Chanting Ganesha

Tonight I am reading about and chanting to Ganesha, the great elephant-headed god, son of  Shiva and Parvati, the Remover of Obstacles.  Several years ago in a workshop with Thomas Ashley-Farrand, the late Vedic priest and scholar. He chanted a mantra over and over to Ganesha which I fell in love with and never forgot.

Om shrim hrim klim ganeshvaraya
Brahma rupaya charave
Sarva siddhi pradeshaya
Vighneshaya namo namaha

Tomorrow I am leading a kirtan and since it is the New Year much of it will be devoted to Lord Ganesha, full of prayers for the removal of obstacles.

That being said another Baha'i prayer comes to mind as well.
 "Is there any remover of difficulties save God? Say: praised be God!  He is God!  All are His servants and all abide by His bidding!" ~The Bab~

I found the following on a website devoted to Ganesha when I was looking for translations of the previous mantra. Another mantra that I will begin weaving into my practice as well.

Ganesh Mantra: Om shrim hrim klim glaum gam ganapataye...

Whether you recite, whisper or utter them silently to yourself, mantra japa or repetitive chanting is said to be the simplest way to access God. The 15 Ganesha mantras are described as ‘siddhi mantras’ (siddhi in Sanskrit  varyingly means “perfection”, “accomplishment” or attainment of spiritual power.), with each one containing powers attributed to the elephant God. Meditating on these awakens our own untapped potential for accomplishment in varied endeavors. Regular chanting will also enhance one’s ‘psychic body’, energizing the kundalini or subtle energy that lies coiled at the base of the spine. Thus, the worshipper is freed from negative thoughts and emotions; at the same time, his mortal body too is cleansed of toxins.


Om shrim hrim klim glaum gam ganapataye... 
vara varada sarva
janamme vashamanaya svaha

The bell-like tones of this mantra bring forth a shower of blessings from Ganesha. In uttering them, the worshipper surrenders his ego to the Lord, seeking His protection and grace at all times.  Notice the first line which contains several seed (in Sanskrit, “beej”) mantras, single syllabic utterances from Vedic texts whose meanings vary depending on their intonation and the purpose of incantation. ‘Om’ for instance, is an affirmative sound, one which fuels our energies and is associated with divine protection and benevolence. ‘Shrim’ invokes love and beauty; it concerns the heart and hence, both physical and emotional health. ‘Hrim’ is associated with Maya, a syllable that empowers us to see through the illusory nature of the world. ‘Klim’ is forceful, stimulating and energizing; symbolically, it is represented by a thunderbolt that destroys lowly ignorance. ‘Glaum’ is the earth element while ‘Gam’ is the primal Seed, Ganesha himself. In chanting this mantra, the devotee seeks the grace of Ganesha in his present life and all future lifetimes.

Here is a beautiful rendition of the second mantra: