The Vinaayaka Principle

16 September 1996, Brindavan

Published English.

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When you rub piece of sandalwood on the grindstone, the more you rub it, the greater the fragrance it emits. As you chew a piece of sugarcane, the more you chew the greater the sweet juice you get from it. As gold is heated more and more in the crucible, it acquires greater brilliance, getting rid of all impurities. A noble being displays his good qualities, however much he might be subjected to trials and tribulations. Thereby he stands out as an example to the world. ( explained the purport of the opening Sanskrith stanza thus).

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Among the myriad names of God, the foremost is . is that sacred thing which has no change in the three worlds and in the three categories of time (past, present and future). It is permanent. means total awareness. When and become one, (bliss) is realised. Hence, the Divine is described as (Being Awareness-Bliss). This principle is all-pervasive. It is present in all. The scriptures declare:

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"" (The cosmos is permeated by the Divine).

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Failing to recognise this truth and treating the body as the only reality, man distances himself from bliss. Men identify themselves in terms of their professions or nationality. But all these are acquired characteristics and not innate to the persons. concerned. Essentially everyone is an embodiment of the (the Self). All the other aspects are transient. To identify yourself with the body is to mistake the dwelling for the indweller. When the truth is investigated in this manner, spirituality will become apparent.

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indicates the four stages in realisation of the Divine. (perception of the Divine), (proximity to the Divine), (experiencing the vision of the Divine) and (merger in the Divine). The Divine as such has no form. Whatever the form in which the devotee worships the Divine, the Divine assumes that form for the devotee. However, all forms are His.

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"." Truth is God. Beauty is God. The unity of Truth, Goodness and Beauty is .

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Emperor 's transformation as a took place after he learnt from that his present queen was in his previous birth his mother. This knowledge immediately made renounce everything and become a seeker of the Divine. While hesitated to reply to the King's persistent query about his previous birth, once he revealed the truth, the king considered it a blessing and became a .

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Worship of Today we celebrate the birthday of . What is the significance of this term? means (the intellect). means (wisdom). means Master. Hence, is the master of the intellect and wisdom. Another meaning of the term is Master of the (the hosts of spirits). The name means one who has no leader above him.

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Before we commence any activity we offer prayers to so that the action may be successful without any impediments. is worshipped not only in but in many other countries. The worship of has been prevailing from the times of the .

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The principle protects man from the various hurdles in life and ensures peace and security. Hence on every auspicious occasion is worshipped.

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The devout offer worship to with the well-known prayer beginning with the words, (The one who wears a white garment). is described as one who is white like the moon, who has four arms (two for giving worldly protection and two for spiritual benediction), who has an ever-pleasing countenance and to whom obeisance is offered for removing all obstacles. While the pious used this prayer in a devout spirit, the impious misused the words to distort the meaning and make it a prayer to a quadruped which is employed for carrying washed clothes. It is by such misinterpretation that some people have sullied the great culture of and undermined faith in God.

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The preciousness of human birth is indicated by the declaration in the that every human being is a spark of the Divine. Everyone should look Godward while attending to worldly duties. If you dedicate all actions to God there will be no obstacles. Good thoughts will lead to good actions which produce good results.

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