GANAPATI TATWA

GANAPATI TATWA

Lord Ganapati is the darling of millions of people all over the world. He is mostly worshipped in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Devotion for the Lord extends  even to Buddhism and Jainism. He is Ganapati the Lord of the bhuta ganas surrounding Lord Siva. He is Vighneswara the Lord and destroyer of all obstacles. He is Ekadanta, the one with a single tusk. He is Gajanana, the elephant headed God. He is the patron god of arts and crafts and deva of intellect and wisdom. Ganapati  worship emerged during the Gupta period and in ‘Ganapathaya’in the 9th century Ganesha was worshipped as the supreme deity! The principal scriptures related to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, Mudgala Purana, and Ganapathi Atharva Sirsha.

Different and interesting stories relate to the origin of Ganapati. It is believed that goddess Parvati created him from out of clay for her protection. But Lord Siva in his anger beheaded him and replaced the elephant head in its place! According to another story Ganesha was created by Lord Siva's laughter! Ganapati is ‘ Omkararupa’ identical with Pranava,the primordial sound. Ganapathi AdharvaSirsha extols him as all in all-Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Surya, and Chandra. He is the embodiment of entire creation. He is omnipresent. He is meditated as one with four arms. He holds the pasa in one hand, ankusa in another and exhibits varada and abhaya mudras in the other hands. He is red in color, has red clothes and red sandal paste all over his form.He has the mouse in his flag and rides on it He is called ‘ Lambodara and Mahodara’ because all the universes-cosmic eggs- brahmandas of the past, present and future are in him according to the Brahmanda Purana! He is the permanent resident of the first Mooladhara Chakra which is the starting point of Kundalini yoga. This Chakra is the principle on which the manifestation or outward expansion of primordial divine force rests! “twam mooladhara sthitosi nityam”---You continually dwell in the sacral plexus at the base of the spine.This Chakra holds, psupports,and guides all other Chakras thereby “ governing the forces that propel the wheel of life.”  He has the serpent king Vasuki around his neck and wears a serpent as a belt or the sacred thread! The arms of his form vary from14 to twenty! His vahana or mount varies as per his different incarnations.The mouse as vahana is found in five of his eight forms. As Vakrathunda he has the lion; as Vikata and Sesha the peacock; as Vighnaraja the divine serpent; as Mahotkata the lion; as Mayureswara the peacock; as Dhoomakethu the horse and as Gajanana the mouse are his vahanas. Brahmanda, Mudgala and Ganesha Puranas refer to the mouse as Ganesha's vahana.The mouse or mushika symbolizes tamoguna and desire. Ganesha controls and suppresses these qualities. the Sanskrit word mushika is derived from ‘mus’ meaning robbing or stealing! Rat, therefore is a destructive pest a type of vighna that has to be overcome. Ganesha, like the rat can penetrate into the most secret places! While Ganesha is considered as a celibate,he is also regarded as the husband of Siddhi,Buddhi and Riddhi. Buddhi symbolizes intelligence, wisdom or intellect while Siddhi denotes spiritual power. Riddhi represents Lakshmi or prosperity. Siva Purana states that Ganapati has two sons namely Kshema and Labha representing profit and prosperity!

No religious activity is conducted without propitiating Lord Ganapati! Even the gods fail when they neglect him. Lord Siva had to worship him before destroying the ,Tripuras’. Chandra,the moon god had to suffer as he made fun of the Lord’s tummy! Even Lord Krishna had to experience the effect of viewing the moon on Vinayaka chaturthi day! It was Lord Ganapati who outsmarted Ravana from taking away the ‘ atma linga’ for his mother! It was Lord Ganesha that took down the slokas of the epic Mahabharatha as sage Vedavyasa dictated to him!There is not a single village or town or city that has no temple for Lord Ganesha! May the Lord bless us for our well being and prosperity!