Vakratunda Mahakaya: Meaning
Vakratunda Mahakaya is a short Sanskrit prayer to Ganesh, recited before beginning any work so that it goes ahead without obstacles. It addresses him by his form (the curved trunk and great body) and his radiance, and asks for one thing: freedom from obstacles in all tasks, always.
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ । निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥
vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭi samaprabha । nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarvakāryeṣu sarvadā ॥
वक्रतुण्ड vakratuṇḍa of curved trunk महाकाय mahākāya of mighty body सूर्यकोटि sūryakoṭi ten million suns समप्रभ samaprabha of equal radiance निर्विघ्नम् nirvighnam free of obstacles कुरु kuru make मे me for me देव deva O god सर्वकार्येषु sarvakāryeṣu in all works सर्वदा sarvadā always हे टेढ़ी सूँड और विशाल शरीर वाले, करोड़ों सूर्यों के समान तेजस्वी देव, मेरे सभी कार्य सदा निर्विघ्न कीजिए।
O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty body, radiant as ten million suns: make all my undertakings free of obstacles, always.
Vakratunda mahakaya: "O you of the curved trunk and mighty body". These are two of Ganesh's best-known names. Some traditions read the curved trunk as bending away whatever is crooked or obstructive.
Suryakoti samaprabha: "whose radiance equals ten million suns", a way of saying his splendour is beyond measure.
Nirvighnam kuru me deva sarvakaryeshu sarvada: "O god, make (my path) free of obstacles in all my works, always." Ganesh is Vighneshvara, the lord of obstacles, who both removes them and, in some stories, places them to test or redirect. That is why he is worshipped first, before any other god or undertaking.
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- Sources
- Ganesha, Wikipedia (2026)