It was a quiet night at Kailasha. Nandi the bull sat with the lion gazing at the moon. Ganas chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” and waiting to have a sight of Mahadeva-Maha Shiva. Paarvati sat with Maha Shiva in a samaadhi posture contemplating on “Om”. The “mother” in her wanted to shower love and pamper a child. She wanted to pass that immense amount of knowledge which she had gained from Maha Shiva to that child. Her heart was pounding to embrace a child, but she kept her feelings to herself. She could see that figure of a child in “OM”.
The couple returned and went to sleep under the moonlight of “chaturthi- fourth” which is special sight of moon. Paarvati was awakened in the middle of the night with a sound very close to her ears, “Gam”. She opened her eyes and saw this elephant head-human body infant moving his trunk in the air and staring at her with his big eyes. There was fragrance all around and everyone got up. Lord Brahma, Saraswati, Vishnu, Lakshmi and other Gods appeared and started showing flowers on the little “Heramba- the Brahma Vaivarta Purana – “he” means weakness and “ramba” means protection” as he was called by his mother Paarvati. Kailasha lit up with a thousand lamps and everyone looked with a smile to each other. It was a wonder, grand arrival of “Vinaayaka-without a hero”- was called by his father Lord Shiva as he was teased to be have born without making his father a hero, to bless everyone in the three worlds. (Varaha Puraana chapter 23)
“Tvameva sarvam khalvidam Brahmaasi”… Ganapati Atharvasheersham, Ganesha is Brahman, eternal, omniscient, knowledge, truth and “moksha-daayaka”.
The first ever knowledge of “Ganesha” was revealed at the time of marriage ceremony of Lord Shiva and Paarvati. They offered prayers unto Lord Ganesha and thus followed the marriage ceremony. It is mentioned in the Ramacharitamanasa 1.1.100
Muni anusaasana ganapatihi poojeyu sambhu bhavaani,
Kou suni samsaya karai jani sura anaadi jiyam jaani.
With the blessings of “Munis” Lord Shiva and Ma Paarvati offered prayers unto Lord Ganesha, one should not have any doubt regarding the eternal Gods (How come Lord Ganesha was born before marriage of Lord Shiva and Ma Paarvati).
Ganesha is wisdom and knowledge cannot start without him. He is the strongest because he has a human body and elephant face which makes him more powerful than humans and have a longer life than them (a human life is of a hundred years and elephant of twenty, which makes hundred and twenty years)….. Ganapati Sambhava.
“Na Rhte tvat kriyate kim chnaare”… Rigveda 10.112.9, Oh Ganesha! No karma can start without you.
“Om gam gaom ganapataye vighnavinaashine svaahaa” …. Brahmavaivattrpu. Kr. Ja. Kham. 121/100 This Ganapati mantra is like the kalpatru tree, which fulfills all your desires.
The Ganesha Purana:
Dhyaayet sinhagatam vinaayakamamun dvigabaahumaadye yuge
Tretaayaam tu mayuravaahanamamun shad baahukam siddhidam,
Dvaapare tu gajaananam yugabhujam raktaangaraagam vibhum,
Turye tu dvibhujam sitaangaruchiram sarvaarthadam sarvadaa.
In krtayuga- one should worship son of Maharishi Kashyapa- Lord Ganesha who has ten arms, bright/illuminating form and rides a lion.
In Tretayuga- one should worship son of Lord Shiva- Lord Ganesha who has six arms, moonlit body and rides a peacock.
In Dvaaparyuga- one should worship son of Varenya- Lord Ganesha who has four arms, red colored body and rides a mouse.
In kaliyuga- one should worship the omnibus- Lord Ganesha who has two arms and a smoky body.
Brahman chose to take Ganesha’s form as a child-like, innocent, and naughty yet remain the “self”, all knowable, eternal truth. And through Ganesha we get a vision of “Tattva-jnaanis”- the twice born, knowers of Brahman who become Brahman itself. Through his avataara Ganesha left his signature stamp in whatever he did.
“Bankrupting Kubera”, who was worshiped by everyone, and was Ganesha’s way of destroying ego, Ganesha innocently went to him and slowly took away everything from his wealth to his ego, and left him shattered. “Cursing the moon” and making him disappear was Ganesha’s way of showing power. Who else but Brahman could dare curse the moon- “You! Laughed at me, now go and disappear.” He (Ganesha) is the creator and could easily ask him to vanish. Like a child who doesn’t want to study, Ganesha refused to write the Mahabhatara for Maharishi Veda Vyasa and displayed respect for your Guru. Ganesha said “I don’t want to write, and why should I”. Maharishi Veda Vyasa was a tattva-vitta who knew it had to be Ganesha, so he convinced him to write. Ganesha gave a mature performance in front of his parents and Maharishi Narada by doing “parikrama” of his parents and proving him to be smarter. His large heartedness can be seen him fall for a “ladoo” and fulfill all desires.
Lord Ganesha is eternal and “moksha-daayaka”, his mantra is very simple and chanted by “mumukshus”. “Om Gam Sri Mahaganapataye namah”. “OM” is Ganesha himself; the first part represents the stomach and the later part- his trunk. The half-moon means tooth and the dot on OM means “modaka- sweets offered to Ganesha”. “Gam” means Brahman- the one because of whom there is entire creation and entire destruction. “Sri” which actually means “Sri Ganeshaaaye Namah” is used before every script and without which a script is considered inauspicious. “Mahaganapati” is that form of Ganesha who has “paarshva” weapon and “Siddha-lakhmi” in front. He is sitting on a huge throne made of precious gems and stones. His body is red-colored and illuminating like a thousand Suns. He bears “half-moon” on his forehead. He carries various different weapons in his eleven arms. One should worship this form of Mahaganapati which is “parmanandapuurna- Supreme Brahman who is ultimate bliss”… Parshuraamakalpasutra, kha. 2/4. “Namah” is a neutral word for salutations.
The sign swastika is also “OM- four-armed”; these four arms are of Lord Ganesha. The four dots in Swastika are Lord Ganapati’s- pasha (raaga), ankusha (krodha), varadahasta (fulfilling desires) and abhayahasta (protection against all fears). Therefore, Om and Swastika together is abundance and wisdom.
Om Tat Sat
Raadhaa
