श्री गणेश अष्टोत्तर शत नामावळि (shrI gaNesha shata nAmAvaLi) ...

I will now present the Ganesha ashttotara shata naamaavali, a list of 108 names of Lord Ganesha. This sequence of names is used during Ganesh caturthi day to perfom puja to the Lord as well as to perform arcana to Lord Ganesha in temples. Also, since puja to almost all the gods always begins with the Ganesha puja, this naamaavali is used quite frequently in most rituals. The ashttotaram is the following:

ॐ विनायकाय नमः।            Om vinAyakAya namah |

ॐ विघ्नराजाय नमः।           Om vighnarAjAya namah |

ॐ गौरीपुत्राय नमः।              Om gaurIputrAya namah |

ॐ गणेश्वराय नमः।              Om gaNeshvarAya namah |

ॐ स्कन्दाग्रजाय नमः।         Om skandAgrajAya namah |

ॐ अव्ययाय नमः।               Om avyayAya namah |

ॐ पूताय नमः।                    Om pUtAya namah |

ॐ दक्षाध्यक्ष्याय नमः।         Om dakshAdhyakshAya namh |

ॐ द्विजप्रियाय नमः।             Om dvijapriyAya namah |

ॐ अग्नि गर्वच्छिदे नमः।     Om agnigarvacchide namah |

ॐ इन्द्रश्रीप्रदाय नमः।           Om indrashrIpradAya namah |

ॐ वाणी बलप्रदाय नमः।       Om vANI balapradAya namah |

ॐ सर्वसिद्धिप्रदाय नमः।       Om sarvasiddhipradAya namah |

ॐ शर्वतनयाय नमः।            Om sharvatanayAya namah |

ॐ शर्वरीप्रियाय नमः।           Om sharvarIpriyAya namah |

ॐ सर्वात्मकाय नमः।           Om sarvAtmakAya namah |

ॐ सृष्टिकर्त्रे नमः।                 Om srShTikartre namah |

ॐ देवानीकार्चिताय नमः।     Om devAnIkArcitAya namah |

ॐ शिवाय नमः।                   Om shivAya namah |

ॐ शुद्धाय नमः।                    Om shuddhAya namah |

ॐ बुद्धिप्रियाय नमः।             Om buddhipriyAya namah |

ॐ शान्ताय नमः।                 Om shAntAya namah |

ॐ ब्रह्मचारिणे नमः।              Om brahmacAriNe namah |

ॐ गजाननाय नमः।             Om gajAnanAya namah |

ॐ द्वैमातुराय नमः।               Om dvaimAturAya namah |

ॐ मुनिस्तुत्याय नमः।         Om munistutyAya namah |

ॐ भक्त विघ्न विनाशनाय नमः।    Om bhaktavighnavinAshanAya namah |

ॐ एकदन्ताय नमः।            Om ekadantAya namah |

ॐ चतुर्बाहवे नमः।               Om caturbAhave namah |

ॐ शक्तिसम्युताय नमः।       Om shaktisamyutAya namah |

ॐ चतुराय नमः।                  Om caturAya namah |

ॐ लम्बोदराय नमः।             Om lambodarAya namah |

ॐ शूर्पकर्णाय नमः।              Om shUrpakarNAya namah |

ॐ हेरम्बाय नमः।                 Om herambAya namah |

ॐ ब्रह्मवित्तमाय नमः।            Om brahmavittamAya namah |

ॐ कालाय नमः।                   Om kAlAya namah |

ॐ ग्रहपतये नमः।                 Om grahapataye namah |

ॐ कामिने नमः।                  Om kAmine namah |

ॐ सोमसूर्याग्निलोचनाय नमः।         Om somasUryAgnilocaAya namah |

ॐ पाशांकुशधराय नमः।         Om pAshAnkushadharAya namah |

ॐ छन्दाय नमः।                    Om chandAya namah |

ॐ गुणातीताय नमः।              Om guNAtItAya namah |

ॐ निरंजनाय नमः।               Om niranjanAya namah |

ॐ अकल्मषाय नमः।             Om akalmashAya namah |

ॐ स्वयंसिद्धार्चितपदाय नमः।        Om svayamsiddharcitapadAya namah |

ॐ बीजापूरकाय नमः।            Om bIjApUrakAya namah |

ॐ अव्यक्ताय नमः।                Om avyaktAya namah |

ॐ गदिने नमः।                     Om gadine namah |

ॐ वरदाय नमः।                   Om varadAya namah |

ॐ शाश्वताय नमः।               Om shAshvatAya namah |

ॐ कृतिने नमः।                   Om krtine namah |

ॐ विद्वत्प्रियाय नमः।          Om vidvatpriyAya namah |

ॐ वीतभयाय नमः।            Om vItabhayAya namah |

ॐ चक्रिणे नमः।                 Om cakriNe namah |

ॐ इक्षुचापधृते नमः।          Om ikshucApadhrute namah |

ॐ अब्जोत्पलकराय नमः।  Om abjotpalakarAya namah |

ॐ श्रीशाय नमः।                 Om shrIshAya namah |

ॐ श्रीपतये नमः।                Om shrIpataye namah |

ॐ स्तुतिहर्षिताय नमः।       Om stutiharShitAya namah |

ॐ कलाद्रिभृते नमः।            Om kalAdribhrute namah |

ॐ जटिने नमः।                   Om jaTine namah |

ॐ चन्द्रचूडाय नमः।             Om candracUDAya namah |

ॐ अमरेश्वराय नमः।           Om amareshvarAya namah |

ॐ नागयज्ञोपवीतिनेतिने नमः।        Om nAgayagyopavItine namah |

ॐ श्रीकान्ताय नमः।            Om shrIkAntAya namah |

ॐ रामार्चितपदाय नमः।      Om rAmArcitapadAya namah |

ॐ व्रतिने नमः।                   Om vratine namah |

ॐ स्थूलकान्ताय नमः।        Om sthUlakAntAya namah |

ॐ त्रयीकर्त्रे नमः।                 Om trayIkartre namah |

ॐ सामगोषप्रियाय नमः।     Om sAmagoShapriyAya namah |

ॐ पुरुषोत्तमाय नमः।           Om purushottamAya namah |

ॐ स्थूलतुण्डाय नमः।          Om sthUlatuNDAya namah |

ॐ अग्रगण्याय नमः।           Om agragaNyAya namah |

ॐ ग्रामण्ये नमः।                 Om grAmaNye namah |

ॐ गणपाय नमः।                Om gaNapAya namah |

ॐ स्थिराय नमः।                Om sthirAya namah |

ॐ वृद्धिदाय नमः।               Om vrddhidAya namah |

ॐ सुभगाय नमः।               Om subhagAya namah |

ॐ शूराय नमः।                  Om shUrAya namah |

ॐ वागीशाय नमः।             Om vagIshAya namah |

ॐ सिद्धिदायकाय नमः।      Om siddhidAyakAya namah |

ॐ दूर्वाबिल्वप्रियाय नमः।   Om dUrvAbilvapriyAya namah |

ॐ कान्ताय नमः।               Om kAntAya namah |

ॐ पापहारिणे नमः।            Om pApahAriNe namah |

ॐ कृतागमाय नमः।           Om krtAgamAya namah |

ॐ समाहिताय नमः।           Om samAhitAya namah |

ॐ वक्रतुण्डाय नमः।           Om vakratuNDAya namah |

ॐ श्रीप्रदाय नमः।               Om shrIpradAya namah |

ॐ सौम्याय नमः।              Om saumyAya namah |

ॐ भक्तकाङ्क्षितदाय नमः। Om bhaktakAngshitadAya namah |

ॐ अच्युताय नमः।            Om acyutAya namah |

ॐ केवलाय नमः।              Om kevalAya namah |

ॐ सिद्धाय नमः।                Om siddhAya namah |

ॐ सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहाय नमः।        Om sacchidAnandavigrhAya namah |

ॐ ज्ञानिने नमः।               Om nyAnine namah |

ॐ मायायुक्ताय नमः।        Om mAyAyuktAya namah |

ॐ दान्ताय नमः।              Om dAntAya namah |

ॐ ब्रह्मिष्ठाय नमः।             Om brahmiShThAya namah |

ॐ भयवर्जिताय नमः।       Om bhayavarjitAya namah |

ॐ प्रमत्तदैत्यभयदाय नमः। Om pramattadaityabhayadAya namah |

ॐ व्यक्तमूर्तये नमः।          Om vyaktamUrtaye namah |

ॐ अमूर्ताय नमः।             Om amUrtaye namah |

ॐ पार्वतीशंकरोत्संग खेलनोत्सवलालनाय नमः।     Om pArvatIshankarotsanga khelanotsavalAlanAya namah |

ॐ समस्तजगदाधाराय नमः।  Om samastajagadAdhArAya namah |

ॐ मूशकवाहनाय नमः।          Om mUshakavAhanAya namah |

ॐ हृष्टस्तुताय नमः।               Om hrShTastutAya namah |

ॐ प्रसन्नात्मने नमः।            Om prasannAtmane namah |

ॐ सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकाय नमः।  Om sarvasiddhipradAyakAya namah |

I have compiled all the Ganesha Slokas and Mantras that I have posted so far into a pdf file for those who are interested in only the sanskrit versions without having to dig through my ramblings!

श्री गणेश गायत्री (shrI gaNesha gAyatri) ...

In this post, I will present the Ganesha Gayatri, the Gayatri Mantra addressing Lord Ganesha to remove all obstacles and to succeed in all endeavours. While the other posts contain Slokas, this is a Mantra. The essential difference is that Mantras have an associated length and meter (chandas), just like poetry. Depending on their type, Mantras contain a certain fixed number of syllables and are meant to be repetitively chanted, sometimes at a prescribed frequency for attaining the complete vibrational benefits (the word Gayatri itself means rhythm or meter). Therefore, it becomes very important to chant the Mantra correctly. Each syllable of the Mantra is referred to as a Beeja, a sound-seed that represents energy, and the Beejas form the building blocks of the Mantra itself. The Gayatri Mantras contain a sequence of 24 Beejas, 3 lines of 8 Beejas each. Every Gayatri Mantra has an associated rishi, chandas and devata (God it addresses).

The most popular of the Gayatri Mantras is the one that addresses the transcendental divinity, the giver of all energy, light and the life force itself (sometimes said to the the Sun). This Mantra is considered be amongst the highest and most powerful of all the Mantras and is also sometimes referred to as the Ved Maata (Mother of all Vedas). Apart from this Mantra, there are individual Mantras set to the Gayatri meter addressing different Gods such as Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha and so on. The Ganesha Gayatri has Ganaka rishi as the associated rishi, Gayatri as the associated chandas, and Lord Ganesha as the devata. The Mantra is the following:

ॐ एकदन्ताय विद्महे
वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि।
तन्नो दन्ति प्रचोदयात्॥

Om ekadantAya vidmahe
vakratUnDAya dhImahi |
tanno danti pracodayAt ||

ॐ - the Pravana Mantra, referring to the all-pervading divinity in this universe. This Beeja Mantra is an extensive topic in itself and it is impossible to even begin explaining it here. More importantly, I am in no way qualified to do so, but I will during some other post point to some very interesting resources that will shed more light on the topic.
विद्महे - praise/worship of the Lord
धीमहि - meditate upon
तन्नो  - One who is to us
दन्ति - the tusked One
प्रचोदयात् - impel us forward towards realization

I worship You, O’ single-tusked Lord, One with a twisted trunk. I meditate upon You, the tusked One, to impel me towards awakening my consciousness and realizing my Self.
The other variations of Ganesha Gayatri are the following:

ॐ तद्पुरुशाय विद्महे
वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि।
तन्नो दन्ति प्रचोदयात्॥

Om tadpurushAya vidmahe
vakratuNDAya dhImahi |
tanno danti pracodayAt ||

ॐ लम्बोदराय विद्महे
महोदराय धीमहि।
तन्नो दन्ति प्रचोदयात्॥

Om lambodarAya vidmahe
mahodarAya dhImahi |
tanno danti pracodayAt ||

All 3 versions stay true to the objective of the Mantra itself, differing only in their praise for Lord Ganesha’s attributes.

Over the series of posts, I have tried to compile short stories behind all of Lord Ganesha’s unusual attributes. He may have a peculiar, if not grotesque form that defies all sense of proportion and surface beauty. However, it does not invoke a repulsion of any kind. In fact, if anything, it brings a sense of joy and awe in his devotees. Like I alluded earlier, all of His features serve a deeper philosophical purpose. The elephant-head signifies a certain calmness and majesty; the large ears represent his ability to listen to all of his devotee’s pleas; the disproportionate body represents maaya or illusion that illustrates that outer beauty or lack of it is no indication of what lies beneath; large belly represents contentment; the twisted trunk can represent various levels of Self realization depending on the depiction; the weapons He carries represent his control over the different material aspects of life; the laddus or modakams represent fruits for sincere efforts; and, last but by no means the least, the mouse represents his control over illusion and ignorance.

I have just scratched the surface of the huge collection of Slokas and Mantras devoted to Lord Ganesha. I will move on to Slokas devoted to other Gods and Goddesses, but this is by no means the final post on Lord Ganesha! I will keep coming back to him whenever I am able to post any Sloka and/or Mantra with fair confidence.