Birthday of Lord Ganesha

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Ganesh Chaturthi

Celebration : Birthday of Lord Ganesha

 

Known for : Energy of Power

Religion : Hindu

Falls on : August – September

 

 

The devotees of Gamsha also do Japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra.

This is as follows.

Tat purushaaya vidmahe

Vakratundaaya dheemahi

Tanno dhanti prachodayaat.

 

Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom and bliss. He is the Lord of

Brahmacharins. He is foremost amongst the celibates.

 

He has as his vehicle a small mouse. He is the presiding Deity of the

Muladhara Chakra, the psychic centre in the body in which the

kundalini Shakti resides.

 

He is the Lord who removes all obstacles on the path of the spiritual

aspirant and bestows upon him worldly as well as spiritual success.

Hence He is called Vigna Vinayaka. His Bija Akshara (root syllable)

is Gung, pronounced to rhyme with the English word "sung". He is the

Lord of harmony and peace.

 

Lord Ganesha represents Om or the Pranava, which is the chief Mantra

among the Hindus. Nothing can be done without uttering it. This

explains the practice of invoking Ganesha before beginning any rite

or undertaking any project. His two feet represent the power of

knowledge and the power of action. The elephant head is significant

in that it is the only figure in nature that has the form of the

symbol for Om.

 

The significance of riding on a mouse is the complete conquest over

egoism. The holding of the ankusha represents His rulership of the

world. It is the emblem of divine Royalty.

 

Ganesha is the first God. Riding on a mouse, one of nature's smallest

creatures and having the head of an elephant, the biggest of all

animals denotes that Ganesha is the creator of all creatures.

Elephants are very wise animals this indices that Lord Ganesha is an

embodiment of wisdom. It also denotes the process of evolution-the

mouse gradually evolves into an elephant and finally becomes a man.

This is why Ganesha has a human body, an elephant's head and a mouse

as His vehicle. This is the symbolic philosophy of His form.

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He is the Lord of Ganas or groups, for instance groups of elements

groups of senses, etc. He is the head of the followers of Shiva or

the celestial servants of Lord Shiva.

 

The Vaishnavas also worship Lord Ganesha. They have given Him the

name of Tumbikkai Alwar which means the divinity with the proboscis

(the elephant's trunk).

 

Lord Ganesha's two powers are the Kundalini and the Vallabha or power

of love.

 

He is very fond of sweet pudding or balls of rice flour with a sweet

core. On one of His birthday He was going around house to house

accepting the offerings of swat puddings Having eaten a god number of

these, He set out moving on His mouse at night, Suddenly the mouse

stumbled-it had seen a snake and became frightened-with the result

that Ganesha fell down. His stomach burst open and all the sweet

puddings came out. But Ganesha stuffed them back into His stomach

and, catching hold of the snake, tied it around His belly.

 

Seeing an this the moon in the sky had a hearty laugh. This unseemly

behaviour of the moon annoyed Him immensely and so he pulled out one

of His tusks and hurled it against the moon, and cursed that no one

should look at the moon on the Ganesh Chaturthi day. If anyone does,

he will surely earn a bad name, censure or ill-repute. However if by

mistake someone does happen to look at the moon on this day, then the

only way he can be freed from the curse is by repeating or listening

to the story of how Lord Krishna cleared His character regarding the

Syamantaka jewel. This story is quoted in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord

Ganesha was pleased to ordain thus. Glory to Lord Ganesha! How kind

and merciful He is unto His devotees!

 

Ganesha and His brother Lord Subramanya once had a dispute as to who

was the elder of the two. The matter was referred to Lord Shiva for

final decision. Shiva decided that whoever would make a to the of the

whole world and come back first to the starting Point had the right

to be the elder. Subramanya flew off at once on his vehicle, the

peacock, to make a circuit of the world. But the wise Ganesha went,

in loving worshipfulness, around His divine parents and asked for the

prize; of His victory.

 

Lord Shiva said, "Beloved and wise Ganesha! But how can I give you

the Prize; you did not go around the world?"

 

Ganesha replied, "No, but I have gone around my parents. My parents

represent the entire manifested universe!"

 

Thus the dispute was settled in favour of Lord Ganesha, who was

thereafter acknowledged as the elder of the two brothers. Mother

Parvati also gave Him a fruit as a prize for this victory.

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In the Ganapathi Upanishad, Ganesha is identified with the Supreme

Self. The legends that are connected with Lord Ganesha are recorded

in the Ganesha Khanda of the Brahma Vivartha Purana.

 

On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, meditate on the stories connected with

Lord Ganesha early in the morning, during the Brahmamuhurta period.

Then, after taking a bath, go to the temple and do the prayers of

Lord Ganesha. Offer Him some coconut and sweet pudding. Pray with

faith and devotion that He may remove all the obstacles that you

experience on the spiritual path. Worship Him at home, too. You can

get the assistance of a pundit. Have an image of Lord Ganesha in your

house. Feel His Presence in it.

 

Don't forget not to look at the moon on that day; remember that it

behaved unbecomingly towards the Lord. This really means avoid the

company of all those who have no faith in God, and who deride God,

your Guru and religion, from this very day.

 

Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner

spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.

 

May the blessings of Sri Ganesha be upon you all! May He remove all

the obstacles that stand in your spiritual path! May He bestow on you

all material prosperity as well as liberation!