ಬಾ ಬೆನಕ ಪೂಜಿಸುವೆ ಬಾಗಿನಕೆ ಕಡುಬಿಡುವೆ ಎಡರುಗಳ ತೊಡರುಗಳ ಬಿಡಿಸಿ ಕಾಪಾಡಯ್ಯ
ವೃಷಭವಿದೆ ಸಿಂಹವಿದೆ ಇಲಿಯನೇರಿದೆ ಏಕೆ ಮನ್ವನೋರಥವನೇರಿ ಸಂಚರಿಸು ಗಣಪಯ್ಯ
ಏಕದಂತನೆ ನಿನಗೆ ಏಕ ವಿಂಶದಿ ದೂರವೆ ರಕ್ತ ಚಂದನಬೆರಿಸಿ ಭಕ್ತಿಯೊಳಗರ್ಪಿಸುವೆ
ಸೊಂಡಲಿಗೆ ತಂದೀಪೆ ಉಂಡಲಿಗೆ ಮೋದಕವ ಉಂಡು ಕರು ಣಿಸು ಎನ್ನ ಸಂದ ಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಲಿಂದು
1. ಬಾ ಬೆನಕ ಪೂಜಿಸುವೆ ಬಾಗಿನಕೆ ಕಡಬಿರುವೆ
Bā Benaka pūjisuve, bāginake kaḍabiruve
Meaning:
Come, O Ganesha, I shall worship you; I have prepared kadabu as an offering for you.
- ಬಾ — Come
- ಬೆನಕ — Ganesha
- ಪೂಜಿಸುವೆ — I shall worship
- ಬಾಗಿನ — offering / auspicious offering
- ಕಡಬು — Kadabu, a traditional steamed sweet/dumpling
2. ಎಡರುಗಳ ತೊಡರುಗಳ ಬಿಡಿಸಿ ಕಾಪಾಡಯ್ಯ ಬಾ
Eḍarugaḷa toḍarugaḷa biḍisi kāpāḍayya bā
Meaning:
Come, O Lord, remove all my obstacles and difficulties and protect me.
- ಎಡರುಗಳು — obstacles, impediments
- ತೊಡರುಗಳು — hindrances, troubles
- ಬಿಡಿಸಿ — free/release [me] from
- ಕಾಪಾಡಯ್ಯ — O Lord, protect me
This refers to Ganesha as Vighnahara/Vighneshwara — the remover of obstacles.
3. ವೃಷಭದಿದೆ ಸಿಂಹವಿದೆ ಇಲಿಯನೇರಿದೆ ಏಕೆ
Vṛṣabhadide siṃhavide, iliy anēride ēke
Meaning:
There is the bull, there is the lion—why have you chosen to ride a mouse?
- ವೃಷಭ — bull
- ಸಿಂಹ — lion
- ಇಲಿ — mouse
- ಏರಿದೆ — have mounted/ridden
- ಏಕೆ — why?
The poet playfully wonders why mighty Ganesha chose the tiny mouse (mūṣika) as his vehicle when grand animals such as the bull and lion exist.
4. ಮನ್ನೋರಥವೇರಿ ಸಂಚರಿಸು ಗಣಪಯ್ಯ ಬಾ
Mannōrathavēri sañcarisu Gaṇapayya bā
Meaning:
Come, O Ganapati; mount the chariot of my heart's desire and journey to me.
Here ಮನೋರಥ (manoratha) is particularly beautiful:
ಮನಸ್ (mind/heart) + ರಥ (chariot) → literally “chariot of the mind”, and figuratively a heartfelt wish or desire.
So the poet makes a poetic comparison: instead of riding the mouse, ride the chariot of my devotion/desire and come to me.
5. ಏಕದಂತನೆ ನಿನಗೆ ಏಕವಿಂಶತಿ ದೂರ್ವೆ
Ēkadantane ninage ēkaviṃśati dūrve
Meaning:
O Ekadanta, the one-tusked Lord, I offer you twenty-one blades/bunches of sacred Durva grass.
- ಏಕದಂತನೆ — O one-tusked one; a name of Ganesha
- ನಿನಗೆ — to you
- ಏಕವಿಂಶತಿ — twenty-one (Sanskrit: एकविंशति)
- ದೂರ್ವೆ — Durva grass, sacred to Ganesha
6. ರಕ್ತ ಚಂದನ ಬೆರೆಸಿ ಭಕ್ತಿಯೊಳಗರ್ಪಿಸುವೆ ಬಾ
Rakta candana beresi bhaktiyoḷagarpisuve bā
Meaning:
I shall offer them to you with red sandalwood and with devotion; come, O Lord.
- ರಕ್ತ ಚಂದನ — red sandalwood
- ಬೆರೆಸಿ — mixing/combining
- ಭಕ್ತಿಯೊಳಗೆ — with/in devotion
- ಅರ್ಪಿಸುವೆ — I shall offer
The important idea is that the physical offerings are accompanied by bhakti — sincere devotion.
7. ಸೊಂಡಿಲಿಗೆ ತಂದೀವೆ ಉಂಡಲಿಗೆ ಮೋದಕವ
Soṇḍilige tandīve, uṇḍalige mōdakava
Meaning:
I have brought modakas for your trunk, for you to eat.
- ಸೊಂಡಿಲು — trunk (Ganesha's elephant trunk)
- ತಂದೀವೆ — I/we have brought
- ಉಣ್ಣಲು / ಉಂಡಲಿಗೆ — to eat
- ಮೋದಕ — modaka, Ganesha's beloved sweet
8. ಉಂಡು ಕರುಣಿಸು ಎನ್ನ ಸಂದ ಭಕ್ತಿಯೊಳಿಂದು ಬಾ
Uṇḍu karuṇisu enna … bhaktiyoḷindu bā
Meaning:
Eat the offering and shower your compassion upon me; come today and accept my heartfelt devotion.
- ಉಂಡು — having eaten / eat
- ಕರುಣಿಸು — show mercy, bless, be compassionate
- ಎನ್ನ — me / my
- ಭಕ್ತಿ — devotion
- ಇಂದು — today
Overall meaning
The song is a loving invitation to Ganesha:
“Come, O Ganesha, and accept my worship and the sweets I have prepared. Remove the obstacles and troubles in my life and protect me. Why do you ride a tiny mouse when there are mighty bulls and lions? Instead, come riding upon the chariot of my heart's desire. O one-tusked Lord, I offer you twenty-one sacred Durva grasses and red sandalwood with devotion. I have brought your beloved modakas. Accept them, show me your compassion, and accept my heartfelt devotion.”
The song is especially nice because it combines playfulness (“Why ride a mouse when there are bulls and lions?”) with traditional Ganesha worship—kadabu/modaka, 21 durva, red sandalwood, and a prayer for the removal of obstacles.