16. इभवक्त्रसुपूजकः Ibha-vaktra-supūjakaḥ

One who was a devout worshipper of the Elephant-faced God

His Holiness was a ‘supūjaka’, devout worshipper, of ‘ibha-vaktra’, One who has an elephant’s face, that is Lord Gaṇeśa. The aṣṭottaraśata-nāmāvali of Bhagavatpāda has the nāma, ‘sad-ratna-garbha-heramba-pūjakaḥ (The worshipper of Gaṇeśa who has pretty gems in His belly).’⁵² Bhagavatpāda gave that very idol of Śrī Ratna-garbha-gaṇapati that He worshipped, to the pontiff of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. This Gaṇapati is worshipped at the Maṭha to this day. As per tradition, His Holiness would offer worship to this idol of Gaṇapati at the commencement of any pūjā, offering red-sandal paste, dūrvā grass, flowers and naivedya to the Lord.

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His Holiness’s affection for Lord Gaṇapati has its roots in His childhood. [Note: His Holiness’s name before saṁnyāsa was ‘Srinivasa Sastry’.]

Sri Srinivasa Sastry privately worshipped a small crystal idol of Lord Gaṇapati. One day, He asked His mother, “Can I have something to offer as naivedya?” The poor lady was at a loss to do anything, for there was nothing in the house to give Him. Sensing His mother’s discomfiture, He hastened to reassure her and said, “Do not be ill at ease. If it is difficult for you to give me anything, please do not concern yourself.” The Lord could not be made to go hungry, could He? Nor was there anything to give Him. How did Sri Srinivasa Sastry extricate Himself from the horns of this dilemma? Bhagavān has said in the Bhagavad-gītā, “Whatever the pure-minded one offers Me with devotion, be it a leaf, flower, fruit or water, that do I accept.” Accordingly, with a heart full of love and a spoonful of water, Sri Srinivasa Sastry satiated the Lord’s appetite.

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Apart from Ratna-garbha-gaṇapati, Śakti-gaṇapati inside the precincts of, and Toraṇa-gaṇapati near, the Śāradāmbā Temple at Sringeri, occupied a special place in His Holiness’s heart. He would offer pūjās to them on special occasions and also make offerings of coconuts before setting out on a tour as well as before and after the completion of a major task. He never failed to first offer salutations to Stambha-gaṇapati, the Gaṇapati on a pillar of the Malahānikareśvara Temple at Sringeri (etched into it by His Holiness’s Paramaguru (Guru’s Guru), Śrī Sacchidānanda Śivābhinava Nṛsiṁha Bhāratī Mahāsvāmin), whenever He visited the temple. Similarly He would first offer obeisance to Vidyā-gaṇapati inside the Vidyāśaṅkara Temple before propitiating the Vidyāśaṅkara-liṅga. His Holiness is known to have often prescribed to devotees, special pūjās or prayers to one or other of these Gaṇapatis, to tide over their problems.

Some time after He commenced meditation on various forms of the Lord, His Holiness engaged in meditation on Lord Gaṇapati as well. Vināyaka-caturthi was always witness to His Holiness offering devout pūjā to the idol of Gaṇapati, after which the Gaṇapati-vākyārtha-sadas, presided over by the Lord, would commence. Many a sahasra-modaka-homa and Gaṇapati-homa for the welfare of the world was conducted by the Maṭha on the instructions of His Holiness. His Holiness also consecrated scores of Gaṇapati idols in temples across the country.

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The following was narrated by Sri Niranjan Kumar: “I was once driving His Holiness from Sringeri to Kotekar near Mangaluru in the late 1980s, when He asked me to stop the car at a particular spot in a place called Kerekatte, situated at the border of the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, about 3 kilometres before the Kudremukh Road junction. He alighted from the car and went over to a small Gaṇapati shrine by the roadside, and paid His respects to the Lord there.

“He then told me, ‘When I was passing by this place many years back, I heard a voice calling out, ‘I am sitting here all alone, with none to care for me.’ I immediately asked for the car to be halted and when I alighted to see who had appealed for help, I found Him (pointing to the Gaṇapati) seated here. Since there were only people of other religions resident in the area, nobody was taking care of Him. So I arranged for a shrine to be built exclusively for this Gaṇapati and for daily pūjā to be offered to Him. Since then, whenever I pass by this way, it has become a habit to halt and see Him before proceeding.’”

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60 17. Indu-mauli-pada-dhyāyī