"Thou art earth, water, fire, air and akasha..."

[Guest guest]

To Kochu, Devi Bhakta, and any others of our esteemed

sadhakas:

 

Do you know from whence comes the notion that Heramba

Ganapati is a special patron & protector of

handicapped (or poor, or weak, or challenged) people?

 

I've seen this statement quoted online several places,

but never its source. Is it from a particular shloka?

 

Heramba Ganapati is an unusual form of Ganesha. He

has a white complexion, five faces, ten arms, and he

rides a lion instead of the usual mouse. No one seems

to know what the name Heramba "means," although the

ending -amba might refer to his mother as Durga Mata.

He has fascinated me for years (partly because I am

myself handicapped, and my name is Leonard -- "like a

Lion").

 

I saw an Indian-based website selling a Heramba statue

(they seem pretty rare to find!), mentioned it to my

friend and coven-sister Sharon, and she went and

bought it for me! (I have some pretty wonderful

friends!)

 

Ganesh Chaturthi is approaching, and I want to

"welcome" the Heramba murthi to my altar, and the only

bit of sadhana that I know is that his specific mantra

is OM GOONG NAMAHA.

 

While meditating before the new murthi, I feel

compelled to visualize him within my heart, filling my

body with white light that heals and soothes me, and

then sending healing energy outwards to ailing

friends, and then to the whole universe.

 

(I'm also concerned with providing him with a Shakti.

I've tried placing some of my Devi images to his left

on the altar. Somehow the one that worked best so far

was Bhuvanishvari. Her four arms holding noose, goad,

and making abhaya and varada mudras exactly parallel

Heramba's four outermost of his ten arms. Their legs

are also similarly positioned. And I've already

assigned a Bhuta or element to each of his five faces,

while Bhuvanishvari is Mistress over the five

elements...)

 

I'm waking up each morning, greeting him like a guest

with incense and a candle, and trying to

(mis)pronounce the Atharva Shirsha before him at least

at dawn and sunset.

 

If I become a Ganapatya, will I have to brand or

tattoo a one-tusked head on my arms?

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste Leonard

My Name is Pandit Devindra, there are at least 18

Puranas that give various accounts and names of Lord

Ganesha. Unfortunately I have not read many of these

accounts myself as these texts are fairly difficult to

come by and therefore cannot give you the exact

information you desire. I will try to locate it for

you .

 

I would like to recommend that you get the following

book (if possible) as it will give you a lot of

information on Ganesha in general

 

Book title : Ganapati - Song of the Self

Author : John A. Grimes

p. cm (SUNY series in religious studies)

Publisher :State University of New York Press, Albany

ISBN 0-7914-2439-1 - ISBN 0-7914-2440-5

 

This should set you well on your way with Ganesha

worship. There are somethings I wish to point out to

you firstly that the five heads indicate a

multifaceted nature and the riding of the lion

possibly denotes conquering ferocity as it does in the

Shakta tradition.

 

The important things to remember with Ganesha is

respect, sincerity, and devotion. If you are sincere

and steadfast in your devotion he will come and play

with you. When you begin his worship prostrate all of

your limbs to him mentally this is suggestive of

complete surrender. Ask him to remove your obstacles

and believe that he will.

 

Now to welcome Ganesha to your altar do the following

:

Place his washed murti on the altar and in the middle

of it visualize AUM, tell your higher self that you

have connected to the energy that produces AUM, keep

reciting AUM for 108 times and when you feel mentally

comfortable that the energy is present in the murti,

then visulize the Sanskrit Bija of Ganesha (Gang) in

the middle of the murti. On the top of it is the bindu

visualize a golden light forming from this bindu and

filling the entire murti ( while mentally reciting the

mantra you know) Aum Gang Namah.

Tell your higher self that you are connected to the

energy that produces Gang. When you feel comfortable

ask The Energy (Lord Ganesha) to manifest itself in

your murti. Here you may offer whatever Upacharas your

heart desires. I will tell you though that Lord

Ganesha is particularly fond of Drinking Milk and

eating Modakas, Laddus and various other sweets and

fruits. To go into other details is not possible but

this should suffice for now. Please remember when the

energy manifests itself to bow and pay obseiance as

this is an act of grace. What ever you offer should be

left untouched for at least three hours and can then

be taken a prashad (sacrament).

 

I surmize that the reason he is considered the

protector of the challenged is that he is the remover

of obstacles, hence those that are challenged require

special attention and he acts as their

protector/guardian.

 

Take care and if I get this information I will send it

as soon as possible

 

Devindra