Pancha Ganapati

Pancha Ganapati is a modern Hindu festival that goes every year from December 21-25, as proposed by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. It has since been gaining popularity around the world as a Hindu alternative to Yuletide. Each day comes with certain spiritual practices and disciplines as well as celebrations and gift-giving. Read more about the Pancha Ganapati Festival from Hinduism Today.

Since it is time for celebrating our beloved Lord Ganesha, the next few posts will be dedicated to Him exclusively. We begin with three Gayatris of Lord Ganapati:

om ekadantāya vidmahe |
vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi |
tanno dantiḥ pracodayāt ||

Aum! May we know the single-tusked One,
And meditate upon the Him with a curved trunk.
May the tusked One guide us on the right path.
~ Ganapati Atharvashirsha Upanishad, verse 10

om tatpuruṣāya vidmahe |
vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi |
tanno dantiḥ pracodayāt ||

Aum! May we know that divine Person,
And meditate upon Him with a curved trunk,
May the tusked One guide us on the right path.
~ Mahanarayana Upanishad I.24 of the Krsna Yajurveda
~Taittiriya Aranyaka X.1.5 of the Krsna Yajurveda

om tatpuruṣāya vidmahe |
hastimukhāya dhīmahi |
tanno dantiḥ pracodayāt ||

Aum! May we know that divine Person,
And meditate upon Him with an elephant visage,
May the tusked One guide us on the right path.
~ Krsna Yajurveda, Maitrayani Samhita II.9.1

These mantras (with some variants) also found in Chapter 10 of Loving Ganesha by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.

Happy Pancha Ganapati to all!

Aum Shrim Hrim Klim Glaum Gam Ganapataye Namah.