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The Ucchista Ganapati Ashtottara Shatanamavali, commonly known as the Ucchista Ganapati Ashtottaram, is a devotional hymn comprising 108 names that extol the various attributes and virtues of Ucchista Ganapati.

oṃ mūṣakāṅkamahāraktaketanāya namo namaḥ oṃ

ॐ मूषकाङ्कमहारक्तकेतनाय नमो नमः ॐ

Salutations to the One whose banner/flag is red in color and adorned by his favorite vehicle, the rat – mūṣakāsurā.

Verse 61: The Red Banner and the Rat

Sanskrit:
ॐ मूषकाङ्कमहारक्तकेतनाय नमो नमः ॐ

Transliteration:
oṃ mūṣakāṅka–mahārakta–ketanāya namo namaḥ oṃ

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Word-by-Word Translation

• oṃ — primordial sound, essence of creation, sacred seal.

• mūṣaka–aṅka — “bearing the rat (mūṣika) as a mark/insignia”; the rat here is Gaṇeśa’s chosen vāhana, originally Mūṣikāsura, the asura subdued and transformed into service.

• mahā–rakta — “great red”; referring to the blazing red color, the hue of vitality, passion, auspiciousness, and śakti.

• ketanāya — “to the one whose banner/flag is [of this nature]”; a symbolic standard of victory, presence, and divine identity.

• namo namaḥ — repeated prostrations, expressing surrender and devotion.

• oṃ — closure, sanctifying the mantra in wholeness.

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Detailed Commentary

This verse highlights two defining emblems of Ucchiṣṭa Gaṇapati: the rat insignia and the red banner.

1. The Rat as Insignia (Mūṣakāṅka)

   • Beyond being a vāhana, the rat is described here as Gaṇeśa’s aṅka — an inseparable mark of his presence.

   • The rat, once a demon (Mūṣikāsura), became a symbol of arrogance humbled and transformed into service. Gaṇeśa does not destroy blindly; he redeems, redirects, and reintegrates energies for divine work.

   • As insignia, it teaches sādhakas that even the basest tendencies can be transmuted into spiritual vehicles under Gaṇapati’s grace.

2. The Red Banner (Mahārakta Ketanāya)

   • The banner, or ketana, represents victory, dominion, and divine proclamation.

   • Its color — mahārakta (deep red) — is not accidental. Red is the color of śakti, kāma (desire), and rajas (dynamic activity). It announces Gaṇapati as a deity of fertility, vitality, and tantric fire.

   • In the tantric stream, red also signifies ucchiṣṭa energy — raw, leftover, outside convention, yet potent in transformation. Thus, the banner is a declaration that Gaṇapati reigns in both the sacred and the taboo.

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Spiritual Significance

• The Rat + The Banner = a complete vision of transformation and triumph:

  • The rat shows that even what is rejected, base, or cunning can be consecrated into divine service.

  • The red banner shows that Gaṇapati does not hide his power; he openly declares victory through śakti.

• For practitioners, the verse is a reminder that:

  • No tendency within us is too small or too impure to be transmuted.

  • Flying the “red banner” inwardly means owning one’s desire, passion, and power, while consecrating them at the feet of Gaṇapati.

• In worship, meditating on this form strengthens the ability to redirect passions and to proudly fly the banner of victory over inner demons.