May Ganesha, lord of Shiva’s retinue, by thinking on whom success is won, whose face is the face of a noble elephant, storehouse of wisdom, abode of all good qualities, be gracious to me!

May that merciful Lord, whose grace enables the dumb to loose his tongue and the cripple to climb the steepest hill, and who burns to ashes the impurities of the Kaliyuga, be compassionate to me!

May the Lord whoever rests upon the Sea of Milk, with body dark as the dark-blue lotus, and eyes bright as a budding water-lily, make his dwelling in my heart!

May the destroyer of Kamadeva, Shiva, whose form resembles in colour the jasmine flower or the moon, who is the beloved spouse of Parvati and an abode of compassion and who loves the humble, show me his grace!

I reverence the lotus feet of my guru, ocean of grace, Hari in human form, whose words are like a flood of sunlight on the deep darkness of powerful ignorance!

I reverence the pollen-like dust of the lotus feet of my guru, bright, fragrant, sweet to the taste and full of the flavour of love; pure powder of the root of ambrosia that heels all the attendant ills of life.

This dust is like the holy ashes on the divine body of Shambhu, beautiful, auspicious and bringing forth joy. It rubs the dirt off the fair mirror of the votary’s mind, and, when applied to the forehead as a sect-mark, it attracts a host of virtues.