Spiritual significance of Ganesha worship

9 September 1994, Ganesh Chaturthi, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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There is no greater experience than the feeling that one is - . "" (I) is defined as , the Self. The word means all these. It covers all the objects in the Universe which are physical and subtle and also the Sun, Moon, stars and planers. It signifies that you are not the physical body. You say "body" which implies that you are not the body. What is this body constituted of? It is a combination of (five elements), (five vital airs), and the (five sheaths). The entire universe is the body of the Supreme Lord. It consists of all the moving and static things. In Vedantik parlance, it is deemed to be (superior wisdom) when you say are not the body. One should be extremely fortunate to realise this. Whatever you see in the external world is (that which is seen). The Sun, Moon, stars, the five elements which are constituents of the universe are all . You are seeing your body too as you see other things. So the body is also , that which is seen by you. Who is then the seer? The seer is . The body is the object and you are the seer. Without a seer there is no question of anything being seen. Some people talk about (emptiness or nothingness). Unless this has been seen, how can they talk about ?

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The great message of Knowledge of the seer and the seen is the great message of , whose advent we are celebrating today.

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"" means (intelligence). '' means (wisdom). '' means master. So, is the master of all knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. There is also another significant meaning for the word, that He is the Leader of all the who are celestial. He is also called , which term means that he is one who has no master above Him. He is the Supreme master. He is beyond the mindless stare. One who has stilled the mind cannot have any master.

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Without understanding this truth, we think of the physical form of with the elephant head and human body. Whenever people want to commence any undertaking or start learning music or the fine arts or any branch of knowledge, they first offer worship to . He is also called , which means Guardian of Wealth - . Here represents all wealth and prosperity and not only (money) for which there is a separate deity called , one of the eight . Here wealth means and (pleasure and bliss). What is the use of having all other things when one has no pleasure or bliss?

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endows us with supreme intelligence is one who gives us spiritual potency and endows us with supreme intelligence. These two are termed as and respectively. and are described as his two consorts. As He is the (master) of and , he is regarded as their husband in mundane terms. has no desire and hence there is no need for Him to have wife and children. He is worshipped by people in this country since very ancient times. There is historic evidence that the worship of has been in vogue even in other countries such as Thailand, Japan, Germany and the U.K.

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Adoration of as (First deity to be saluted) has been mentioned in the . finds a place in the and . Reference to Him is made in the also. He is one who instills purity in body, and fearlessness in the mind. It is said -

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"," giving importance to his tusk.

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Some people, out of ignorance, comment upon the big animal form of this Primal Deity and question how one with such a huge form can ride on a small (mouse) which is depicted as His vehicle. is symbolic of the darkness of ignorance, while signifies the effulgence of Wisdom that dispels the darkness of ignorance.

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Significance of steam-cooked offering Even the offering that is made to has great significance because it is prepared with gram flour and or pepper and enclosed in an outer covering made form flour paste and then cooked in steam without using oil. This is supposed to be a healthy and delicious food item according to the Ayurvedic system. Modern doctors also recognise the importance of such steam-cooked (rice cakes) which they recommend as post-operative diet for patients as it is easily digestible, too has the property of controlling formation and this food item gives relief from eye troubles and prevents gastric disorders.

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In the ancient traditional mode of observing these festivals, great emphasis was laid on good health as the pre-requisite for spiritual pursuits with a healthy mind. For achieving the four goals of human life - , , and (Righteousness, Wealth, Desire and Liberation) - one should have basically a healthy body. If you want to earn wealth by righteous means and cherish desires which lead to liberation, you should have sound health. is also called as He removes all obstacles coming in the way of devotees who pray to Him sincerely. He is worshipped by students with books so that all that is contained in the books may get into their heads. Now-a-days people are only after (money). Whatever scholarship one may attain, whatever power and position one may enjoy, one cannot be happy without the peace of mind that is got by pure devotion. One may have immense physical strength, one may pursue the path of meditation and penance, one may acquire profound knowledge, but all these attainments will be of no avail unless one acquires knowledge of the eternal -

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Symbolic significance of elephant head The symbolic significance of 's elephant head has to be properly understood. The elephant has profound intelligence. For example, yesterday , ('s elephant) came running when it heard the sound of 's car approaching. Though many cars were following 's car, could unmistakably identify 's car from an uncanny recognition of the sound of the car. That is why it is termed (elephant intelligence). One having a sharp brain is described as having the intelligence of an elephant. It has .

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Moreover, the elephant has large cars and it can hear even minute sounds. (hearing the glory of the Lord) is the first step in spiritual for which ears should be sharp. After hearing one has to ruminate over this and put it into practice which are termed as , and . The elephant takes the and (praise and blame) equally. When it hears something bad, it moves its body this way and that way and shakes off the unwanted things while it retains goods things quietly. Only teaches the lessons that are essential for mankind. You should not stop with installing the idol and doing for a few days. You should make efforts to become a or Master over yourself.

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You have the nine-fold path of devotion. (hearing), (singing His glory), (thinking of and chanting the name), (serving at His feet), (obeisance), (worship), (serving Him as a servant serves the Master), (befriending God), (surrendering body, mind and soul). The elephant signifies combining of the first and the last, that is and , so that all the other paths in between are covered fully.

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When a man is born he does not have round his neck any necklace of pearls or gems or any possessions. But he is endowed by with the garland of the effects of his past actions, good or bad, which hangs invisibly around his neck. If you do good you will enjoy good results and if you are bad you will not escape suffering the consequences thereof.

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The lessons of sacrifice that taught The teaching of is one of sacrifice. You may not heed the contents of the , but you should not miss the vital principles which they convey to mankind. When was writing the to the dictation of Sage , the latter laid down the condition that should go on writing non-stop whatever said. But also stipulated a condition that should never stop his dictation but should go on without a break. While he was writing, 's pen broke and he did not hesitate to break one of his tusks to use it as a pen. That is why he is called or one with a single tusk. This is a shining example of the spirit of sacrifice that exhibited for the welfare of humanity. That is why the proclaim that it is only by sacrifice one can attain immortality

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is greater than and (Love and sacrifice) constitute (devotion to God). There is nothing superior to this. (knowledge of the Self) is essential. This was the main teaching of throughout his life, as he was preaching and following the Vedic dictum -

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""; "" (The one is present in all beings. The one Truth is described in many ways by the wise).

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He was also preaching that was nothing but (vision of Non-duality). But, during his last days, realised that was greater than . In his famous , emphasises that only the path of devotion will help you to get over the cycle of birth and death.

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There is no path superior to that of . does not mean doing , , going on pilgrimage to holy shrines etc. means diverting the pure and unsullied mind towards God. People do not know the real meaning of . The love you have for other beings is only temporal. God is the only one that is eternal. Love of God is . All other love may be termed as , which results in bondage, while love of God leads to liberation. One may raise a question whether it is possible for everyone to realise the goal through the love of God. One may not achieve this instantaneously, but can do so progressing step by step. By and other forms of worship one may advance towards the goal of final emancipation. There is no meaning in saying that one is searching for God. It is God who is searching for a true devotee. This is as true today as it was in the past. God is neglected by people when He is easily attained. What is easily obtained at home is not relished so much as what you get outside, though it is not wholesome.

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Significance of offering your hair to God In olden days, people going on pilgrimage to used to climb the hills step by step chanting the name , , as they climbed each step. Thus the pilgrimage was performed with sincere devotion and . But, these days people go by buses and cars, gossiping all the while, and indulging in unholy pursuits. The tonsure ceremony in which one shaves his head completely and offers his hair to the Lord of signifies your giving up your (ignorance and lethargy) which is symbolised by the hair on the head. The hair is black. Giving up the hair indicates giving up . You have to assimilate .

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Love and sacrifice are very important. Where there is pure, unsullied, selfless, sacred and sublime love there is no fear at all. Giving and not getting is the underlying principle of spiritual . Your heart is full of love, but you are using it only for selfish purposes instead of diverting it towards God. God is in the heart and not in the head. The heart is (full of love). On these festival days, you should remember that God is one, and all religions uphold the same principle of "One God, who is omnipresent." You should not have contempt for any religion, as each is a pathway to God. Fostering love towards your fellow-beings, receive the noble love of the Divine. This is the goal of life.