Siddhivinayak Stotram
श्री सिद्धिविनायक स्तोत्रम्
What is the Siddhivinayak Stotram?
Siddhivinayak Stotram The Siddhivinayak Stotram is an eight verse Sanskrit hymn to Ganesha from the Mudgala Purana, built around the repeated line 'vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam' – take away my obstacles, Siddhivinayaka. Devotees recite it, especially on Tuesdays, before starting new work or facing a specific difficulty.
The Siddhivinayak Stotram is a short, eight verse Sanskrit prayer to Ganesha drawn from the Mudgala Purana. Every verse closes on the same line, ‘vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam’ – take away my obstacles, Siddhivinayaka – so the hymn reads less like a long description and more like a repeated, focused request. It moves through Ganesha’s names, his form, the tools held in his four hands, and his standing among the gods, before ending with a plea to dispel fear and ignorance. Tuesday is the day most closely tied to Ganesha worship across much of India, and it is also the day devotees crowd Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir, whose presiding deity carries this same name. This page gives the Sanskrit text in Devanagari and plain Roman letters, a verse by verse meaning, and guidance on chanting it at home.
Siddhivinayak Stotram Lyrics in Sanskrit and English
Each verse below is given in Devanagari and in a diacritic-free Roman transliteration, split into its four lines with a forward slash. The final line of every verse is the stotram's refrain, repeated unchanged from the first verse to the last.
vighnesha vighnachaya-khandana-namadheya
shri-shankaratmaja suradhipa-vandyapada
durga-mahavrata-phalakhila-mangalatman
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
विघ्नेश विघ्नचयखण्डननामधेय
श्रीशंकरात्मज सुराधिपवन्द्यपाद
दुर्गामहाव्रतफलाखिलमङ्गलात्मन्
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
This opening verse addresses Ganesha as Vighnesha, whose very name breaks apart every gathered obstacle, and names him son of Shankara, whose feet even the lord of the gods bows to. It calls him the wholly auspicious fruit of Durga's great vow, before closing with the stotram's repeated plea.
sat-padmaraga-mani-varna-sharira-kantih
shri-siddhi-buddhi-paricharchita-kunkuma-shrih
daksha-stane valayitati-manojna-shundo
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
सत्पद्मरागमणिवर्णशरीरकान्तिः
श्रीसिद्धिबुद्धिपरिचर्चितकुङ्कुमश्रीः
दक्षस्तने वलयितातिमनोज्ञशुण्डो
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
The verse describes Ganesha's body glowing like a fine ruby, marked with kumkum touched by Siddhi and Buddhi, his consorts representing accomplishment and wisdom. His trunk curls gracefully over his right side, a detail that also gives the deity his name Siddhivinayaka.
pashankushabja-parashum-shcha dadhach-chaturbhir-dorbhish-cha
shona-kusuma-sragu-mangajatah
sindura-shobhita-lalata-vidhu-prakasho
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
पाशाङ्कुशाब्जपरशूंश्च दधच्चतुर्भिर्दोर्भिश्च
शोणकुसुमस्रगुमाङ्गजातः
सिन्दूरशोभितललाटविधुप्रकाशो
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
Ganesha's four hands hold the noose, the goad, the lotus and the axe, and his body is wreathed in red flowers. His forehead, marked with sindoor, is described as bright as the moon, an image that recurs across most classical Ganesha iconography.
karyeshu vighnachaya-bhita-viranchi-mukhyaih
sampujitah suravarair-api modakadyaih
sarveshu cha prathamam-eva sureshu pujyo
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
कार्येषु विघ्नचयभीतविरञ्चिमुख्यैः
सम्पूजितः सुरवरैरपि मोदकाद्यैः
सर्वेषु च प्रथममेव सुरेषु पूज्यो
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
Even Brahma and the other principal gods, worried about obstacles in their own tasks, worship Ganesha first with offerings of modaka before beginning anything. This verse is the closest the stotram comes to stating its own purpose: worship him before you start, not after you finish.
shighranchana-skhalana-tunga-ravordhva-kantha
sthulendu-rudra-gana-hasita-deva-sanghah
shurpa-shrutish-cha prithu-vartula-tunga-tundo
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
शीघ्राञ्चनस्खलनतुङ्गरवोर्ध्वकण्ठ
स्थूलेन्दुरुद्रगणहासितदेवसङ्घः
शूर्पश्रुतिश्च पृथुवर्तुलतुङ्गतुन्दो
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
The assembled gods and Rudra's attendants smile at the sight of Ganesha's radiant, moon-round face, his broad winnowing-fan ears and his large, full belly. The verse lingers on physical detail in a way typical of Puranic dhyana verses meant to fix the deity's image in the mind before prayer.
yajnopavita-pada-lambhita-nagarajo
masadi-punyada-dridashikrita-rikshrajah
bhaktabhayaprada dayalaya vighnaraja
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
यज्ञोपवीतपदलम्भितनागराजो
मासादिपुण्यददृशीकृतऋक्षराजः
भक्ताभयप्रद दयालय विघ्नराज
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
The king of serpents rests across Ganesha as his sacred thread, and he is credited with granting merit through the months and constellations. He is addressed directly here as the giver of fearlessness to his devotees and the very abode of compassion.
sad-ratna-sara-tati-rajita-sat-kiritah
kausumbha-charu-vasana-dvaya urjita-shrih
sarvatra mangalakara-smarana-pratapo
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
सद्रत्नसारततिराजितसत्किरीटः
कौसुम्भचारुवसनद्वय ऊर्जितश्रीः
सर्वत्र मङ्गलकरस्मरणप्रतापो
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
Ganesha's crown is set with the finest jewels and his two garments glow a deep saffron. The verse states plainly that simply remembering him is enough to bring good fortune wherever a person happens to be, which is part of why this stotram is favored as a quick daily recitation.
devantakadya-surabhita-suratiharta
vijnana-bodhana-varena tamo-‘paharta
ananditatribhuvanesha kumarabandho
vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam
देवान्तकाद्यसुरभीतसुरार्तिहर्ता
विज्ञानबोधनवरेण तमोऽपहर्ता
आनन्दितत्रिभुवनेश कुमारबन्धो
विघ्नं ममापहर सिद्धिविनायक त्वम्
Meaning
The closing verse turns from form to function: Ganesha ends the suffering the gods feel from demons like Devantaka, and through the boon of true understanding he lifts the darkness of ignorance. He is named brother to Kumara and a source of delight across all three worlds, before the stotram closes on its final plea.
Meaning of the Siddhivinayak Stotram
The Siddhivinayak Stotram opens by naming Ganesha as the one whose very name breaks apart every gathered obstacle, and it calls him the son of Shankara, honored even by the lord of the gods. From there the verses turn to description: a ruby-toned body marked with sindoor and kumkum, a curling trunk, four hands holding the noose, the goad, the lotus and the axe. These are not decorative details. In Puranic hymns, naming a deity’s form and implements is itself an act of worship, since each object stands for a specific power – the noose and goad for control over obstacles, the lotus for the working through of difficulty toward a good outcome.
The middle verses place Ganesha above the other gods, noting that even Brahma and his peers worship him first, with modaka, before starting any undertaking of their own. This is the practical core of the stotram: it exists to be recited before starting something, not after finishing it. The closing verses turn from form to function, asking Ganesha to end fear caused by hostile forces and to lift the darkness of ignorance through true understanding, closing on the image of him as brother to Kumara and a source of joy across the three worlds.
Across all eight verses, the repeated refrain keeps the stotram’s purpose narrow and clear: it is a request to remove a specific, present obstacle, not a general hymn of praise. That focus is part of why it remains in daily use for exams, travel, new work and other fresh starts.
How to Chant the Siddhivinayak Stotram
- – Sit facing east or north in a clean, quiet space, ideally on a Tuesday morning or before beginning a new task.
- – Light a lamp and place a small murti or image of Ganesha nearby, along with a few red flowers and a pinch of sindoor if you have it.
- – Begin with 'Om Gam Ganapataye Namah' three times to settle the mind before the stotram itself.
- – Recite all eight verses slowly, keeping the refrain 'vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam' clear and unhurried each time it returns.
- – Offer modak or jaggery as prasad after the recitation, echoing the offering described in the stotram's fourth verse.
- – Close with a moment of silence, holding in mind the specific task or difficulty you want cleared.
Benefits of Chanting the Siddhivinayak Stotram
The Siddhivinayak Stotram is short enough to memorize, which is part of why it stays in regular use. Reasons devotees return to it include:
- : Steadies the mind before starting new work, exams, travel or a business venture.
- : Traditionally chanted to clear a specific obstacle standing in the way of a goal, rather than as general praise.
- : Builds a habit of Tuesday devotion to Ganesha that fits alongside a household's other weekly prayers.
- : Walks through Ganesha's iconography, the noose, goad, lotus and axe, verse by verse, which helps in learning the imagery.
- : Offers a short alternative to longer Ganesha stotras for daily practice, since all eight verses share one repeating line.
- : Connects home recitation with the living Tuesday darshan tradition at temples such as Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir.
Origin of the Siddhivinayak Stotram
The Siddhivinayak Stotram is preserved in the Mudgala Purana, one of the Puranas centered on Ganesha, under the heading ‘Vighna-nivarakam Sri Siddhivinayaka Stotram’ – the Siddhivinayaka hymn that removes obstacles. The name Siddhivinayaka combines siddhi, meaning accomplishment or success, with Vinayaka, one of Ganesha’s own names, so the compound reads roughly as the Vinayaka who grants accomplishment. The text is built as a single sustained address across eight verses, each closing on the same line, a structure common to Puranic stotras meant for repeated, memorized recitation rather than one-time reading.
Mumbai’s Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir in Prabhadevi carries the same name for its presiding deity, and Tuesday is the temple’s busiest day for darshan. The temple did not compose this stotram – it predates the temple by centuries as a Puranic text – but the shared name is why the two are often mentioned together, and why devotees frequently recite this particular stotram, rather than a different Ganesha hymn, on a Tuesday visit or at home on that day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Siddhivinayak Stotram?
It is an eight verse Sanskrit hymn to Ganesha from the Mudgala Purana, addressed to him under the name Siddhivinayaka. Each verse ends with the same request, 'vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam' – take away my obstacles, Siddhivinayaka.
How many verses does the Siddhivinayak Stotram have?
Eight verses, each following the same four-line pattern and closing on the shared refrain line.
What does the name Siddhivinayaka mean?
Siddhi means accomplishment or success, and Vinayaka is one of Ganesha's own names. Together, Siddhivinayaka points to Ganesha as the one who grants successful completion of an undertaking.
Where does the Siddhivinayak Stotram come from?
It is recorded in the Mudgala Purana, one of the Puranas devoted to Ganesha, and has been passed down and reprinted in that form across Sanskrit stotra collections.
Is the Siddhivinayak Stotram connected to the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai?
The stotram predates the Mumbai temple and was not written for it, but both carry the same name for Ganesha. Devotees commonly recite this stotram at home or before a Tuesday visit to the Prabhadevi temple, since the temple's presiding deity is worshipped as Siddhivinayaka.
When is the best time to chant the Siddhivinayak Stotram?
Tuesday is the traditional day for Ganesha worship, and this stotram is also recited on Sankashti Chaturthi and during Ganesh Chaturthi, or simply before starting new work.
Can beginners recite the Siddhivinayak Stotram in Sanskrit?
Yes. The Roman transliteration on this page has no diacritic marks, so it can be read phonetically alongside the Devanagari text, and the refrain repeats every verse, which makes the pattern easy to pick up.
What does the refrain 'vighnam mamapahara siddhivinayaka tvam' mean?
It translates to 'take away my obstacle, you who are Siddhivinayaka,' and it is the one line that repeats, unchanged, at the end of all eight verses.
॥ ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥