Vakratunda Mahakaya in Kannada
ವಕ್ರತುಂಡ ಮಹಾಕಾಯ
Vakratunda Mahakaya is a two-line Sanskrit shloka to Lord Ganesh and one of the most widely recited. Below is the Vakratunda Mahakaya in Kannada script, also in English letters, with its meaning and a word-by-word gloss.
- Kannada script
- 1 verse
- 0.5 min
- Traditional Ganesha shloka
- Best on Wednesday
Recite line by line, listen, count with a mala. The reader opens in Kannada.
ವಕ್ರತುಂಡ ಮಹಾಕಾಯ ಸೂರ್ಯಕೋಟಿ ಸಮಪ್ರಭ। Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
ನಿರ್ವಿಘ್ನಂ ಕುರು ಮೇ ದೇವ ಸರ್ವಕಾರ್ಯೇಷು ಸರ್ವದಾ॥ Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarvakaryeshu Sarvada
Meaning
O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty form, whose radiance equals ten million suns! O God, make all my undertakings free of obstacles, always.
- ವಕ್ರತುಂಡ Vakratunda
- O Lord with the curved trunk
- ಮಹಾಕಾಯ Mahakaya
- O Lord of mighty form
- ಸೂರ್ಯಕೋಟಿ Suryakoti
- a crore (ten million) suns
- ಸಮಪ್ರಭ Samaprabha
- whose radiance equals
- ನಿರ್ವಿಘ್ನಂ Nirvighnam
- free of obstacles
- ಕುರು Kuru
- please make
- ಮೇ Me
- for me, my
- ದೇವ Deva
- O Lord
- ಸರ್ವಕಾರ್ಯೇಷು Sarvakaryeshu
- in all undertakings
- ಸರ್ವದಾ Sarvada
- always
About Vakratunda Mahakaya
Ganesh is worshipped first in every Hindu rite as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles. For most people, this shloka is that first offering. Its exact scriptural origin is not firmly established. It has come down as a traditional invocation used across regions and sampradayas, and it is sung at the start of weddings, housewarmings, school functions and classical music and dance recitals.
Questions
Is this the same Vakratunda Mahakaya that is sung in Hindi?
Yes. These are the same Sanskrit words, written in Kannada letters so you can read them aloud. It is a transliteration, not a translation into Kannada. The meaning of each verse is given in English.
How was the Kannada text prepared?
We keep one checked Devanagari edition (Traditional Ganesha invocation (cross-checked: shlokam.org "Vakratunda Mahakaya"; bhaktibharat.com "Vakratunda Mahakaya Ganesh Shlok"; drikpanchang.com Vakratunda Mahakaya Mantra)) and write it in Kannada letters with fixed spelling rules, so every verse matches the original letter for letter. The English-letter line is the common singing spelling.