Devas Praised Vakratunda With This Stotra

The Vakratunda Avatar of Lord Ganesha, Which He Took to Eliminate Matsarasura

Matsarasura, after getting a boon from Lord Shiva that he would become the emperor of the universe, conquered all the worlds, including Kailasa.

All the devas were worried—how could they get out of this situation? Dattatreya advised them to do tapasya of Lord Ganesha. All the devas and munis performed tapasya for 1,000 divine years.

The lord was pleased and appeared before them. His form was so huge that they even got scared. Lord Ganesha comforted them, saying, 'Don’t worry, I will re-establish peace and happiness for you.' Then he assumed a milder, smaller form.

The devas and rishis began worshiping him in the usual way. Then they started praising him, praying to him with tears of bhakti in their eyes.

'Oh Lord,
Oh Vakratunda, Oh Ekadanta, Oh Gajavaktra—you are the lord of everything.
You rule over everything. You control everything.

We know this.
You are, in fact, beyond all forms, beyond the sattva, rajas, and tamas gunas.
But now, you have assumed this form with four hands to help us.

You have come to us, seated on a huge lion, wearing the king of serpents, Adishesha, around your waist, to protect us.
You are so kind to us.

Even that huge form, seated on a lion reaching up to the sky, in which you appeared before us—
Even that, we know, is just a small part of you.

Nobody has seen you fully.
Nobody has understood you fully.
Nobody can even attempt to describe you fully.
Nobody knows what you really look like.

We know this is a form you have assumed so that we can understand something about you.
This, you have done out of your mercy.

Who all are saying this?
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Agni, and the rishis.

You only become Brahma and bless your devotees.
You only become Vishnu and bless your devotees.
You only become Shambhu and bless your devotees.

You are so kind that devotees can worship you in whichever form they want,
Whichever form they are comfortable with.
And you only bless them through the different forms of yours.

Brahma is you only.
Vishnu is you only.
Shiva is you only.
All the devas are your own manifestations.

Why devas? Even asuras are your manifestation.
All the birds are your manifestation.
All the stars are your manifestations.
All planets are your manifestations.
All plants, all trees—they are all your manifestations.
Mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans—they are all you only.

All the living beings of 84 lakh different species—they are all you only.
They are all your own manifestations.

Movable, immovable, dos, don’ts, all the laws, all the rules—they are all you only.
Only you can know yourself fully—nobody else can.

You only put people in maya.
You only limit their knowledge and awareness so that they move around in circles,
Thinking that their day-to-day life is everything.

But then, you only give them knowledge and take them out also.

Please be kind to us.
Protect us from the atrocities of Matsarasura.
Save us from him.
Please re-establish peace in our lives.'

This is the meaning of the stotra.

Now, I will chant the actual stotra with which they praised the lord.

[...]

After hearing this stotra, the lord himself blessed them, saying, 'Whoever praises me with this stotra, there will be no fear in their life.'

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi