Let us celeberate Ganesh Chaturthi on 19-8-2004

Let us celeberate Ganesh Chaturthi on 19-8-2004



Suklam baratharam vishnum sasivarnam sathurbujam
Prasanna vadanam dyayeth sarva vignoba santhaye.

All worship, puja or any rituals of Hinduism start with Ganesh puja and He
is the first to be worshipped whenever we start anything.

The day (19-8-2004) is the sacred festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. 'Ga' symbolises Buddhi (intellect), 'Na' stands for Vijnana (wisdom). So, Ganapati is the master of Buddhi and Vijnana. The universe is sustained by Ganas (gods) and Ganapati is their master. In this world, everybody has a master, but Ganapati has none. He is a master by himself. This is the birthday of the Master of Masters. Ganapati is also called Mooshika Vahana (one who has a mouse as his vehicle). You may wonder how a small mooshika can carry on its back a hefty personality like Vinayaka. Here mooshika does not mean a mere mouse. It symbolises the darkness of ignorance because it is in darkness that the mouse moves about. Hence, Mooshika Vahana is one who subdues ignorance and dispels darkness. It is only when we understand the inner significance of the Vinayaka principle that we will be able to celebrate Vinayaka Chaturthi properlyLord Vinayaka is the Son of Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva, the divine couple, Goddess Parvathi being the Shakthi, form forming half of God Siva's body while God Shiva being the Thrid God of Hindu God Trinity and the Destroyer of The Universe. Lord Ganesha, the elephant faced God, is the Queller of obstacles, Giver of Knowledge and Boons and the Remover of Darkness and Ignorance.

Lord ANJANEYA is the model example for service. He is also the personification of all the good qualities needed in human beings. Usually, if a boon is to be obtained from a particular deity, that deity is praised. But in the case of Anjaneya, one must praise Lord Rama, the lord of Anjaneya, he is very much pleased and grants all the boons asked. Anjaneya removes the crooked thoughts in the mind and replaces it with good thoughts. In the Nataraja form, on his right hand there is a drum from which sounds emanated. These sounds are the base for Music, Dance and Vyakarna (grammar) Sasthras. All the Sasthras emanate only from God. Yogo gnanam thatha sankyam vidya: shilpadi karma cha/ Veda: Sastrani Vignanam ethath sarvam janardhanath||. God has given us wisdom, language and even commentaries to us for our welfare. His Holiness blessed the people to lead a pure, traditional life without any obstacles by the grace of Lord Vinayaka.

Lord Vinayaka has got an elephant face and human body. He is worshipped by
many names like Vinayaka, Ganesha, Pillayar, Vigneshwara, Gajanana,
Ganapathy, Mooshika Vahanaa, Modhaga priya etc. He rides on an animal called
mooshika(a large kind of rat).
SALUTATIONS to Lord Ganesha who is Brahman Himself, who is the Supreme Lord, who is the energy of Lord Shiva, who is the source of all bliss, and who is the bestower of all virtuous qualities and success in all undertakings.

Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,
Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,
Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,
Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe

MEANING: "O Lord Vinayaka! the remover of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva, with a form which is very short, with mouse as Thy vehicle, with sweet pudding in hand, with wide ears and long hanging trunk, I prostrate at Thy lotus-like Feet!"

Ganesha, the elephant-headed one, is one of the most popular deities of India. All auspicious events begin with an invocation to him. He is invoked before an act of business or trade, or before laying the first stone of a new building.

Images of Ganesha may be found in many different places - at the entrance to villages, drawn on the pavement in cities, or in wayside shrines on lonely roads. Reverence and devotion to Ganesha has spread from India, Tibet and Nepal, throughout south-east Asia and as far as Mexico.

Ganesha is usually portrayed as having the head of an elephant and the body of a huge-bellied man. In some depictions he is standing, whilst in others he may he dancing or sitting. As with the iconography of other Indian deities, the number of heads or arms an image of Ganesha possesses may vary. Ganesha is often shown wearing a serpent for a girdle and riding a mouse.

The pantheistic tradition of Hinduism accords primacy to the concept and worship of Ganesha. A common factor found in all schools of Bhakti-marga: Saiva, Saakta, Vaishnava, Ganapatya, Kowmara and Sowra - is the worship of Ganesha. Even the non-Vedic Veerasaiva cult admits His worship. Ganesha is worshipped with awe, respect, reverence and even affection. Devotees invoke his blessings at the commencement of any auspicious event, as he is the remover of all obstacles.

Bhattathiri.M.P