What are the benefits of reciting Ganesha Atharvashirsha?

Removal of obstacles in any undertaking; Success in education, examinations, and intellectual work; Recovery from chronic problems when recited 21 times daily for 21 days; Protection from fear, enemies, and untimely setbacks; Spiritual realisation — recognising Ganesha as Brahman; Considered the most efficacious daily Ganesha recitation.

How long does Ganesha Atharvashirsha take to recite?

Approximately 6 minutes at a steady pace.

Ganesha Atharvashirsha

गणेश अथर्वशीर्ष

Gaṇeśa Atharvaśīrṣa

Deity

ganesha

Verses

Recitation

~6 min

Best Day

Tuesday

About this stotra

The Gaṇapati Atharvaśīrṣa Upaniṣad (commonly called Ganesha Atharvashirsha) is a late Vedic Upanishad belonging to the Atharva Veda tradition. It is the foundational scripture of the Ganapatya sampradāya — the school that worships Ganesha as the supreme reality (Brahman) — and one of the most widely chanted Upanishads in modern Hinduism.

The text declares Ganesha to be the same as Brahman, identifies the syllable "gaṃ" as the seed-mantra (bīja) of Ganesha, and provides the Ganesha Gayatri. It is traditionally recited 21 times during Ganesh Chaturthi (known as ekaviṃśati pārāyaṇa) and in groups of 1, 11, 21, 108, or 1000 for specific outcomes.

This is a foundational edition presenting the central declarations: the affirmation of Ganesha as Brahman, the seed-mantra revelation, the Ganesha Gayatri, the eight-named salutation, and the phala-shruti (fruits of recitation). The complete text and its śānti pāṭha (peace invocation) will be added in subsequent expansions.

Benefits of recitation

Removal of obstacles in any undertaking
Success in education, examinations, and intellectual work
Recovery from chronic problems when recited 21 times daily for 21 days
Protection from fear, enemies, and untimely setbacks
Spiritual realisation — recognising Ganesha as Brahman
Considered the most efficacious daily Ganesha recitation

Verses

Mantra 1

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥ ॐ नमस्ते गणपतये । त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्त्वमसि । त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि । त्वं साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

|| śrī gaṇeśāya namaḥ || oṃ namaste gaṇapataye tvam eva pratyakṣaṃ tattvam asi tvam eva kevalaṃ kartā'si tvam eva kevalaṃ dhartā'si tvam eva kevalaṃ hartā'si tvam eva sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahmāsi tvaṃ sākṣād ātmā'si nityam

English meaning

Salutations to Sri Ganesha. Om — salutations to you, Ganapati. You alone are the visible Truth (tattva). You alone are the sole Creator. You alone are the sole Sustainer. You alone are the sole Dissolver. You alone are verily all this — Brahman. You are the eternal Self, directly experienced.

Mantra 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ऋतं वच्मि । सत्यं वच्मि ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

ṛtaṃ vacmi | satyaṃ vacmi

English meaning

I speak the cosmic order. I speak the truth.

Mantra 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अव त्वं माम् । अव वक्तारम् । अव श्रोतारम् । अव दातारम् । अव धातारम् । अवानूचानमव शिष्यम् । अव पश्चात्तात् । अव पुरस्तात् । अवोत्तरात्तात् । अव दक्षिणात्तात् । अव चोर्ध्वात्तात् । अवाधरात्तात् । सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात् ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

English meaning

Protect me. Protect the speaker. Protect the listener. Protect the giver. Protect the sustainer. Protect the teacher and the student. Protect from behind. Protect from in front. Protect from the north. Protect from the south. Protect from above. Protect from below. From every side, protect me, protect me on all sides.

Mantra 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

त्वं वाङ्मयस्त्वं चिन्मयः । त्वमानन्दमयस्त्वं ब्रह्ममयः । त्वं सच्चिदानन्दाद्वितीयोऽसि । त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि । त्वं ज्ञानमयो विज्ञानमयोऽसि ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

tvaṃ vāṅmayas tvaṃ cinmayaḥ tvam ānandamayas tvaṃ brahmamayaḥ tvaṃ sac-cid-ānandādvitīyo'si tvaṃ pratyakṣaṃ brahmāsi tvaṃ jñānamayo vijñānamayo'si

English meaning

You are made of speech, you are made of consciousness. You are made of bliss, you are made of Brahman. You are Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, the non-dual. You are the directly experienced Brahman. You are made of knowledge, you are made of supreme wisdom.

Mantra 5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तो जायते । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तस्तिष्ठति । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि लयमेष्यति । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि प्रत्येति । त्वं भूमिरापोऽनलोऽनिलो नभः । त्वं चत्वारि वाक्पदानि ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sarvaṃ jagad idaṃ tvatto jāyate sarvaṃ jagad idaṃ tvattas tiṣṭhati sarvaṃ jagad idaṃ tvayi layam eṣyati sarvaṃ jagad idaṃ tvayi pratyeti tvaṃ bhūmir āpo'nalo'nilo nabhaḥ tvaṃ catvāri vāk-padāni

English meaning

All this universe is born from you. All this universe is sustained in you. All this universe will dissolve into you. All this universe returns to you. You are earth, water, fire, air, and space. You are the four levels of speech (parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, vaikharī).

Mantra 6

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

त्वं गुणत्रयातीतः । त्वं देहत्रयातीतः । त्वं कालत्रयातीतः । त्वं अवस्थात्रयातीतः । त्वं मूलाधारस्थितोऽसि नित्यम् । त्वं शक्तित्रयात्मकः । त्वां योगिनो ध्यायन्ति नित्यम् । त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं रुद्रस्त्वमिन्द्रस्त्वमग्निस्त्वं वायुस्त्वं सूर्यस्त्वं चन्द्रमास्त्वं ब्रह्मभूर्भुवःस्वरोम् ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

English meaning

You are beyond the three guṇas. You are beyond the three bodies. You are beyond the three times. You are beyond the three states. You are forever seated in the Mūlādhāra (root) chakra. You are the soul of the three powers (icchā, jñāna, kriyā). Yogis meditate on you eternally. You are Brahma, you are Vishnu, you are Rudra, you are Indra, you are Agni, you are Vāyu, you are Sūrya, you are Candramas — you are Brahman, the three worlds, and the syllable Om.

Mantra 7

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

गणादिं पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णादिं तदनन्तरम् । अनुस्वारः परतरः । अर्धेन्दुलसितम् । तारेण ऋद्धम् । एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपम् । गकारः पूर्वरूपम् । अकारो मध्यमरूपम् । अनुस्वारश्चान्त्यरूपम् । बिन्दुरुत्तररूपम् । नादः सन्धानम् । संहिता सन्धिः । सैषा गणेशविद्या । गणक ऋषिः । निचृद्गायत्रीच्छन्दः । गणपतिर्देवता । ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

English meaning

Pronounce first the syllable "ga" (the beginning of "gaṇa"); then the first vowel "a"; then add the anusvāra (the nasal "ṃ"); adorned with the half-moon (chandrabindu); completed with Praṇava (Om). This is the form of your seed-mantra. "G" is the initial form, "a" the middle form, the anusvāra the final form, the bindu the higher form; the resonance (nāda) is the binding, the saṃhitā is the joining. This is the Ganesha Vidyā. Its seer is Ganaka. Its metre is Nicṛd Gāyatrī. Its deity is Ganapati. Om Gaṃ — salutations to Ganapati.

Mantra 8

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

एकदन्ताय विद्महे । वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि । तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात् ॥ ८ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

ekadantāya vidmahe | vakra-tuṇḍāya dhīmahi tan no dantiḥ pracodayāt

English meaning

May we know the One-tusked. On the Curved-trunked may we meditate. May that Tusked One impel us forward. (The Ganesha Gayatri.)

Shloka 9

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

एकदन्तं चतुर्हस्तं पाशमङ्कुशधारिणम् । रदं च वरदं हस्तैर्बिभ्राणं मूषकध्वजम् ॥ रक्तं लम्बोदरं शूर्पकर्णकं रक्तवाससम् । रक्तगन्धानुलिप्ताङ्गं रक्तपुष्पैः सुपूजितम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

ekadantaṃ catur-hastaṃ pāśam aṅkuśa-dhāriṇam radaṃ ca varadaṃ hastair bibhrāṇaṃ mūṣaka-dhvajam raktaṃ lambodaraṃ śūrpa-karṇakaṃ rakta-vāsasam rakta-gandhānuliptāṅgaṃ rakta-puṣpaiḥ supūjitam

English meaning

One-tusked, four-armed, holding a noose and an elephant-goad, bearing his broken tusk and the boon-giving gesture, with the mouse on his banner — red-hued, large-bellied, with winnowing-basket ears, clad in red, his limbs anointed with red sandal, beautifully worshipped with red flowers.

Shloka 10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

भक्तानुकम्पिनं देवं जगत्कारणमच्युतम् । आविर्भूतं च सृष्ट्यादौ प्रकृतेः पुरुषात्परम् । एवं ध्यायति यो नित्यं स योगी योगिनां वरः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

bhaktānukampinaṃ devaṃ jagat-kāraṇam acyutam āvirbhūtaṃ ca sṛṣṭyādau prakṛteḥ puruṣāt-param evaṃ dhyāyati yo nityaṃ sa yogī yogināṃ varaḥ

English meaning

Compassionate to devotees, the cause of the universe, the imperishable — manifested at the dawn of creation, beyond Prakriti and Purusha. One who meditates on him thus daily — that yogi is the best among yogis.

Mantra 11

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

नमो व्रातपतये । नमो गणपतये । नमः प्रमथपतये । नमस्ते अस्तु लम्बोदरायैकदन्ताय । विघ्ननाशिने शिवसुताय । श्रीवरदमूर्तये नमो नमः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

English meaning

Salutations to the Lord of the host. Salutations to the Lord of the Ganas. Salutations to the Lord of the Pramathas. Salutations be to the large-bellied, one-tusked One. To the destroyer of obstacles, the son of Shiva, the embodiment of boon-giving — salutations again and again.

Mantra 12

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

॥ फलश्रुति ॥ य इदमथर्वशीर्षं अधीते स ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते । स सर्वविघ्नैर्न बाध्यते । स सर्वतः सुखमेधते । स पञ्चमहापापात् प्रमुच्यते । सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति । प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति । सायं प्रातः प्रयुञ्जानो अपापो भवति । सर्वत्राधीयानोऽपविघ्नो भवति । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षं च विन्दति ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

|| phala-śruti || ya idam atharvaśīrṣaṃ adhīte sa brahma-bhūyāya kalpate sa sarva-vighnair na bādhyate | sa sarvataḥ sukham edhate sa pañca-mahā-pāpāt pramucyate sāyam adhīyāno divasa-kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ nāśayati prātar adhīyāno rātri-kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ nāśayati sāyaṃ prātaḥ prayuñjāno apāpo bhavati sarvatrādhīyāno'pa-vighno bhavati dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣaṃ ca vindati

English meaning

— The Fruits of Recitation — One who studies this Atharvashirsha attains the state of Brahman. No obstacles trouble him. He prospers in well-being on every side. He is freed from the five great sins. Reciting it in the evening destroys the sin done that day. Reciting it in the morning destroys the sin done the previous night. One who recites it both morning and evening becomes free of sin. Reciting it anywhere, he becomes free of obstacles. And he attains dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa — the four goals of life.

Sources verified against

Gaṇapati Atharvaśīrṣa Upaniṣad — Atharva Veda tradition
Gita Press, Gorakhpur — Gaṇeśa Atharvaśīrṣa booklet
Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham edition with Sanskrit commentary
Aundh edition (Maharashtra Ganapatya tradition)

Frequently asked questions

When should I recite Ganesha Atharvashirsha?

Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Sankashti Chaturthi. Best time: morning.

What language is this stotra in?

The original is in Sanskrit (or Awadhi for the Hanuman Chalisa). We provide it in Devanagari script, IAST transliteration for pronunciation, and English meaning for understanding.

How accurate is the text?

Each stotra is cross-validated against multiple published authoritative sources, listed on this page under "Sources verified against". If you spot any discrepancy from your tradition, please let us know.

How long does it take to recite?

Approximately 6 minutes at a steady, devotional pace.

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