| OM SHRI GANESHAY NAMAHA Lord Ganesh, who is also known by various other names such as Ganapathi, Vinaayaka or Vighneswara, is the God who helps us overcome obstacles in life. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi. He is the elephant faced God who is worshipped as the very first deity before beginning any ceremony, ritual or vow. Worshipping Ganapathi endows man with the courage and confidence needed to enter upon and carry through any undertakings in the world. So it is only appropriate that every rite or ceremony or project
should be started with the worship of this God. According to the Puranas (epics), this was a boon conferred upon Him by Lord Shiva. | |
| | | Ganapathi has the head of an elephant and has a mouse as a vehicle. The elephant is well known for its intelligence. It also acts as guide to mankind in the sense that it clears the way as it treads along in a dense forest. Similarly, in the forest of life, to clear the thorny bushes of pain, sorrow and
suffering, one should tread along the path shown by intellect. Ganapathi has the elephant face as a symbol of high intelligence that can guide us on the right path. ; The mouse (mooshika) is a symbol of darkness. Because Vinaayaka has control over the darkness, He is described as the rider on a mouse (mooshika). The mouse is also a symbol of the sense of smell. It moves about following the direction of the smell (vaasana). Vinaayaka is the One who has mastery over our Vaasanas, that is desires and ignorance (represented by mooshika). | | | | | He is called Ganapathi because He is the supreme Lord of the Ganas (Ganas are the embodiments of the organs of perception - Jnanendriyas - and of action - Karmendriyas). "Ga" means Buddhi (intellect). "Na" means "Vijnana" (wisdom). "Pathi" means master. Hence, another meaning for Ganapathi is master of the intellect and wisdom. He is called Vinayaka because He has no master above Him. He is also known as Vighneswara as He is the remover of obstacles (Vighna). Lord Ganesha has all the five elements under His control. He is the embodiment of all potencies. He has no superior above Him. He is the Pranava Swarupa (embo
diment of Aum).
Hence, the first prayer is always addressed to Him. | |
Significance of the Ganesha Form
Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.
The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke fo
r
writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.
Lord Shree Ganesh is god of knowledge and the remover of obstacles. Lord Ganesha is worshipped, or at least remembered, in the beginning of any auspicious performance for blessings and auspiciousness.
| If the mantra "AUM GANG GANAPATAYE NAMAH" is repeated 5000 times for
25 days one will see the efect of the mantra. Ganapati or Ganesha is supposed to be the obstacle remover. He gives all kinds of physical and mental powers. |
May the blessings of Sri Ganesha be upon you all!
2;
It's here! Your new message!
Get
new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar.
.
