that is a lot for me to do. Please help me succeed. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

BEDTIME PRAYER

Aum, Lord Ganesha, nightime is here and the moon is in the sky above, reminding me of Your crescent tusk. Remain with me, Ganesha, through the night, in my deepest sleep, in my inner experiences, as You have remained with me during my daytime, outer encounters. Let me never forget You, even in my dreams. May we as a family be guided by Your loving wisdom, even there. Ganesha saranam, sharanam Ganesha.

MEALTIME PRAYER

Aum, Lord Ganesha, all is within You. God Siva has given You dominion over the material universe. Let me remember to always share my food with others. May the prasada You have given me today make all my pranas and subtle currents flow in perfect harmony, making my body healthy and strong so that I may serve You well. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

We close this section with a prayer to Lord Vighnaraja, Ruler of Obstacles, for guidance and inspiration. This is something we all need to persevere through life's offerings of its many challenges to the supreme goal of moksha.

FOR GUIDANCE AND INSPIRATION

O Lord and ruler of many ganas, O Peaceful One who loves pomp and ceremony, patron of the arts and perserver of the best of ancient cultures, the one worshiped by all sages, use Your mighty trunk to hold us close to Your majestic mind, our purest state. Respond to our entreaties for clarity and direction, for this we supplicate. Protect us from beguiling ways and sternly direct us in the ways of our forefathers' traditions, forging for us new patterns to bring forth the old in the world of today. Keep us resolute to live the Sanatana Dharma. We prostrate at Your holy feet. Please grant us Your grace. Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

Shri Ganesha Upanishad

Excerpts from Ganapatyatharshirsham,
Translated from Sankrit by Dr. Vasant Lad

Aum! Let us listen with our ears to that which is auspicious, adorable one. Let us perceive with our eyes what is holy and auspicious. With strong, stable body and limbs, may we seek the divine grace and accept the noble order of all our life.

I surrender to you, Lord Ganesha. You are the speaker. You are the listener. You are the giver. You are the sustainer. I am your disciple. Protect me from the front and back. Protect me from the north and the south, from above and below. Protect me from all directions.

You are full of perfect knowledge of truth and awareness. You are full of bliss and pure consciousness. You are truth, consciousness and bliss. You are the absolute awareness. You are full of supreme wisdom and knowledge.

You are the earth, water, fire, air and the space. You are the root foundation of speech. You are beyond the three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. You are beyond the physical, mental and causal bodies. You are beyond the three aspects of time: past, present and future. You are eternally established in the muladhara chakra. You have three shaktis: action, knowledge and will.

Salutation to the Ganapati whose seed mantra is Aum Gam. We know Ekadanta, the One-tusked God, the unique God. We meditate upon Vakratunda, the curved-trunk God. May that unique elephant God illumine our consciousness and direct us along the right track.

One should meditate upon Lord Ganesha having one tusk and four arms; holding the noose and goad with two of them; with the other two indicating varada, the giving of boons and blessings, and abhaya mudra, the fear removing gesture; having a mouse as the emblem on his ensign; possessing a big, beautiful belly and large, lovely ears which look like winnowing baskets; having a red cloth and His whole body covered with red sandalwood paste. He should be worshiped with red flowers. He manifests Himself as the universe and is beyond prakriti, matter, and Purusha, the manifest God. One who worships Ganesha in this way forever is the best of yogis.

Prostrations to Vratapati, the Lord of Plenty. Prostrations to Ganapati, the Lord of various groups of Gods. Prostrations to Pramathapati, the Lord of Siva's hosts. Prostrations to Lambodara, the full-bellied God with a single tusk, destroyer of obstacles, the Son of Siva, the Bestower of all Blessings.

He who chants this Ganapati Upanishad will verily get established in Brahman, the pure awareness. He will never encounter any obstacles. He will be happy everywhere. He will be free from the five great sins and lesser ones. By reciting this in the evening, the day's sins are destroyed.

By reciting this in the early morning, one becomes free from the sins committed at night in dreams. Reciting this morning and evening, one becomes totally free from all sins. He becomes totally free from all obstacles. He achieves the four divine ends of life: dharma, artha, kama and moksha: virtue, wealth, pleasure and liberation. Aum Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

A Renowned Five-Jeweled Hymn by
Shri Adi Sankara (798-820), with a
Free-Flowing Translation by J. Sethuraman

I bow to Vinayaka, who, with glee, holds a half-eaten modaka in His hand, who is the ever-present means of moksha, who has the moon as an ear ornament, who protects all the worlds, who is the single leader for those who have been left leaderless (i.e. are lost without anybody to help them), who destroyed the elephant demon and who swiftly removes the blemishes of those who bow to Him.

I seek refuge of the great Lord (Vinayaka), who is higher than the highest, who is everlasting, who is ferocious to others than those that bow to Him, who is resplendent as the newly rising sun, worshiped by both demons and Gods, the savior of those that bow to Him from all their miseries, the lord of all the Gods, the lord of all wealth, the elephant God, and Ganeshvara, the lord of the ganas.

I bow to the resplendent one who bestows peace to all the worlds, who conquered the elephant demon, who has not a small belly, the excellent one who has a beautiful elephant face, who is eternal, who is kind, who is forgiving, who gives happiness, who bestows fame and who satisfies every wish of those that bow to Him.

I worship the ancient elephant God who shares the misery of the poor, the fit receptacle of all the ancient prayers, the first son of the enemy of the three cities (Siva), the shatterer of the pride of the demons, the fierce destroyer of the worlds, decorated by fire and other elements, and whose elephant cheeks are flowing with must (the rut that flows from the cheeks of male elephants.)

I constantly think of Him alone, the single-tusked one, with a lovingly brilliant tusk, the son of the destroyer of the sacrifice (Siva), with a form that cannot be comprehended, with no end, who tears asunder all doubts, and who is verily like spring to the yogis who hold Him in their hearts all the time.

One who repeats every day the Maha Ganesha Pancharatna Stotram with reverence, in the mornings (evenings) while holding Ganeshvara in his heart, he, very quickly, will be joined by good health, blemishlessness, good fellowship, good children, long life and the eight vibhutis (powers, or ashtavibhuti, anima, mahima, lagima, garima, etc.)

The completion of the Maha Ganesha Pancharatna Stotram.

An Invocation to Lord Ganapati
Rig Veda 2.23.1

Aum gananAm tva ganapating
(traditionally chanted ganapati gm) havamahe
kavinkavInam upamashravastamam
jyeshtharajam brahmanam brahmanaspata
anah shrinvan nUtibhih sida sadanam

May we worship Ganapati,

the Protector of Noble People,

the Best Poet,

the Most Honorable,

the Greatest Ruler and

the Treasure of all Knowledge.

O Ganapati! Please listen to us

and take Your seat in our heart.

Food-Blessing Chant

A Prayer of Gratitude to the Source of Sustenance.
Lines 1-4 are from Shri Adi Sankara's Annapurnashtakam.
Lines 5-6 are the Isha Upanishad invocation.
Lines 7-8 are a traditional Saivite closing.

Aum annapurne sadapurne shankaraprana vallabhe;

Jnanavairagya siddhyartham bhiksham dehi cha pArvati.

MatA cha pArvatI devI pita devo maheshvarah

bandhavah shiva bhaktashcha svadesho bhuvanatrayam.

Aum purnamadah purnamidam purnAtpurnam udachyate,

PUrnasya purnamAdaya purname vava shishyate.

Aum shantih shantih shantih. Aum shivarpanamastu.

Aum, beloved Shakti of Siva, Fullness everlasting and fully manifest as this food; O, Mother of the universe, nourish us with this gift of food so that we may attain knowledge, dispassion and spiritual perfection. Goddess Parvati is my mother. God Maheshvara is my father. All devotees of Siva are my family. All three worlds are my home. Aum, Siva is Fullness. Creation is fullness. From Siva's Fullness flows this world's fullness. This fullness issues from that Fullness, yet that Fullness remains full. Aum, peace, peace, peace. Aum, this I offer unto Siva.

Prayer When Offering Incense

O Lord! here is offered the incense

made of sweet-smelling herbs.

This is meant for the devas.

Please accept it.

Peace Invocation

A Prayer for Peace and Clarity
intoned to begin and end teaching sessions,
meetings and other group activities.
Krishna Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1.1

 Aum saha nAvavatu,
saha nau bhunaktu,
saha vIryam karavavahai,

tejasvinAv adhItamastu,
ma vidvishAvahai,

Aum shantih, shantih, shantih.

Aum, may He protect us. May He be pleased with us.
May we work together with vigor. May our studies
illumine us. May we have no contention or hostility
between us. Aum, peace, peace, peace.