Shri Ganesha Pancharatnam Stotram: Five Jewels of Ganesha by Adi Shankara
Shri Ganesha Pancharatnam - Sanskrit Text
मुदाकरात्तमोदकं सदा विमुक्तिसाधकं
कलाधरावतंसकं विलासिलोकरक्षकम् ।
अनायकैकनायकं विनाशितेभदैत्यकं
नताशुभाशुनाशकं नमामि तं विनायकम् ॥१॥
नतेतरातिभीकरं नवोदितार्कभास्वरं
नमत्सुरारिनिर्जरं नताधिकापदुद्धरम् ।
सुरेश्वरं निधीश्वरं गजेश्वरं गणेश्वरं
महेश्वरं तमाश्रये परात्परं निरन्तरम् ॥२॥
समस्तलोकशंकरं निरस्तदैत्यकुञ्जरं
दरेतरोदरं वरं वरेभवक्त्रमक्षरम् ।
कृपाकरं क्षमाकरं मुदाकरं यशस्करं
मनस्करं नमस्कृतां नमस्करोमि भास्वरम् ॥३॥
अकिंचनार्तिमार्जनं चिरन्तनोक्तिभाजनं
पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनं सुरारिगर्वचर्वणम् ।
प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणं धनंजयादिभूषणं
कपोलदानवारणं भजे पुराणवारणम् ॥४॥
नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तकान्तकात्मजं
अचिन्त्यरूपमन्तहीनमन्तरायकृन्तनम् ।
हृदन्तरे निरन्तरं वसन्तमेव योगिनां
तमेकदन्तमेव तं विचिन्तयामि सन्ततम् ॥५॥
महागणेशपञ्चरत्नमादरेण योऽन्वहं
प्रजल्पति प्रभातके हृदि स्मरन् गणेश्वरम् ।
अरोगतामदोषतां सुसाहितीं सुपुत्रतां
समाहितायुरष्टभूतिमभ्युपैति सोऽचिरात् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
mudākarātta-modakaṃ sadā vimukti-sādhakaṃ
kalādharāvataṃsakaṃ vilāsi-loka-rakṣakam |
anāyakaika-nāyakaṃ vināśitebha-daityakaṃ
natāśubhāśu-nāśakaṃ namāmi taṃ vināyakam ||1||
natetarāti-bhīkaraṃ navoditārka-bhāsvaraṃ
namat-surāri-nirjaraṃ natādhikāpad-uddharam |
sureśvaraṃ nidhīśvaraṃ gajeśvaraṃ gaṇeśvaraṃ
maheśvaraṃ tam-āśraye parātparaṃ nirantaram ||2||
samasta-loka-śaṃkaraṃ nirasta-daitya-kuñjaraṃ
daretarodaraṃ varaṃ varebha-vaktram-akṣaram |
kṛpākaraṃ kṣamākaraṃ mudākaraṃ yaśaskaraṃ
manaskaraṃ namaskṛtāṃ namaskaromi bhāsvaram ||3||
akiṃcanārti-mārjanaṃ cirantanokti-bhājanaṃ
purāri-pūrva-nandanaṃ surāri-garva-carvaṇam |
prapañca-nāśa-bhīṣaṇaṃ dhanaṃjayādi-bhūṣaṇaṃ
kapola-dānavāraṇaṃ bhaje purāṇa-vāraṇam ||4||
nitānta-kānta-danta-kānti-manta-kānta-kātmajaṃ
acintya-rūpam-antahīnam-antarāya-kṛntanam |
hṛdantare nirantaraṃ vasantam-eva yogināṃ
tam-ekadantam-eva taṃ vicintayāmi santatam ||5||
mahā-gaṇeśa-pañcaratnam-ādareṇa yo'nvahaṃ
prajalpati prabhātake hṛdi smaran gaṇeśvaram |
arogatām-adoṣatāṃ susāhitīṃ suputratāṃ
samāhitāyur-aṣṭa-bhūtim-abhyupaiti so'cirāt ||
Meaning
Verse 1: I bow to Vinayaka, who holds the modaka of joy in his hand and ever grants liberation; who wears the crescent moon as an ornament and protects the playful worlds; the one leader even of those who have no leader; who destroyed the demon Gajasura and swiftly annihilates all inauspiciousness for those who bow to him.
Verse 2: I take eternal refuge in him who is terrifying to the enemies of the devoted, radiant as the newly risen sun, before whom gods and immortals bow, who lifts up the fallen from great calamity - the Lord of gods, of treasures, of elephants and of the ganas, the supreme Maheshwara, higher than the highest.
Verse 3: I offer salutation to the radiant one who brings auspiciousness to all worlds, who routed the demon-elephant, who has a noble belly and the splendid face of the best of elephants, who is imperishable, who is the doer of compassion, forgiveness, joy, fame and right thinking, and to whom the worlds bow.
Verse 4: I worship the ancient elephant-faced Lord who wipes away the suffering of the destitute, the receptacle of timeless scriptures, the elder son of Shiva (the foe of Tripura), who crushes the pride of the enemies of the gods, who is fearsome to the worlds of illusion, adorned by Arjuna and others, whose temples flow with the rut of grace.
Verse 5: I constantly meditate upon that one-tusked Lord (Ekadanta) of surpassing beauty and brilliant tusk, son of the destroyer of Manmatha (Shiva), of inconceivable and endless form, who severs every obstacle, and who forever dwells in the hearts of yogis.
Phalashruti: Whoever recites these five jewels of the great Ganesha daily with devotion at dawn, remembering Ganeshwara in the heart, soon attains freedom from disease, freedom from faults, good learning, good progeny, a full lifespan and the eight-fold prosperity.
About this Stotra
Ganesha Pancharatnam - literally the "Five Jewels of Ganesha" - is a celebrated devotional hymn traditionally attributed to the great non-dualist philosopher and saint Adi Shankaracharya. The stotra is famous for its extraordinary metrical beauty: it is composed in the panchachamara metre, whose galloping rhythm and dense internal alliteration make it a delight to chant aloud. Five "jewel" verses describe Ganesha in turn, and a closing phalashruti verse promises specific fruits to the daily reciter. It is among the most popular Ganesha stotras across India and is a staple of morning worship in many households and temples.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
Each verse polishes a different facet of Ganapati - protector, refuge, bringer of auspiciousness, remover of the suffering of the poor, and the inner Ekadanta who dwells in the yogi's heart. The phalashruti expressly names the rewards of regular recitation: arogata (freedom from disease), adoshata (freedom from faults and sins), susahiti (sound learning and good company), suputrata (worthy children), long life, and ashtabhuti (eight-fold prosperity). The rhythmic recitation steadies the breath and concentrates the mind, and devotees report a marked sense of clearing and confidence when it is chanted before the day's work.
Astrological Relevance
Ganesha is the universal vighna-harta, and in jyotisha his worship is prescribed wherever the chart shows persistent obstruction. He is linked with Budha (Mercury) - the karaka of buddhi, speech, learning and commerce - so a weak, combust or afflicted Mercury (struggles in education, communication, business) finds relief through this stotra. He is also invoked for Ketu, the node of detachment and sudden disruption. The phalashruti's promise of health and longevity makes the hymn a supportive recitation when the lagna lord or the 1st and 8th houses are stressed, while its promise of prosperity (ashtabhuti) ties it to the wealth-giving 2nd and 11th houses. Reciting Ganesha Pancharatnam at the outset of any planetary remedy is classical, since Ganapati's grace is held to remove the obstacles to every other remedy bearing fruit.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
The phalashruti specifies dawn (prabhata) as the ideal time. After bathing, sit before an image of Ganesha facing east or north, light a lamp, and offer durva grass and red flowers. Recite ॐ, then chant all five verses with attention to the rolling rhythm, finishing with the phalashruti. Daily recitation is the traditional practice; on special days it may be repeated 3 or 5 times. Maintain a steady, musical pace - the metre is designed to be sung.
Best Day & Time
Daily at dawn (Brahma muhurta) as the verse itself recommends. Wednesday (Mercury's day) and Chaturthi tithi - especially Sankashti and Vinayaka Chaturthi - and the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi are particularly auspicious for extended recitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed Ganesha Pancharatnam?
It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century non-dualist philosopher and prolific composer of devotional stotras.
Why is it called "Pancharatnam"?
"Pancharatnam" means "five jewels." The hymn consists of five jewel-like verses praising Ganesha, followed by a phalashruti verse describing the benefits of recitation.
What is the best time to recite it?
The stotra's own closing verse recommends reciting it at dawn (prabhatake) daily, remembering Ganesha in the heart, to gain health, freedom from faults, learning, progeny, long life and prosperity.
Adi Shankaracharya's gift of five verses that balance devotion and philosophy
The Ganesha Pancharatnam, composed by Adi Shankaracharya, stands as a testament to the breadth of his devotional vision. The same philosopher who articulated the non-dual truth of Advaita Vedanta poured himself into hymns of fervent bhakti, and this five-verse stotra is among the most musically alive of those compositions. Each verse employs a vigorous, rolling metre that makes the names and glories of Vinayaka feel almost joyful in their proclamation, and the phalashruti closing verse crystallises the promise traditionally held by such hymns - that sincere recitation awakens divine grace. The stotra praises Ganesha as destroyer of obstacles, bestower of health, wisdom, and prosperity, drawing on his multifaceted iconography to paint a complete portrait of the Lord in just five jewel-like stanzas.
Devotees traditionally recite the Ganesha Pancharatnam at dawn, ideally in the early morning hours before sunrise, and on Chaturthi tithis, Wednesdays, and the grand occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The brevity of five verses makes it accessible even to those with limited time, yet its density of devotional meaning rewards contemplative, slow-paced recitation as much as brisk daily chanting. In the Jyotish tradition, Ganesha is invoked as the remover of Ketu-related confusion and as the presiding deity for those beginning any significant life transition. Adi Shankaracharya's own journey - as a wandering teacher who opened four monastic centres across the vast subcontinent - was itself a triumph over obstacles, making his authorship of this stotra feel both historically apt and spiritually resonant for every devotee who turns to it in moments of difficulty.