Ganesha
Vakratunda Mahakaya
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ । निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥
Vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭi-samaprabha, nirvighnaṁ kuru me deva sarva-kāryeṣu sarvadā
Simple reading: Vak-ra-tun-da ma-haa-kaa-ya soor-ya-ko-ti sa-ma-pra-bha, nir-vigh-nam ku-ru me de-va sar-va kaar-ye-shu sar-va-daa
About this mantra
The best-loved Ganesha dhyāna-śloka — three epithets and one request, recited before beginning anything of consequence.
Meaning
O curved-trunked, mighty-bodied one, radiant as ten million suns — make all my works free of obstacles, always. The verse asks for nirvighna: not that the work be done for us, but that the path be clear enough for our own effort to count. 'Always, in all works' makes it the one prayer wide enough to cover everything a life will attempt.
When to recite it
Recited before undertakings that face real obstacles — a hard road, an examination, a court date, a surgery morning — and near the start of pujas. A natural companion to Sankashti and Vinayaka Chaturthi observances.
Word by word
- वक्रतुण्डvakratuṇḍa
- the one with the curved trunk
- महाकायmahākāya
- of mighty body
- सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभsūryakoṭi-samaprabha
- radiant as ten million suns
- निर्विघ्नं कुरुnirvighnaṁ kuru
- make free of obstacles
- मेme
- my
- सर्वकार्येषुsarva-kāryeṣu
- in all undertakings
- सर्वदाsarvadā
- always
Source: Traditional Gaṇeśa dhyāna-śloka, recited at the start of most Gaṇeśa pūjās; no single scriptural source is established.