॥ श्रीगणेशाष्टोत्तरशतनामावलिः ॥
The 108 sacred names are traditionally chanted with the prefix ॐ and the suffix नमः (e.g. ॐ गजाननाय नमः). The verified names are listed below.
गजानन गणाध्यक्ष विघ्नराज विनायक द्वैमातुर द्विमुख
प्रमुख सुमुख कृति सुप्रदीप सुखनिधि सुराध्यक्ष
सुरारिघ्न महागणपति मान्य महाकाल महाबल हेरम्ब
लम्बजठर ह्रस्वग्रीव महोदर मदोत्कट महावीर मन्त्रिन्
मङ्गलस्वर प्रमथ प्रथम प्राज्ञ विघ्नकर्ता विघ्नहर्ता
विश्वनेत्र विराट्पति श्रीपति वाक्पति शृङ्गारिन् आश्रितवत्सल
शिवप्रिय शीघ्रकारिन् शाश्वत बल बलोत्थित भवात्मज
पुराणपुरुष पूषन् पुष्करोत्क्षिप्तवारि अग्रगण्य अग्रपूज्य अग्रगामिन्
मन्त्रकृत् चामीकरप्रभ सर्व सर्वोपास्य सर्वकर्ता सर्वनेत्र
सर्वसिद्धिप्रद सिद्धि पञ्चहस्त पार्वतीनन्दन प्रभु कुमारगुरु
अक्षोभ्य कुञ्जरासुरभञ्जन प्रमोद मोदकप्रिय कान्तिमत् धृतिमत्
कामिन् कपित्थपनसप्रिय ब्रह्मचारिन् ब्रह्मरूपिन् ब्रह्मविद्यादिदानभू जिष्णु
विष्णुप्रिय भक्तजीवित जितमन्मथ ऐश्वर्यकारण ज्यायस् यक्षकिन्नरसेवित
गङ्गासुत गणाधीश गम्भीरनिनद वटु अभीष्टवरद ज्योतिस्
भक्तनिधि भावगम्य मङ्गलप्रद अव्यक्त अप्राकृतपराक्रम सत्यधर्मिन्
सखि सरसाम्बुनिधि महेश दिव्याङ्ग मणिकिङ्किणीमेखल समस्तदेवतामूर्ति
सहिष्णु सततोत्थित विघातकारिन् विश्वग्दृश् विश्वरक्षाकृत् कल्याणगुरु
उन्मत्तवेष अपराजित समस्तजगदाधार सर्वैश्वर्यप्रद आक्रान्तचिदचित्प्रभु श्रीविघ्नेश्वर
Gajānana Gaṇādhyakṣa Vighnarāja Vināyaka Dvaimātura Dvimukha
Pramukha Sumukha Kṛti Supradīpa Sukhanidhi Surādhyakṣa
Surārighna Mahāgaṇapati Mānya Mahākāla Mahābala Heramba
Lambajaṭhara Hrasvagrīva Mahodara Madotkaṭa Mahāvīra Mantrin
Maṅgalasvara Pramatha Prathama Prājña Vighnakartā Vighnahartā
Viśvanetra Virāṭpati Śrīpati Vākpati Śṛṅgārin Āśritavatsala
Śivapriya Śīghrakārin Śāśvata Bala Balotthita Bhavātmaja
Purāṇapuruṣa Pūṣan Puṣkarotkṣiptavāri Agragaṇya Agrapūjya Agragāmin
Mantrakṛt Cāmīkaraprabha Sarva Sarvopāsya Sarvakartā Sarvanetra
Sarvasiddhiprada Siddhi Pañcahasta Pārvatīnandana Prabhu Kumāraguru
Akṣobhya Kuñjarāsurabhañjana Pramoda Modakapriya Kāntimat Dhṛtimat
Kāmin Kapitthapanasapriya Brahmacārin Brahmarūpin Brahmavidyādidānabhū Jiṣṇu
Viṣṇupriya Bhaktajīvita Jitamanmatha Aiśvaryakāraṇa Jyāyas Yakṣakinnarasevita
Gaṅgāsuta Gaṇādhīśa Gambhīraninada Vaṭu Abhīṣṭavarada Jyotis
Bhaktanidhi Bhāvagamya Maṅgalaprada Avyakta Aprākṛtaparākrama Satyadharmin
Sakhi Sarasāmbunidhi Maheśa Divyāṅga Maṇikiṅkiṇīmekhala Samastadevatāmūrti
Sahiṣṇu Satatotthita Vighātakārin Viśvagdṛś Viśvarakṣākṛt Kalyāṇaguru
Unmattaveṣa Aparājita Samastajagadādhāra Sarvaiśvaryaprada Ākrāntacidacitprabhu Śrīvighneśvara
Each of these 108 epithets celebrates a distinct aspect of Lord Ganesha. He is Gajānana (the elephant-faced one), Vighnarāja and Vighnahartā (king and remover of obstacles), Vināyaka (the supreme leader), Ekadanta's kin, Heramba (the protector of the weak), Lambodara of the great belly, Modakapriya (lover of the sweet modaka), Pārvatīnandana (delight of Parvati), and Buddhipradāyaka (giver of intellect). The litany moves from his physical form to his cosmic roles — as Brahmacārin, as Sarvasiddhiprada (bestower of every accomplishment), and finally as Śrī Vighneśvara, the Lord of obstacles who is invoked before every undertaking.
The Gaṇeśa Aṣṭottara Śatanāmāvali is a garland of one hundred and eight names of Lord Ganesha, recited during archana (offering of flowers or kumkum, one for each name) and as a daily devotional practice. Aṣṭottara-śata means 'one hundred and eight', a number considered complete and auspicious across the Vedic tradition. Unlike a flowing stotra in verse, a namavali is a direct, rhythmic roll-call of the deity's qualities, making it one of the easiest and most beloved forms of worship for householders.
Chanting the 108 names is said to clear obstacles from one's path, sharpen intellect and memory, and bring success to new ventures — which is why Ganesha is the first deity invoked in any ritual. Regular recitation is believed to grant mental steadiness, protection from negativity, prosperity in the home, and the inner clarity (buddhi) that Ganesha personifies. Offering one flower per name (puṣpārchana) deepens concentration and devotion.
In Vedic astrology Ganesha is the lord of beginnings and the dissolver of vighna (obstruction), and his worship is a classic remedy when malefic transits or a weak Lagna create repeated blockages in work and study. He is closely associated with Ketu, the shadow planet of detachment and hidden wisdom — devotees with an afflicted or strongly placed Ketu often chant Ganesha's names for stability. Because he governs buddhi (discernment), his namavali also supports a weak or afflicted Mercury (Budha), the planet of intellect, speech and commerce.
Bathe and sit facing east or north before a clean image or murti of Ganesha. Light a lamp, offer fresh durva grass, red flowers and modaka or jaggery. Begin with a prayer to Ganesha, then recite each name with ॐ before and नमः after it, offering a flower or a pinch of kumkum at each name. Complete all 108 in one sitting if possible. Conclude with aarti and distribute the sweet as prasad.
Wednesday is sacred to Ganesha, and Chaturthi (the fourth lunar day, especially Sankashti and Vinayaka Chaturthi) is the most powerful occasion for this recitation. The morning Brahma-muhurta or the time around sunrise is ideal. Ganesh Chaturthi and the start of any new project, journey or examination are particularly auspicious.
The Ashtottara contains 108 names and can be completed in a few minutes, making it ideal for daily worship, while the Sahasranama contains 1000 names and is recited on special occasions or vows.
Flowers enhance the archana but are not mandatory. You can chant the names with simple devotion, mentally offering each name at Ganesha's feet. Durva grass is especially dear to him if available.
Yes. The repeated ॐ...नमः structure makes it one of the most accessible chants. Following the transliteration while listening to a recording helps build correct pronunciation quickly.
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One hundred and eight doorways into Ganesha's presence
Chanting the Ganesh Ashtottara Shatanamavali — the garland of 108 sacred names — is an act of attentive contemplation as much as devotional recitation. Each name reveals a different facet of Ganesha's nature: some speak to his physical form (the large-eared, the lotus-navel, the one with the auspicious trunk), others to his cosmic function (the remover of obstacles, the lord of beginnings, the protector of devotees), and still others to his connection with learning, prosperity, and the welfare of all beings. Moving through all 108 names in a single sitting draws the practitioner progressively deeper into an awareness of just how vast this apparently simple elephant-headed deity actually is — a fullness that resists being reduced to any single image or function.
The number 108 is itself cosmically significant in the Indian tradition, related to the relationship between the Sun, Moon, and Earth, and to the 108 Upanishads and 108 beads of the traditional japa mala. Chanting the ashtottara on Chaturthi, the fourth day of each lunar fortnight — and especially on Vinayaka Chaturthi and Ganesh Chaturthi — is the established practice. In the Jyotish tradition, where Ganesha is associated with Ketu and with the removal of karmic obstacles, the 108 names are considered a particularly effective devotional remedy for those experiencing unexplained delays, confusion about direction, or the kind of deep-seated resistance that no amount of practical effort seems to clear. Devotees find that the recitation, done with genuine presence, gradually instils a quality of ease and confidence in beginning — which is, perhaps, Ganesha's deepest gift.