Ganesh Yantra: meaning of its parts, with the mantra Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

The Ganesh Yantra

From the centre out: the seed syllable gam, a downward triangle, a six-pointed star, a circle, eight lotus petals, another circle and the bhupura with its four gates.

What the Ganesh Yantra means

Ganesha, Ganapati, is the lord of beginnings and the remover of obstacles, honoured at the start of every puja, journey, wedding and new venture. His seed syllable gam stands for him in sound, as the elephant-headed form does in image, and the yantra places it at the centre of the figure.

The parts and their meaning

• Gam, the seed syllable at the centre: Ganesha himself, in the form of sound.
• The downward triangle: Shakti, the power through which every beginning becomes possible.
• The six-pointed star: the union of Shiva and Shakti, Ganesha’s parents.
• The eight lotus petals: often linked with the eight forms of Ganesha (Ashtavinayaka) or the eight directions.
• The bhupura: the square with four gates, the boundary of the sacred space.

How it is traditionally kept

A Ganesh Yantra is often placed at the start of a new home, a new shop or a new year of study, and honoured with durva grass, a red flower, a lamp and the mantra above. Wednesdays and Ganesh Chaturthi are the days most families choose, as custom.

Many families keep a yantra in the puja space, facing east; keep it however feels right to you.

Questions

Is there one correct Ganesh Yantra?

No. Several forms are used, with different numbers of petals and different syllables, according to the tradition followed. The one here is among the most widely printed; if your family has its own, keep to it.

What does “gam” mean?

It is Ganesha’s seed syllable (bija). Seed syllables have no word meaning; they are taken as the sound form of the deity, and it appears in his best-known mantra, Om gam ganapataye namah.

Is there a longer prayer to Ganesha here?

Yes: the Ganesh Stotram, the Ganesh Chalisa and the Ganesh Aarti, each with meaning.