Ghalin Lotangan Ganesh Aarti
Ganpati Bappa is coming soon - and you’re going to hear this aarti called “Ghalin Lotangan” everywhere. But do you know it has a crazy hidden history & meaning?
Here’s the tea.
This is actually a fusion of five completely different prayers, from different authors, time periods, and even deities - combined over time into one bhajan.
First, we begin with Maharashtra’s Sant Namdev, who talks with a sense of deep devotion & love i.e. bhakti:
घालीन लोटांगण, वंदीन चरण ।
डोळ्यांनी पाहीन रुप तुझें ।
प्रेमें आलिंगिन, आनंदे पूजिन ।
भावें ओवाळीन म्हणे नामा ॥१॥
This means, “I completely surrender before you, bow to your feet, and see your form with love, hugging & worship you with so much joy.”
Second is a verse picked from the Guru Stotram, widely recited in Advaita philosophy circles inspired by Adi Shankaracharya:
त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव ।
त्वमेव बंधुक्ष्च सखा त्वमेव ।
त्वमेव विध्या द्रविणं त्वमेव ।
त्वमेव सर्वं मम देवदेव ॥२॥
Which means, “You are my mother, father, friend, knowledge, wealth - my everything.”
Third, we destroy our ego by offering up all our actions to God as our gift or service to him, using a line from the Vedic Sanskrit era, which says:
कायेन वाचा मनसेंद्रीयेव्रा, बुद्धयात्मना वा प्रकृतिस्वभावात ।
करोमि यध्य्त सकलं परस्मे, नारायणायेति समर्पयामि ॥३॥
This means, “Whatever I do - through body, speech, mind, or instinct - I offer it all to the Home of all Souls.”
Fourth, we list God’s qualities by calling out his many names:
अच्युतं केशवं रामनारायणं कृष्णदामोदरं वासुदेवं भजे ।
श्रीधरं माधवं गोपिकावल्लभं, जानकीनायकं रामचंद्र भजे ॥४॥
Which means that I’m worshipping & serving “The One Who Cannot Fall, the Beautiful One with Majestic Hair, the Giver of Joy, the one who shelters all souls, the Joy of all Gopikas the attractive one who lives in all beings, and the Lord of Janaki i.e Sita Ma or Mother Nature.”
And fifth, we sing the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, which is meant to bring us comfort & safety in the age of Kali.
हरे राम हरे राम, राम राम हरे हरे ।
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण, कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे ।
Isn’t it fascinating how most of these verses were written for Vishnu but they’re also offered to Ganesha today? That’s because in our Sanatan Dharma, all deities are One.
So this aarti is a mashup & remix of that thought!
Morya!