Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje / ವಾತಾಪಿ ಗಣ ಪತಿಂ ಭಜೇಹಂ

ವಾತಾಪಿ ಗಣ ಪತಿಂ ಭಜೇಹಂ

ವಾರಣಾಸ್ಯಂ ವರ ಪ್ರದಂ ಶ್ರೀ

ಭೂತಾದಿ ಸಂಸೇವಿತ ಚರಣಂ
ಭೂತ ಭೌತಿಕ ಪ್ರಪಂಚ ಭರಣಂ
ವೀತ ರಾಗಿಣಂ ವಿನತ ಯೋಗಿನಂ
ವಿಶ್ವ ಕಾರಣಂ ವಿಘ್ನ ವಾರಣಂ

ಪುರಾ ಕುಂಭ ಸಂಭವ ಮುನಿ ವರ ಪ್ರಪೂಜಿತಂ ತ್ರಿ-ಕೋಣ ಮಧ್ಯ ಗತಂ
ಮುರಾರಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖಾದ್ಯುಪಾಸಿತಂ ಮೂಲಾಧಾರ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ ಸ್ಥಿತಂ
ಪರಾದಿ ಚತ್ವಾರಿ ವಾಗಾತ್ಮಕಂ ಪ್ರಣವ ಸ್ವರೂಪ ವಕ್ರ ತುಂಡಂ
ನಿರಂತರಂ ನಿಟಿಲ ಚಂದ್ರ ಖಂಡಂ ನಿಜ ವಾಮ ಕರ ವಿಧೃತೇಕ್ಷು ದಂಡಂ

ಕರಾಂಬುಜ ಪಾಶ ಬೀಜಾ ಪೂರಂ
ಕಲುಷ ವಿದೂರಂ ಭೂತಾಕಾರಂ
ಹರಾದಿ ಗುರು ಗುಹ ತೋಷಿತ ಬಿಂಬಂ
ಹಂಸ ಧ್ವನಿ ಭೂಷಿತ ಹೇರಂಬಂ

ಕೃತಿ: ಮುತುಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೀಕ್ಷಿತರು

English Transliteration

vātāpi gaṇapatiṁ bhajēhaṁ
vāraṇāśyaṁ varapradaṁ śrī |

bhūtādi saṁsēvita caraṇaṁ
bhūta bhautika prapañca bharaṇaṁ |
vītarāgiṇaṁ vinuta yōginaṁ
viśvakāraṇaṁ vighnavāraṇaṁ |

purā kumbha sambhava munivara prapūjitaṁ trikōṇa madhyagataṁ
murāri pramukhādyupāsitaṁ mūlādhāra kṣētrasthitaṁ
parādi catvāri vāgātmakaṁ praṇava svarūpa vakratuṇḍaṁ
nirantaraṁ nikhila candrakhaṇḍaṁ nijavāmakara vidrutēkṣukhaṇḍaṁ |

karāmbuja pāśa bījāpūraṁ
kaluṣavidūraṁ bhūtākāraṁ
harādi guruguha tōṣita bimbaṁ
haṁsadhvani bhūṣita hērambaṁ |

Krithi : Muthuswamy Dikshitar 
Raga : Hamsadhwani

English Meaning

I worship Lord Ganesha of Vatapi,
the one with the elephant face who bestows boons and prosperity.
His feet are revered by beings of all kinds.
He sustains the material and elemental universe. ||1||
 
He is free from worldly attachments and is worshipped by devoted yogis.
He is the ultimate cause of the universe and the remover of obstacles. ||2||
 
Long ago, he was worshipped by the sage Agastya,
and he resides at the center of the sacred triangle (spiritual energy center). ||3||
 
He is worshipped by great deities like Murari (Krishna).
He resides in the Muladhara Chakra, the root energy center. ||4||
 
He is the essence of the four levels of speech, beginning with Para.
He embodies the sound of Om and has a curved trunk. ||5||
 
He eternally bears the crescent moon on his forehead.
In his left hand, he holds a sugarcane staff. ||6||
 
In his lotus-like hands, he holds a noose and a goad.
He destroys impurities and appears in divine form. ||7||
 
He is the reflection that pleases Lord Shiva and Guruguha (Subrahmanya).
His voice resonates like the divine sound of the Hamsa mantra. ||8||

Reflections:

Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje is a very popular keerthana praising Lord Ganesha. It was composed by Muthuswamy Dikshitar, who is considered to be among the trinity of Carnatic music. Its a practice that this is sung in the beginning of the concert. 

The kriti is in Sanskrit language and is a prayer to Lord Ganesha of Vatapi (present day Badami), who is the remover of obstacles and the bestower of boons. The lyrics praise Ganesha's many attributes, including his elephant head, his large belly, and his four arms. They also describe his many powers, including his ability to destroy evil and to grant wisdom. 

Youtube Link:

Singer – Sooryagayathri

https:||www.youtube.com|watch?v=XDcPvMFmtE8&t=1s