more uchChiShTa gaNesha - Long post

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I chanced upon a copy of the khadyota vyAkhya of bhAskara-rAya

recently. This is a commentary on the mahA-gaNapati sahasranAma.

 

mahA-gaNapati sahasranAma:

uchChiShTa gaNa uchChiShTa - ganesho gaNa-nAyakaH

sArvakAlikasaMsiddhir nitya-shaivo digaMbaraH - 67

 

Translation of bhAskara-rAya's commentary.

 

346.uchChiShTa gaNaH - ut.h+shiShTa+gaNaH i.e. One who is in

command of great and cultured/learned pramatha gaNa-s(shiva gaNa-s)

 

347.uchChiShTa-ganeshaH - That gaNesha which the 27 atharvaNa-veda*

mantra-s starting from " uchChiShTaM nAma rUpaM cha " put forth;

upAsaka-s who practice a certain mantra of gaNesha perform japa

with uchChiShTa-mukha after eating modaka. For this reason he is

called u.gaNesha. - Bhaskara-Raya's commentary**.

 

Note that bhAskara-rAya doesnt say anything** about any special

u.gaNesha worshiped by shrIvidya people

 

* - Note that another member said the following on the same subject

" I am told the atharvaveda has a uchChiShTa sUkta

by which after a veda karma the remnants are identified with the

universe for dedication as an offering to rudra. Both vedic and

tantric uchChiShTa have a transgressive aspect to them. "

 

** - I have the commentary as a Telugu translation and dont have

access to the sanskrit original. If any one thinks that either the

content and/or spirit of the sanskrit original is different from what

is presented here, kindly let me know.

 

Rgds

sa.

-----------------

 

The following is a reply to some of the postings on Ambaa-l on this

topic from people of the Kamakotimandali group.

I am unsure as to who authored this originally(Harsha?) as the posting

seemed a bit jumbled

Note: 1) A long post 2) Comments within flower({}) brackets are mine.

Also see comments at the very end of this post.

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The u. gaNesha worship originally has its origins with gANapatya-s.

Please see the following note by a acquaintance of mine. Notes in

bracket are mine.

---

" The next great Acharya of the sect(gANapatya sect) was herambasuta,

who founded the heterodox vAmAchara cult of gaNapati worship. They

worship the form of gaNapati termed ucchiShTa gaNapati. He is mediated

in a form, which may be viewed by many uninitiated modern Hindus and

others as being very obscene. "

--

Apparently these are not shrIvidya upAsaka-s but worship u.gaNesha.

So where does the shrIvidya requirement come from?

*************************************

 

 

Srividya is really a big umbrella. We have shrIvidyA dakShiNAmUrti, we

have shrIvidyA rAjagopAla, and we have shrIvidyArupI ucchiShTa

gaNesha. Even mahAgaNapati has been adopted in a Srividya-compatible

form by Acharyas like Haradutta, who propagated vAnchA kalpalatA mode

etc. Like stated earlier, the pramANa for this particular form of

upAsanA is uDDAmareshwara Tantra**{{See my comments at the end}}. Yes,

whatever is stated [regarding heterodox vAmAchAra etc.] is generally

the *popular* way he is worshipped, but is it correct to assume that

is the `only' way? ucchiShTa gaNesha, as explained in the phala sruti

of ucchiShTagaNesha mAlA mantra of rudra yAmala is worshipped as a

brahmachAri, as with a consort, as one's own self etc., based on the

qualification of the upAsaka. Also, he is worshipped as a pischAcha,

yakSha, gaNa,rudra, gaNapati and ultimately as prakAsha-vimarsha

samarasa swarUpa,again based on the qualification of the upAsaka. The

last form, taught secretly from Guru to Shishya in dakShiNAmUrti

sampradAya, insists of pUrNAbhiSheka before undertaking this advanced

form of upAsanA. The qualification for undertaking this upAsanA is

stated as: ramAdiShoDashIyuktaH dwAtrimshanmantrapAragaH. Here, Sri

Lalita is visualised as Sri ucchiShTa mahAgaNapati and Sri Kameshwara

as Sri Nila Saraswati. Also, the ucchiShTa pAduka peculiar to this

form of upAsanA is called mahA mahA pAdukA or dakShiNAmUrti pAdukA.

So, there is the gANapatya aspect and there is the Srividya aspect to

ucchiShTa gaNeshopAsanA. The requirement is *true* in the case of

Srividya aspect, both by shAstra pramANa and sampradAya.

 

{{So we are led to believe that that one doesn't need shrIvidya to

worship u.gaNesha but it is required when worshiping a special

u.gaNesha in some shrIvidya tradition- personally, I am usually a bit

suspicious of southerners who make statements like " this is some

secret shrIvidya tradition/mantra and only we initiates know these

things " .}}

 

*************************************

If mokSha is what the sAdhaka desires there is no need to go this far

and he has better things to do. Ex: Studying the shankara bhAShya-s

and doing some serious AtmavichAra. Hence above statements are

inaccurate IMHO. One doesn't need to specifically worship u.gaNesha to

achieve mokSha.

*************************************

 

 

This again takes us back to the basic question of adhikAra bheda. If

everyone were capable of tattva vichAra, where was the need for

upAsanA at all?

{{It is not being said that one doesn't need upAsana. What is meant by

the statement " no need to go this far " is that nArAyaNa aShTAkShari or

pa~nchAkShari and some other mahA-mantra is enough if mokSha is the

only goal. It is observed that the following statements do have a

point **if** there is any truth in what is stated below.}}

And all those who study bAdarAyaNa's sUtra and debate

endlessly would get enlighetend. The Acharyas would not insist on

upAsanA or bhakti if that were the case. So, sopAna krama is the only

asnwer for most. mokSha can be attained by worshipping any form

sincerely in the sense that chitta shuddhi, a pre-requisite for tattva

vichAra as also the ShaT sampatti can be accomplished through such

upAsanA. However, certain upAsanA modes have been found to be *more*

effective by AchAryas and hence have recommended those to their

disciples. shrIvidyA can be quoted as an example. Apart from

`secular', `text book' statements such as `all paths are same', `all

lead to the same god' etc., the energies associated, the time required

for progress etc. are distinct. Of course, this is assuming that the

sAdhakA is hypothetically a sincere one with all the required

lakShaNas. Like jaggery can be described only by the one who has eaten

it, the differneces between these various modes can only be realised

by one who has practically gone through it. Rest can only be

hypothetical. By experience, an ucchiShTa gaNapati upAsaka can vouch

for how the movement of kuNDalini is rapid, blissful and foceful when

compared to what is stimulated by other mantras. Yes, this is not the

only way to mokSha but its validness as a tool for mokSha need not be

disputed. One should observe that most Tantras describe along with

other mantras, this particular set of mantras as kShipra siddhi prada.

Though what is `siddhi' is something debatable, uDDAmareshwara Tantra,

which discusses the Vedantic aspect of ucchiShTa gaNesha as the only

true aspect, calls the entire set of chapters, `kShipra siddhi paTala'.

 

 

*************************************

Undoubtedly this is an elevating interpretation. It gives a glimpse of

the vedAntic(which is really a great thing)mind of the interpreter.

 

I personally like to know if there is any textual basis or atleast a

traditional(sAmpradAya) basis for interpreting like above.

 

There seems to be a trend where everything has to be interpreted along

vedAntic lines regardless of whether the texts warrant such an

interpretation or not. There is no need to mix things as there is

enough confusion already.

*************************************

 

 

Yes, kAdi dakShiNAmUrti krama tantra insists, as detailed in

uDDAmareshwara and baDabAnala Tantras, on abheda between Srividya and

ucchiShTa gaNeshopAsanA, in many ways. It establishes unity between

Srichakra and ucchiShTa gaNesha mantradwaya, abheda between mUrtis of

ucchiShTa gaNesha and Sri Lalita, aikya between navachakra -

navAvaraNa - mantradwaya - Sridevi - Sriguru and upAsaka. The

`avashiShTa' brahma vastu after the nAma and rUpa are dissolved, which

is the prakAsha vimarsha samarasa swarUpa called Brahman or Sri Guru,

is described as the swarUpa of ucchiShTa gaNesha. Again, the pramANa

here is both shAstra and sampradAya. The same is described in guhya

sahasranAma{{** See end comment on this sahasranAma}} as utkR^iShTa

shiShTa sadvastu, commented upon by H H Sri Sri Sacchidananda

Shivabhinava Nrsimha Bharati Swamigal of Sringeri Sharada Peetham,

{{can someone else please confirm if HH did indeed comment on this?}}

faithfully recorded not only by Brahmasri Chidanandanatha of Guhananda

Mandali, but also by Sri Balaganapati

Bhatta, AshthAna vidwAn of Sringeri Sharada Peetham who was initiated

into this upAsana by H H Acharya himself. One can also refer to the

kriti in kAsIrAmakriyA, ucchiShTa gaNapatau, by Sri Muttuswami

dikshitar, where he describes Lord thus: sacChabdavAchAswaRupiNi

shabalIkrtabrahmaswarUpiNi chicchaktispUrtiswarUpiNi

chidAnandanAthaswarUpiNi [in Venkataramana Iyer's version, it is

chidAnandanAda swarUpiNi, also the version adopted by pAtti (DKP)].

 

Also, I see vedAntic interpretation of upAsanA, while not deviating

from it in essence by `trashing' saguNa swarUpa as useless, to be

helpful and rather the right approach. It keeps one grounded,

enculcates vairAgya and keeps reminding one of the need for

AtmAnusandhAna when ready and brahmAvApti as the only goal of upAsanA.

 

 

*************************************

Meaning: The modaka or tAmbUla offered to the devata should be eaten

and japa done without cleaning the mouth. Trying to fit it in above

view of uchChiShTa will just get complicated here. Let us also not

forget the context of the statement.

*************************************

 

 

As stated earlier, the rites and rituals prescribed vary based on the

approach of the aspirant. This is what is prescribed in one Tantra,

and for that mantra of ucchiShTa gaNesha which is not associated with

Srividya. But how can this be the only approach to ucchiShTa

gaNeshopAsanA? Moreover, the same Tantra which describes these also

states that there are absolutely no rules for ucchiShTa gaNeshopAsanA

[in the mantroddhAra chapter of rudrayAmala, which is one of the

parishishTas of the pUrva tantra]

-----------

SA: ** - The uDDAmareshvara tantra and the guhya sahasranAma are

referred more than once in the above post.

1) The uDDAmareshavara tantra that I saw did not have anything about

u.gaNesha. This is not a serious objection because it could be that I

was looking at an incomplete version or probably the u.gaNesha portion

was somehow a " secret " paTala.

2) Look at the following names from the secret u.gaNesha 1008 stotra

referred to above, supposedly from the uDDamareshvara tantra:

 

names 328 to 337

kAmakoTi pIThavAsaH,

shankarArchita pAdukaH,

R^iShyashR^inga puarasthaH,

sureshArchita vaibhavaH,

etc etc.

This sahasranAma talks about Adi Shankara establishing the four

matha-s and also about his main students heading these maTha-s.

It does so in more than one place.

Apart from giving a high place to Kanchi Pitha, it refers to

story elements from the shankara vijayam-s which makes one highly

suspicious about this sahasranama.

Clearly this a very late work and probably a recent adoption of

the original u.gaNesha worship by some enthusiastic shrIvidya

initiates(this is not to say there is something wrong in such an

adoption), one would assume.