Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 Ganapati Bappa Morya !!!! "Vakrathunda Mahakaaya Sooryakoti Samaprabha Nirvighnam Kurumedeva Sarvakaaryeshu Sarvadaa" You of the twisted trunk and the massive body with the dazzle and light of millions of Suns Lead me on a path that has no obstacles clearing the way in all that I do, and always! With this invocation to Lord Ganesha, let's join in the celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi – the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The celebration for this festival begins on Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi and continues for ten days till Ananta Chaturthi. Though celebrated in all parts of the country, the festival has great prominence in Maharashtra. Exhilarated cries of Ganapati Bappa Morya, bhajans dedicated to Lord Ganesha, decorated pandals and huge processions of devotees characterize the celebrations of this festival. Read on to know more about the festival, the legends surrounding it and the rituals of the festival. http://www.blessingsonthenet.com/temple/currfestival.asp? festivalid=F0694 http://www.blessingsonthenet.com/newtemple/nindex.asp?tempid=T019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste. Ganapati & Makkhan-chor Gopalnanda http://www.hinduism.org.za/newpage24.htm THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GANAPATI AND `MAKKHAN-CHOR' GOPALNANDA In Sanskrit language, there are more than one meaning attached to a word. For example, the word GO means cow as well as sense organs. Gopal means cowherd. Gopal also means a yogi whose sense organs are completely under his control. This dual meaning enables poets to bring out their best on the physical plane as well as on the spiritual plane. We have Krishna the cowherd boy in Vraj and Vrindavan, and we have Gopalnanda Krishna, the yogeshwar, milking the Upanishads, and the milk is the great nectar of the Bhagavad Gita. (Gita Dhyanam, verse 4, usually found at the beginning of Bhagavad Gita books). The maakhan (cream) or the gist or essence of the Upanishads is presented in the Bhagavad Gita. This is what the `makkhan chor' took from the Upanishads and distributed for the benefit of mankind. Similarly, a common Sanskrit word to denote elephant is GAJA. Here Gajanan means elephant faced - a name for Ganapati. But the word Gaja has a much deeper connotation. GA indicates gati, the final goal towards which the entire creation is moving, whether knowingly or unknowingly. JA stands for janma, birth or origin. Hence GAJA signifies GOD from whom worlds have come out and towards whom they are progressing, to be ultimately dissolved in Him. The elephant head is thus purely symbolical. We observe creation in its two fold manifestation as the microcosm (sukshmanda) and the macrocosm (brahmanda). Each is a replica of the other. They are one in two and two in one. The elephant head stands for the macrocosm (representing vastness or bigness), and the human body for the microcosm. The two form one unit. Since the macrocosm is the goal of the microcosm, the elephant part has been given greater prominence by making it a head. The Chandogya Upanishad has pronounced a philisophical truth as TAT- TVAM-ASI, THAT- THOU -ART. It simply means "You, the apparently limited individual, are in essence, the cosmic Truth, the Absolute". The elephant-human form of Ganapati is the iconographical representation of this great Vedantic dictum. the elephant stands for the cosmic whereas the human stands for the individual. The single image reflects their identity. Vedanta is the synthesis of the `within' and the `without'; the macrocosm and the microcosm. The study of this `within' of nature through an inquiry into the `within' of man, who is the unique product of nature`s evolution, is religion according to Indian thought. The synthesis of the knowledge of the `without' , which the physical sciences give, and the `within' which religion gives, is what India achieved in her Vedanta. This she calls BRAHMA - VIDYA or philosophy; God or Brahman(`BRAHMAN' is the Upanishdic term for the Supreme Reality, God) standing for the totality of reality, physical and non- physical. Brahma - vidya is Sarva - vidya- pratishtha (philosophy is the basis and support of all knowledge) says the Mundaka Upanishad (i.i.i.). The Ganapati Upanishad identifies Lord Ganesh with the Supreme Self. Lord Ganesh represents the Pranava (AUM) which is the symbol of the Supreme Self. Taitiriya Upanishad (1.8.1.) states: "AUM ITI BRAHMAN -AUM is Brahman (GOD). AUM is all this . Nothing can be done without uttering it." This explains the practice of invokong Lord Ganesh before beginning any rite or undertaking any project. Lord Ganesh removes all obstacles on the path of the spiritual aspirant, and bestows upon him worldly as well as spiritual success. So he is called VIGNA VINAYAKA or VIGHNESHWAR. Jai Sri Ganesh! Jaya Sri Radhey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 Dear Friends, You might wish to check out this website, which contains information regarding Ganesh from the book THE NOTHING AND THE EVERYTHING, by Bhau Kalchuri (disciple of Meher Baba, I believe): http://www.avatarmeherbaba.org/erics/ganesh01.html Blessings, Kathy @}-->--- , pyari_h <no_reply> wrote: > Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste. > > Ganapati & Makkhan-chor Gopalnanda > > http://www.hinduism.org.za/newpage24.htm > > THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GANAPATI > AND `MAKKHAN-CHOR' GOPALNANDA > > In Sanskrit language, there are more than one meaning attached to a > word. For example, the word GO means cow as well as sense organs. > > Gopal means cowherd. Gopal also means a yogi whose sense organs > are completely under his control. > > This dual meaning enables poets to bring out their best on the > physical plane as well as on the spiritual plane. > > We have Krishna the cowherd boy in Vraj and Vrindavan, and we have > Gopalnanda Krishna, the yogeshwar, milking the Upanishads, and the > milk is the great nectar of the Bhagavad Gita. (Gita Dhyanam, verse > 4, usually found at the beginning of Bhagavad Gita books). > > The maakhan (cream) or the gist or essence of the Upanishads is > presented in the Bhagavad Gita. This is what the `makkhan chor' took > from the Upanishads and distributed for the benefit of mankind. > > Similarly, a common Sanskrit word to denote elephant is GAJA. Here > Gajanan means elephant faced - a name for Ganapati. But the word Gaja > has a much deeper connotation. > > GA indicates gati, the final goal towards which the entire creation > is moving, whether knowingly or unknowingly. > > JA stands for janma, birth or origin. Hence GAJA signifies GOD from > whom worlds have come out and towards whom they are progressing, to > be ultimately dissolved in Him. > > The elephant head is thus purely symbolical. > > We observe creation in its two fold manifestation as the microcosm > (sukshmanda) and the macrocosm (brahmanda). > Each is a replica of the other. They are one in two and two in one. > The elephant head stands for the macrocosm (representing vastness or > bigness), and the human body for the microcosm. > The two form one unit. Since the macrocosm is the goal of the > microcosm, the elephant part has been given greater prominence by > making it a head. > > The Chandogya Upanishad has pronounced a philisophical truth as TAT- > TVAM-ASI, THAT- THOU -ART. > It simply means "You, the apparently limited individual, are in > essence, the cosmic Truth, the Absolute". > > The elephant-human form of Ganapati is the iconographical > representation of this great Vedantic dictum. the elephant stands for > the cosmic whereas the human stands for the individual. The single > image reflects their identity. > > Vedanta is the synthesis of the `within' and the `without'; the > macrocosm and the microcosm. The study of this `within' of nature > through an inquiry into the `within' of man, who is the unique > product of nature`s evolution, is religion according to Indian > thought. The synthesis of the knowledge of the `without' , which the > physical sciences give, and the `within' which religion gives, is > what India achieved in her Vedanta. This she calls BRAHMA - VIDYA or > philosophy; > God or Brahman(`BRAHMAN' is the Upanishdic term for the Supreme > Reality, God) standing for the totality of reality, physical and non- > physical. Brahma - vidya is Sarva - vidya- pratishtha (philosophy is > the basis and support of all knowledge) says the Mundaka Upanishad > (i.i.i.). > > The Ganapati Upanishad identifies Lord Ganesh with the Supreme Self. > Lord Ganesh represents the Pranava (AUM) which is the symbol of the > Supreme Self. Taitiriya Upanishad (1.8.1.) states: > > "AUM ITI BRAHMAN -AUM is Brahman (GOD). AUM is all this . Nothing can > be done without uttering it." > This explains the practice of invokong Lord Ganesh before beginning > any rite or undertaking any project. > > Lord Ganesh removes all obstacles on the path of the spiritual > aspirant, and bestows upon him worldly as well as spiritual success. > So he is called VIGNA VINAYAKA or VIGHNESHWAR. > > Jai Sri Ganesh! > Jaya Sri Radhey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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