Shuklambaradharam Vishnum

Shashivarnam Chaturbhujam

Prasanna vadanam dhyayet

Sarva vighno (u) pa shantaye.

“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”

This translation to English is by the great thinker Sivananda Saraswathi. A literal translation from the Ganesha Bhujangam of Adi Sankara.

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.

The puja becomes interesting. I invoke Lord Ganesha with an invocation from the Rg Veda 2.23.1.

Aum gananAm tva ganapatingm 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.

“One of the funniest things, which we do not realize is, in the entire first stanza of “Sukhlam bharadharam...” the name of Pillaiyar is never mentioned even once. Ganapathi, Ganeshar, Vinayakar, Vigneshwarar, which are his original names or the derivatives like Sivathmajan, Gourisudan, Mooshigavahanar, Paasahasthar, Modhaka Priyar, Gajamughar, Eakadantar, Lambhodarar, Sthoolakayar, Skanthapoorvajar are totally absent. If in doubt, repeat this sloka:

Shuklam Baradharam Vishnum,

Shashi Varnam Chaturbujam,

Prasanna Vadanam Dhyayeth

Sarva Vignopa Shantaye

Shuklam Baradharam = He who is attired in a white garment....Saraswathi as well as Lord Shiva also wear white garments. And most males wear only white Veshtis.

Vishnum = In this whole stanza this is the most important operative part. A link has been established between the uncle and the nephew relationship of Lord Vishnu and Lord Vinayaka. In Sanskrit the word Vishnu means a Sarva Vyabhi. He who pervades all the 7 x 2 lokas, not unlike ether. And like Mahavishnu, Vinayaka also has omnipresence.

Shashi Varnam = With a moon hued skin colour. It is equally applicable to Saraswathi as well as to Ishwara.

Chaturbhujam = Four shouldered. Almost all Hindu Gods have four hands and as such this is not a specialty of Lord Vinayaka.

Prasanna vadanam = With smiling face (which) is so pleasing. All gods have this quality, and this in itself cannot differentiate Vinayaka from others. It is common to all the Gods of the Hindu pantheon.

dhyayet = Upon You we meditate. Why should we meditate on HIM?

Sarva vighnopa shantaye = To remove all obstacles in the path of humans and make it easy for one to continue his samsara in the sagara of life. It is only in this word, that a mention is made to the rare quality of Vinayaka. He who is the remover of all obstacles. If one needs to be successful in any venture, more than any other God, one need to please this Vigneshwarar.”

Having said this much, I have to make another submission. This slokam “Shuklam Baradharam Vishnum” is an incomplete version as we know it. It has a second stanza, and the whole reads as follows

Shuklaam Baradharam Vishnum

Shashi Varnam Chaturbuhjam

Prasanna Vadanam Dhyaayet

Sarva Vighno Pashaantaye

Agajaa Aanana Padmaarkam

Gajaananam Aharnisham

Anekadantam Bhaktaanaam

Ekadantam Upaasmahe.

If one reads the above sloka one can make out that this sloka indeed refers to Lord Vinayaka and none other.

Adi Sankara, Sankara Bhagavatpada, had written the Ganesha Bhujangam and the Sanskrit is not easy to understand. It gives me immense pleasure to bring to your attention, an English translation that follows the original, in spirit.

Eulogy on Ganesha

I praise the leader of the Gana of Rudra, Who is the son of Ishan (Shiv), Who appears pleasing with the sounds of joyful swinging small bells across His body, Whose lotus-feet is trembling to the dance of Tandav in rebellious ways, and Who has a snake-garland shining over His belly.||1||

I praise the leader of the Gana of Rudra, Who is the son of Ishan (Shiv), Whose face is resplendent hearing the sounds coming out from the strings of veena (music instrument), Who has a resplendent trunk-stem and temple, Who has a shiny flow of juice from the trunk-temple, and Who has a trickling garland of fragrant flowers with bumble-bees hovering around.||2||

I praise the leader of the Gana of Rudra, Who is the son of Ishan (Shiv), Who is shining like the blood-red inner new shoots of the china rose (a.dahula) owing to the morning red light, Who has a large (long) belly, Who has a round belly, and Who has one-elephant tusk.||3||

I praise the leader of the Gana of Rudra, Who is the son of Ishan (Shiv), Who is adorned by colorful shining garland of diamonds and jewels, Who is adorned at the forehead by streaks of diamond-like moon, Who is like the ornament of those without ornaments, and Who is for the destruction of the world (at the end of Kalpa).||4||

I praise the leader of the Gana of Rudra, Who is the son of Ishan (Shiv), Who has elevating creeper like hand, which is worth a sight, Whose forehead is moving to and fro and shining, and Who is served by the fan of shining beauty.||5||

I praise the leader of the Gana of Rudra, Who is the son of Ishan (Shiv), Who has a shining and rough tongue, Who has yellowish corner (pupil) of the eyes, Who takes an incarnation for mercy, comfort and benevolence, and Who is attained by the Yogi who sing His praises.||6||

I praise that Ganesha, Who is the beginning of the universe, Who is pure, Who is free from differences, Who is beyond the qualities, Who is pure bliss, Who is formless, Who is beyond everything, Who is OMkar, Who is the creator of illusions, and Whom eminent Purana sing.||7||

Salutations for Ganesha, Who agglutinates happiness and bliss, Who is peaceful, Who creates and destroys the world, Who has immeasurable sportivity (leela), Who is only light or enlightenment. O Ganesh, Who is the root of the world, Who is the son of Shiv! Accept my salutes and be happy on me.||8||

Those who study this eulogy, having woken up in the morning, with devotion achieve all the desires in the mundane existence. They also attain Vaak-Siddhi (a power in which spoken wishes get fulfilled). When Ganesh is happy, then what can be difficult? (Nothing).||9||

At the feet of the Lord.