Chaturthi to Chaturdashi — The Ten-Day Sankat Nashan Ganpati Stotra Anushthan for a Householder

The speaker opens by saying that without the sadhana of Bhagwan Ganesha we cannot obtain full success in any special AnushthanaAn extended ritual observance — such as 108 recitations of a scripture — carrying its own strict rules., nor in any field of life. For this reason Ganpati sadhana is extremely necessary. In tantra, he says, this sadhana has various stages. Through beej mantras, a vidhan for the sadhana of Ganpati's ashta-vinayaka swarup and Maha Ganapati swarup has been given in a very staged, step-by-step way. But how is an ordinary sadhak, an ordinary householder, to cross every difficulty that comes in his life? It is for that purpose, he says, that he is placing this particular sadhana before his listeners.

Suppose, the speaker says, very great difficulty is coming in some field of your life, and you are doing many sadhanas, and still success is not being obtained. Then you must certainly do the sadhana of Bhagwan Shri Ganesha. Also, if you want to move forward in the field of sadhana, this sadhana should be done so that no difficulty arises in whatever main sadhanas you take up ahead. If there is an ill effect connected with Ketu in the janma kundli, he says, this sadhana should be done too. And whether the matter is the birth of children, something connected with wealth, obtaining vidya, or a competitive exam you are sitting in which success is not coming, this sadhana can be done for that as well. In his view, every person should do this sadhana at some point in their life.

First of all, the speaker says, one begins this sadhana from the Chaturthi TithiA lunar calendar day — some idols (like a Shivling) need daily bathing regardless, while others only need it on their dedicated weekly day or tithi. of any month, of any paksha. Whether it is Krishna Paksha or Shukla Paksha, it is begun on the Chaturthi tithi and its conclusion is on the Chaturdashi tithi. It will be a sadhana of ten days. If you are going to do it in the month of Bhadrapada, in which Ganesh puja is celebrated publicly everywhere, that is also very fitting, he says; the sadhana can be done in that month too.

For this, the speaker says, the first thing to bring is a white copy: bring a whole new, empty copy. Bring a red-coloured pen. Along with these, you should have the Sankat Nashan Ganpati Stotram with you. He says a PDF of it will be linked in the description of the video; download it and keep a printout.

First, on the Chaturthi tithi, the speaker says, do the pujan of Bhagwan Ganesh: PanchopacharaThe basic five-item worship sequence — incense, lamp, fragrance, flower, and food — performed for a deity after the opening rites of a sadhana., dashopachara or sixteen upachars, according to your means or what you know. Suppose you have a shri vigrah or a photo of Ganpati. First bathe him. If it is a murti, a shri vigrah, bathe him in the ordinary way with milk and panchamritaA five-ingredient offering (commonly milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar) used to bathe an idol before worship., dress him well in new clothes, and a YajnopavitaThe sacred thread ceremony marking initiation into Vedic rites (Janeu) — if lapsed across generations, expiation (Prayashchitta) for each known generation is required before it can be resumed. must certainly be offered to him. Offer the janeu; if you yourself wear one, put it on him. But if the sadhak is a woman, he says, she will only offer the janeu; she will not put it on him. Then offer a bhog of LadduThe round sweet offered as naivedya, especially to Ganpati and Hanuman. or of ModakThe sweet dumpling offered to Ganpati.. After the bhog, Durva GrassA sacred grass offered to deities — especially Ganesha — and included among the items used to formally invite a deity before moving to a new location. must certainly be offered. DhoopIncense offered during worship; its smoke is treated as an offering in its own right within the sequence of upacharas. and BilvaThe sacred Bael tree associated with Lord Shiva — sadhana is undertaken beneath it, its wood is used as fuel for Havan offerings of ghee and sesame seeds during a release ritual, and its trifoliate leaf (Bilvapatra) is the offering proper to Him. should be offered to Ganpati, and red-coloured flowers. A fragrant lamp: if the lamp burns ghee, that is best of all.

After the puja, the speaker says, first remember your Guru, or whomever you mentally accept as your guru, and then begin to write the Sankat Nashan Ganpati StotraA hymn of praise to a deity, recitable without initiation, as distinct from a mantra which is not.. You have to write this stotra eight times, as is written in its PhalashrutiThe closing section of a hymn or scripture that lists the benefits and results promised to whoever recites it.. Read the phalshruti, he says, and you will understand. So on the day of the Chaturthi tithi the stotra is first written just eight times. The writing is only on the first day. The written copy and the pen are kept right beside Ganpati.

After the writing, the speaker says, the recitation begins. At the least 27 paths; at the most, if you can manage it, 108 paths are to be done daily. From Chaturthi to the Chaturdashi tithi this path will be pure and will give a very intense effect. How is it done? You should have doob grass, which is called Durva GrassA sacred grass offered to deities — especially Ganesha — and included among the items used to formally invite a deity before moving to a new location.. Bring it; 108 blades if possible, and if not, even ten or eleven will do. Take one blade, do one path over it, and offer it to Ganpati ji. The written copy and the pen are kept beside Ganpati, and one keeps offering durva to Ganesh: one path done, one blade offered. If durva is scarce, take one blade at a time, do eleven or ten paths over it, and then offer it. In this way 108 paths are completed on eleven blades. If durva cannot be found at all, he says, take red flowers or any flower that is offered to Ganpati. Among red flowers, red kaner or the gudhal flower is best of all. In this way the path is done for Ganesh first thing each day.

The asana and cloth, the speaker says, may be red or yellow, either of the two. The direction may be east or north, either of the two. There is no need to bathe Ganpati and do the full offering every day. The snan is done on the first day only. From the next day, one simply sprinkles GangajalWater from the Ganges, used to purify and re-consecrate ritual items exposed to impurity. over him, then offers bhog and so on, lights dhoop and the lamp, and then does one's path. The writing too, he says, is only on the first day, eight times.

On the last day, the Chaturdashi tithi, the speaker says, when you have completed the 108 paths, or the 27 if you were doing 27 daily, then a small Havan should certainly be done if it is possible for you. Only two things are used in the havan. If you are a man, use ghee and GuggulA fragrant resin burnt as dhoop or mixed with ghee for ahutis, used heavily in protective and prosperity rites.: mix ghee and guggul and offer the Ahuti. By which name is the ahuti given? In the Sankat Nashan Ganesh Stotra, he says, twelve names of Ganpati are given. He will write those twelve names out separately and put another PDF in the video link, to be downloaded. With each name twelve ahutis are to be given: Ganpati, so twelve by the name Ganpati; Sankat Nashan Ganpati, Ganesh, Gajanan, and so on, twelve ahutis by each name. After the havan, he says, the Purnahuti and AartiA ritual of waving a lit lamp or flame before a deity's image, performed here at the close of Deepdan once the lamps begin to burn down. and the rest follow.

If you are a woman sadhika, the speaker says, then if possible do the Havan with havan samagri: the wood used for havan and the fragrant dhoop, into which black til, panchmeva, gud and a little honey are mixed. There is no need to add jau, he says. Rice must certainly be added. Mix all of these together and do the havan. After the havan, the Purnahuti, AartiA ritual of waving a lit lamp or flame before a deity's image, performed here at the close of Deepdan once the lamps begin to burn down. and the rest take place.

After the havan, on the day of the Chaturdashi itself, the speaker says, the copy in which the eight writings were made has to be donated at a temple where there is also a murti of Ganesh ji. A Shiv temple has one too. Whoever the BrahminOne of the priestly varna, fed or given dakshina at the close of many anushthans.s there are, have them make the SankalpaA formal ritual resolution spoken aloud before an offering or observance, declaring its intent and dedicating its merit. and donate the copy to them along with some anna and DakshinaThe offering made to a guru or officiant that completes a rite; a ritual is held incomplete without it.. If possible, he says, also feed at least one small boy a meal or sweets with your own hand. There is no need to look at the varna of the child, that he must be of the brahmin varna; a boy of any varna may be fed. If he is a well-behaved, good boy, that is very good. As a rule it is said to be a boy under the age of twelve, he says, but according to the present time, feeding children of at least five or six, up to seven or eight years, is best. In this way, he says, the sadhana is complete.

After the anushthan, the speaker says, this path has to be done at least eight times every day, morning and evening whenever time allows; both times is best. And it is not to be given up. It is not that the anushthan is now over and one recites for only a few days more: the path should continue for six months without a break, and in his view for one's whole life. Every year, whenever Ganesh puja comes, or in whatever month seems suitable, the ten-day AnushthanaAn extended ritual observance — such as 108 recitations of a scripture — carrying its own strict rules. should be repeated again and again. If you repeat it every month, that is best of all. If you do this for a full year, he says, he gives it in writing: it is simply not possible that the one sankalp with which you are doing it should go unfulfilled. However strong the thing written in your PrarabdhaThe portion of destiny already set in motion by past actions — spiritual practice and good deeds can lessen its severity, but not eliminate it., if Ganpati bestows grace and you have done this anushthan, you will certainly obtain it. Whatever you desire must be dharma-yukt, not contrary to dharma. Whether the wish is for a son, for children, for wealth, for vidya, or for success in a competitive exam, he says, take it up and continue for one year.

If any doubt or question remains after hearing this, the speaker says, one may comment or join the Telegram group and clear it there. But he asks listeners to keep one thing in mind: if you are going to begin the puja today and you send a message today, it may be that you do not get a reply at once. So try to clear all your doubts two or three days beforehand, he says, and begin the sadhana after that.