AstrologgerGanesh Mantra
Ganesh is invoked first, before any other deity, tradition and work — the remover of obstacles and the one whose blessing clears the way for everything that follows. Mantras addressed to him are chanted at the start of a task, a journey, a ceremony or a prayer, and on Ganesh Chaturthi above all. As with the other deity mantras here, there is no single one — the family below serves different occasions.
The 4 Ganesh Mantras
"Ganesh Mantra" is not a single verse. These are the forms in traditional use, each with its own purpose and count.
| Form | Opening | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Ganesh Moola Mantra | ॐ गं गणपतये नमः | 108 daily, or before beginning any task |
| Vakratunda invocation | वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ। | 3 or 108 |
| Ganesh Gayatri Mantra | ॐ एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि। | 108 |
| Dwadasha Nama Stotra (opening) | सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च कपिलो गजकर्णकः। | — |
Ganesh Moola Mantra
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gaṁ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ
"Gaṁ" is Ganesh's own seed syllable, and the rest is a salutation to him as Ganapati, "lord of the ganas" — the attendant hosts of Shiva. This is the single most widely chanted Ganesh mantra, given to a beginner and used before starting any task.
Count: 108 daily, or before beginning any task
Vakratunda invocation
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ। निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा॥
Vakratuṇḍa Mahākāya Sūryakoṭisamaprabha, Nirvighnaṁ Kuru Me Deva Sarvakāryeṣu Sarvadā.
The verse most people actually know, chanted before starting any work. It describes him before asking anything: curved of trunk, great of body, radiant as a crore suns — and then asks that he keep every undertaking free of obstacles, always.
Count: 3 or 108
Ganesh Gayatri Mantra
ॐ एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि। तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात्॥
Om Ekadantāya Vidmahe Vakratuṇḍāya Dhīmahi, Tanno Dantiḥ Prachodayāt.
Built on the Gayatri metre. It names him Ekadanta, "the single-tusked one", and Vakratunda, "the curve-trunked one", then asks that Danti — tusked — direct the intellect. Unlike several other deity gayatris in this cluster, this one is consistent across sources with no real variant.
Count: 108
Dwadasha Nama Stotra (opening)
सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च कपिलो गजकर्णकः। लम्बोदरश्च विकटो विघ्ननाशो विनायकः॥
Sumukhaschaikadantascha Kapilo Gajakarṇakaḥ, Lambodarascha Vikaṭo Vighnanāsho Vināyakaḥ.
The opening of the twelve-name stotra: eight names in this verse alone — Sumukha ("pleasant-faced"), Ekadanta, Kapila, Gajakarnaka ("elephant-eared"), Lambodara ("large-bellied"), Vikata, Vighnanasha ("destroyer of obstacles") and Vinayaka. The stotra continues with four more — Dhumraketu, Ganadhyaksha, Bhalachandra and Gajanana — naming all twelve before promising that reciting them clears obstacles at the start of study, marriage, travel, and other significant undertakings.
When and how to chant
Day: Wednesday in the weekly cycle, and Ganesh Chaturthi (Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi) above all
- Before dawn or in the morning is the time usually kept, and before starting any new work regardless of time of day.
- Face east, offer red flowers and durva grass — young shoots of a particular grass tradition holds he favours — rather than tulsi, which is not offered to him.
- A rudraksha mala is traditional; count in rounds of 108, or simply three repetitions of the Vakratunda verse before a task.
- Modak or ladoo is the offering most associated with him; a lamp of ghee is customary.
- Ganesh Chaturthi, in the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, is the year's principal occasion; Wednesday is kept for him in the weekly cycle.
What tradition holds
Ganesh is invoked at the start of anything — a journey, a text, a ceremony, a business, a chart reading — because tradition holds that an obstacle met at the outset is the hardest to clear. He is approached not for a specific outcome so much as for an unobstructed path to whatever outcome is sought, which is why his mantras open so many other rites rather than standing alone. These are the reasons tradition gives for keeping them; they are not a claim about what any single chant guarantees.
Watch and chant along
Related mantras
Frequently asked questions
What is the mahamantra of Ganesh?
Most people mean the Vakratunda invocation — Vakratuṇḍa Mahākāya Sūryakoṭisamaprabha, Nirvighnaṁ Kuru Me Deva Sarvakāryeṣu Sarvadā — chanted before starting any task. The moola mantra, Om Gaṁ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ, is the shorter form given to a beginner. Both are set out above with Devanagari, transliteration and sense.
What are the 12 mantras of Ganesh?
This refers to the Dwadasha Nama Stotra, twelve names recited together: Sumukha, Ekadanta, Kapila, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vikata, Vighnanasha, Vinayaka, Dhumraketu, Ganadhyaksha, Bhalachandra and Gajanana. The opening verse, naming the first eight, is set out above.
How should Om Gan Ganapataye Namo Namah be chanted 108 times?
Facing east, after a bath, on a rudraksha mala, counting one full round of 108 beads. Morning is the time usually kept, though it is also said before starting any new task regardless of the hour.
What is the prayer mantra of Ganesh?
The Vakratunda invocation is the one most used as a prayer before beginning something — it asks directly that every undertaking stay free of obstacles. The moola mantra is the shorter form for ongoing daily practice.