Intro to Ganesha Purana

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OM GAM GANAPATAYE NAMAH Salutations unto the Lord of Catagories Ganapati

"Everthing that our mind can grasp can be expressed in terms of kind, or

category. So category is a fundemental element of existense. All that can be

comprehended is a catagory (gana). The principle of classifications through

which the relations can be understood between different orders of things,

between macrocosm and microcosm, is called the Lord of Catagories. He is

Ganapati." ---Satguru Siva Subramuniyaswami

Ganesha Purana | Ganesha Namavali | Ganesha Gita | Bhaja Govindam | Musical Creations | Astrology

Introduction to Ganesha Purana

 

Please accept my respectful pranams. Let me offer my heartfelt prayers to those

Mahajans who have dedicated their lives to disseminating transcendental

knowledge to the masses of people in this temporary world full of the threefold

miseries. It is those great souls who we owe a great debt of gratitude and

service and by doing so we are uplifted to that uppermost platform of spiritual

bliss and understanding. Thousands of years ago the sages at Naimasaranya, in

what is known as the subcontinent of India, under the auspicious guidance of

Sri Saunaka Rsi, decided that for the benefit of mankind a twelve year

sacrifice of hearing the holy Puranas was to be performed. During this time the

renounced and renowned son of Sri Vyasadeva, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami made his holy

appearance before the sages. As part of this great sacrifice he recited and

explained the Bhagavat Purana for the benefit of the entire world. After the

completion of this Purana, the sages, being desirous for more of the same

nectar, asked the great sage Sri Suta Gosvami to continue reciting some of the

other blessed literatures. The sage Suta concluded that the recitation of the

Ganesha Purana was the best remedy for the anxious transcendentalists. In

modern history, there have many books written on the subject of Lord Gananath

or Ganesha, the Hindu (elephant headed) God who bestows material blessings on

his devotees. In fact, along with being the most revered God of the Hindus, He

is probably the most misunderstood. To the western world He is know as the God

of good luck and the remover of obstacles, to others He is the Son of Lord Siva

and the goddess Parvati and is known by any one of a thousand names. And to

those who are absorbed in meditation on His transcendental form, He is none

other than the original Lord of Creation, OM Sri Ganeshaya Namah. So who is He

actually? Which god is He in the hierarchy of Gods and Goddeses of the Hindu

pantheon. Is He a mythological character or is His existence based in reality?

Only the sincere reader of the Ganesha Purana can conclude. It is also a matter

of realization. There is a good analogy in this regard. When Sir Isaac Newton

saw an apple fall from a tree and hit the ground, he saw the Law of Gravity.

When others see an apple fall from a tree, it is only an apple hitting the

ground. So one may conclude that Sir Isaac was educated in this regard and that

is why he saw differently. So in the same way, in order to understand or realize

spiritual knowledge one must also try to become educated and learn this science,

preferably under the guidance of a bonafide teacher. The Bhagavad Gita gives us

a perfect example of learning transcendental science between master and

disciple. After learning the basics from a Guru, then we may dive deeper and

acquire more understanding from the Puranas and other spiritual texts. Since

the beginning of time saints, sages and philosophers have been meditating on

three questions. Who am I? What is my purpose on earth? And where am going

after I leave this mortal coil? These three questions have led many souls on a

quest for self-realization. We are not this temporary body but an eternal

spiritual entity. Our purpose in this life is to try to understand God and

serve Him with love. And by trying to understand these things we can realize

that our real home is in the spiritual kingdom. These basic spiritual precepts

and more will be understood from the study of the this Purana. In any case, I

am humbly trying to present the Ganesha Purana in installments to be viewed on

the Internet at Omganesha.com. All it's 8000 verses are presently being

translated from the ancient Sanskrit manuscripts into the English language by

the honorable scholar - Professor Gregory Baily of La Trobe University,

Melborne - Australia. I am not a Sanskritist but am only acting as a promoter

of this fabulous treatise. I am compelled, as it were, to take a an excellent

literal and applauded translation, and render it in a format especially derived

for our internet audience. Please also visit the other pages and links on

Omganesha.com. I am presenting, on Omganesha.com, a few chapters of this great

transcendent literary masterpiece, originally composed by the literary

incarnation of Godhead, Sri Vyasadeva, over 6000 years ago. The original two

volume hardbound set by Dr. Baily can be obtained from Otto Harrassowitz Verlag

at Taunustrasse 14, D-65183, Wiesbaden, Germany (email to Harrassowitz). Its

full title is "Greg Bailey, Ga.nezapuraa.na. Upaasanaakha.n.da. Vol 1 and/or

2". A second abridged edition is being published by Motilal Banarsidass in New

Delhi. This will consist only of the translation, a few notes, a thirty page

introduction and an index. More information on this edition can be obtained by

emailing Motilal Banarsidass.

Hoping you will all enjoy the pastimes of our wonderful Lord Sri Gananath

appearing in the Sri Ganesha Purana Upasanakhanda. Om Ganesha and blessings to

all! Deva

Ganesha Purana

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