It was just another Monday today. I worked the first half of the day from home. Then drove to the office for the afternoon shift to see patients face to face. Monday audio while driving schedule each week is Shiva Panchakshar Stotra followed by Ganesh Pancharatna Stotra, both composed by Adi Shankaracharya and rendered in the voice of MS Subbulakshmi. Ditto on Tuesdays. Each day of the week Shree Sukta is the first stotra I listen to then the particular day’s stotra and lastly Hanuman Chalisa. For some reason today as I started the car instead of Shree Sukta the audio resumed with Hanuman Chalisa. It was raining with a good force outside and that probably distracted me and kept my focus more on the road . When I realized I had not started with the Shree Sukta I let the Hanuman Chalisa continue till the end, then switched to Shree Sukta and then continued to the Shiva stotra.
I had reached my office by the end of this. My usual parking spot was taken by my colleague. So I found myself another one. And dashed inside quickly in the rain.
My colleague was wrapping up his morning and would leave soon to work the afternoon from his home. I told him to inform me when he was leaving so I could move my car into the physician parking spot. About half hour later he came to tell me so. I hurried outside with him. As I turned my car on the Ganesh Pancharatna stotra began to play as it was next in line on the CD. I did not have the heart to turn it off abruptly. So as I parked into the vacated spot I sat inside till the end of the stotra.
I listen to it week after week on Mondays and Tuesdays and sometimes on other days on long drives. Have been doing this for almost twenty years or more. I don’t know why today something was different about it. My mind was drawn into the thought of this stotra and its deity.
I remembered a friend from my childhood who would question the existence of God and found it rather naive to sing praises of God. At that time I didn’t have a strong counter argument against that thinking. But today I could see with much more clarity. I had a better understanding, certainly more than hearsay, about the benevolent powers of this deity over millions of people and in that context it seemed very apt that those who could feel the grace should be inclined to sing the praises.
There was something more that dawned upon me. When I pray and bow to Ganapati( or any deity for that matter) I am essentially committing myself to work on my own weaknesses and faults, lending myself for reform and seeking HIS LIGHT to guide me forever on this path. I seek nothing more than that. This is the grace I need from HIM. HE KNOWS and I KNOW that I mean this. And that puts us face to face with each other. Like never before.
After the stotra was done I turned off the car and returned to my office. The stotra kept intriguing me. All this time I just chanted out of reverence and faith. But I didn’t know entirely what the Sanskrit lyrics meant. I looked up on Google and carefully read through the meaning of the entire stotra in English. That gave a better understanding of the composition. I could now enjoy it in better light.
In the evening I received a WhatsApp message from a dear classmate wishing me on occasion of Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi ! The fourth day of the fortnight following a full moon in the Hindu lunar calendar is called Sankashti chaturthi. The fourth day in the fortnight after the new moon is called Vinayaki chaturthi. Both these days are auspicious for Ganesh devotees. When Sankashti chaturthi occurs on a Tuesday it is considered several fold more auspicious. This is called Angaraki chaturthi. Angarak is another name of Mars /Mangal after which Tuesday is named in Hindu calender: Mangalwar.
Turns out January 10th is a Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi!
On top of that, it is going to be the only Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi of 2023 !!
I had absolutely no idea about this earlier in the day! I had not looked at the calendar or heard anything about it until in the evening.
Was it a coincidence that I was drawn to ponder over Ganapati and the stotra today ? Right around noon time when it was already Tuesday in India.
It was divine grace that drew me into that realm. I KNOW and HE KNOWS!
May the Grace of Ganapati be upon one and all 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Following is the Ganesh Pancharatna Stotra that I read from a source on the internet. Sharing it in good faith🙏🏼🙏🏼
Readers are strongly encouraged to listen to this stotra in the divine rendition by MS Subbulakshmi 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Ganesha Pancharatnam- Lyrics and Meaning
Mudaakaraatha modakam Sadaavimukthi saadhakam
Kalaadaraava tamsakam Vilaasiloka rakshakam
Anaayakaika nayakam Vinaasithebha dhaithyakam
Nathaashubhaashu nasakam Namamitham Vinayakam (1)
(I salute God Vinayaka/Ganesh) The one who joyfully holds sweet modaka in his hand and who always gives salvation to his devotees.
The one who wears the moon as an ornament and the protector of all the worlds.
The one who acts as a guide/leader to the destitute or helpless people, the destroyer of the demons.
The one who removes the bad and inauspicious things in one’s lives, I bow to you, the God Vinayaka.
Nathetharathi bhikaram Navodhitharka bhaaswaram
Namatsurari nirjaram Nathadhikapa duddharam
Sureshwaram Nidhishwaram Gajeshwaram Ganeshwaram
Maheshwaramtha Maasraye Parathparam niramtaram (2)
(I bow to the God Ganesha), The one who induces fear to the people with dishonest and arrogance, the one who shines like a rising sun.
I pray to the one who destroys the enemies of the gods and who frees and uplift his devotees from the obstacles.
O’ Ganesha, the leader of gods (Suras), the leader of wealth, the elephant-faced god and the Chief of celestial attendants (Ganas).
The one who is like God Maheswara and always offers protection to the devotees who approached him.
Samasthaloka shankaram Nirastha daithya kunjaram
Daretaro-daramvaram Varebha vakthramaksharam
Krupakaram kshamakaram mudaakaram yashaskaram
Manaskaram Namaskrutham Namaskaromi bhaswaram (3)
I bow to the God Ganesha, who gives auspiciousness to all the worlds, the destroyer of demons who are like the musth elephant.
The one who has a big stomach that signifies space and prosperity. Who gives great boons and the elephant-faced god.
The one who showers the grace, the forgiver of mistakes, The god of happiness and the who gives glory to his devotees.
The one who gives good thoughts to the devotees. I bow to you, the god with shining form.
Akimchanarthi maarjanam Chiranthanokthi bhaajanam
Puraaripoorva nandanam Suraarigarva charvanam
Prapanchanaasha bheeshanam Dhanamjayaadi Bhushanam
Kapoladaana vaaranam Bhajepuraana vaaranam (4)
I bow to the God Ganesh, who removes the sufferings of the destitute or helpless, who is praised in the ancient texts and sayings.
The elder son of the Shiva (Purari)- the destroyer of Tripura’s, The destroyer of the pride of the demons.
The one who uses his powers during the great dissolution (Pralaya), adorned with gods like Agni as his ornaments.
The one whose cheeks flows downs the fluid of grace like the elephant, I adore you the primordial or ancient elephant-headed god.
Nitaamtakanta dhantakaanti Mamtakaanta kaathmajam
Achimthyaroopa mantaheena Mantaraaya krumtanam
Hrudamtarae niramtaram Vasanthameva yoginaam
Tamekadanta maevatam Vichimtayami samtatam (5)
The one who is bright with glittering tusk, the son of the god (Shiva) who killed Yama.
The one who’s true form was unimaginable, The eternal one, the remover of obstacles.
The god who lives in the hearts of yogi’s always.
I meditate on the deity with a single tusk and the remover of obstacles.
Phalastuti- Benefits of reading Ganesha Pancharatna
Maha ganesha Pancharatna Maadarena Yoanvaham
Prajalpati prabhatake Hrudhismaran ganeshwaram
Arogatama dhoshatam Susahitheem suputratham
Samahitayu rashtabhuthi Mabhyupaiti soachiraath
One who reads Maha Ganesha pancharatnam with devotion every day and
Recites this in the morning keeping God Ganesha in the heart
will be granted good Health, blamelessness or life without faults, good skills, and education, good children
along with a complete life with all the eight wealth’s (Asthaiwaryas).
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