GaNesh-caturti

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranam all

Today many of us Hindu celebrate Ganesh caturti, may he bless us all

Vakratunda Mahakaaya
Suryakoti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Mey Deva
Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvada
Meaning:The Lord with the curved trunk and a mighty body, who has the lustre of a million suns, I pray to thee Oh Lord, to remove the obstacles from all the actions I intend to perform.

Jai Shree Krishna

[Ganeshprasad]

Sri Maha Ganesha Pancharatnam
Composer: Sri Adi Sankara Baghvad Pada (8th century)
Ragamalika Tala: Adi in thisranadai (8 beats in units of 3)
Ganesha is the God of wisdom. He is worshipped before the beginning of any
endeavor. He gives the necessary skill (buddhi) to do the task and bestows
success (siddhi) to the effort. Upon intent meditation, the form of Ganesha
symbolically reveals many noble truths. The trunk of an elephant, which can
carry heavy logs of wood as well as pick up a thin blade of grass, represents
the subtle discrimination we need to distinguish between the real and the
illusory. The little mouse he rides on represents our own ego, which should
be a small but efficient vehicle to take us around in the world, but should be
inconspicuous and subservient to wisdom. Ganesha’s form is revered as the
very personification of the symbol “Om” the representation of the universal
spirit.
1. Mudakaraatha Modakam Sada Vimukti Saadhakam
Kalaadharaavatamsakam Vilasiloka Rakshakam
Anaaya Kaika Naayakam Vinasitebha Daityakam
Nataasubhasu Naashakam Namaami Tham Vinaayakam.
Ganesha, the pleasant faced one holding the sweet ‘modakam’ in his hand,
He wears the crescent moon on his head. He liberates us from misery,
protects and provides direction to those who are lost without a leader. He
removes the obstacles for those who pray to him. My salutations are to Him!
2. Natetaraati Bheekaram Navoditaarka Bhaasvaram
Namat Suraari Nirjanam Nataadhi Kaapa Duddharam
Suresvaram Nidheesvaram Gajesvaram Ganeshvaram
Mahesvaram Samaasraye Paraatparam Nirantaram.
Ganesha, with the orange glow of the rising sun, is the commander of Lord
Shiva’s army. He removes the suffering of his devotees.
I seek refuge in Him!
3. Samasta Loka Samkaram Nirasta Daitya Kunjaram
Daredarodaram Varam Vare Bhavaktra Maksharam
Krupaakaram Kshamaakaram Mudaakaram Yasaskaram
Manaskaram Namaskrutaam Namaskaromi Bhaasvaram.
Ganesha brings peace to the entire world.
He is large, infinite, superior and immutable. He is merciful and forgiving.
He brings happiness, success and purity of mind.
My salutations are to Ganesha, the luminous.
4. Akimchanaarti Marjanam Chirantanokti Bhaajanam
Puraari Poorva Nandanam Suraari Garva Charvanam
Prapancha Naasha Bheeshanam Dhananjayaadi Bhushanam
Kapola Daana Vaaranam Bhajaey Puraana Vaaranam.
Ganesha, the merciful, who removes the suffering of those who have no other
refuge, destroys the demonic forces and negative tendencies in us. He dissolves
the delusions of this illusory world.
I pray to Him the one venerated in the ancient Vedas!
5. Nitaantikaanta Dantakaanti Mantakaanta Kaatmajam
Achintya Rupa Mantaheena Mantaraaya Krintanam
Hrudantarey Nirantaram Vasantameva Yoginam
Tameka Danta Meva Tam Vichintayaami Santatam.
Ganesha, the one with the broken tusk, the son of Lord Shiva, he is Achintya Rupa (his form is beyond the grasp of the intellect), he is infinite, he is the
Remover of Obstacles, he lives in the hearts of yogis forever and ever.
I reflect solely upon Ganesha, forever and ever.


Jai Shree Krishna

[Ganeshprasad]

Om Gam Ganapatye Namaha,
Jai Shree Krishna
On this auspicious day, many in the Hindu
world are celebrating
GaNesa-caturti, the grand festival to
remember Lord GaNeSa, the most
universal of all divine manifestations
in our tradition.
There are several explanations for the
name of this most beloved of divine
principle:
One etymology is from gaNa: a class of
minor deities which are at the
service of Lord Siva + ISa: the God.
Thus, GaNeSa is the chief of the
gaNas. There is a verse in the Rig Veda
(II.31.1) with the line:
gaNAnAm tvA gaNapatim: Of the gaNas you
are the Lord.
The word gaNa also stands for class,
set, or category. From this point of
view the name GaNeSa means the God of
the categories. In mathematical terms
we may look upon GaNeSa as the Set of
all Sets.
The Sanskrit root gaN also refers to
counting, numbering, enumerating. Thus,
gaNitaSAstra means mathematics. This
makes GaNeSa the Lord of Numbers.
Since categorization and numbering are both characteristics of the
intellect, GaNeSa is also considered to be the supreme principle governing
our intellectual grasp of the world, the basis of all the fundamental
categories in terms of which we reckon the world.
GaNeSa is also known as GajAnanA: Elaphant-faced. According to another
interpretation, the word gaja is also to be seen as a combination of ga
(goal) + ja (origin), so that gaja stands for that which includes the
beginning and the end. GaNeSa's face thus represents the entirety of the
universe.
GaNeSa is represented by a form that has a human body, except for four arms
(catur bhuja), and the face of an elephant (GajAnana). The pleasant
elephantine face has a single tusk (Ekadanta) and a twisted trunk
(VakratuNda). GaNeSa's vehicle (vAhana) is a mouse (mUshakA). His favorite
food is said to be a sweet concoction with coconut, covered by a white
insipid coating of flour, called modaka, which he often holds in one hand.
He is generally shown as wearing a white robe.
There is deeper esoteric significance in the representational aspect of Lord
GaNeSa.
The face of the elephant is huge compared to human faces. It therefore
represents the divine. The human body is small compared to divine reality.
By combining the two elements in one body, the figure may be understood
as representing the link between the human and the divine. The
imperceptible continuity in the figure between the two aspects suggests a
similar connection between humans and the Divine. If humans seek communion
with the divine, we need the assistance of this linking principle. That is
why practically all Hindu worship services, at home and in the temple, at a
consecration or in the performance of a rite, begin with an invocation to
Lord GaNeSa: aum Sri GaNeSAya namah.
The grand elephant, if it stands on our path, can easily block our way, but
it can itself walk through thick jungles, sweeping away any hurdle that may
come its way. For this reason GaNeSa is also regarded as the god of
obstacles, (vighneSvara), as one who removes or destroys hurdles
(vighnavinAsa), and as the embodiment of boon-giver too: varadmUrti.
The twisted trunk is said to remind us that the path to higher truths is
never straight or direct, and the single-tusk is to remind us of the Oneness
behind multiplicity. As for the modaka, this is sweet inside as the inner
soul, while its white shell is like the gross physical body surrounding the
soul. Even GaneSa's mouse has been given a meaning: This creature is
regarded as a thief that steals away things, indifferent to whether these
are good or bad. Likewise, the inner spirit experiencing everything, is
itself indifferent to their intrinsic virtues or lack thereof.
GaneSa's wide ears which are like winnows are meant to say that he dusts
away the irrelevant words addressed to him.
In the PurANic realm, Lord GaNeSa is the first-born of Lord Siva and
PArvatI. So he is also called SivasutA (Son of Siva). The origin of Lord
GaNeSa's face is presented in the BrahmaVaivarta PurANa, the MAtsya PurANa,
The Siva PurANa The VarAha PurANa and the Skanda PurANas through different
episodes.
Each of these is interesting in itself, and one may even detect hidden
meanings in them. Their impressive diversity reveals to us that we can grasp
the nature of the Divine only in symbolic terms, and even that grasp can
only be partial. We are, one and all, like the six blind men who imagined
the elephant from the inklings of perception each could get.
We of the Hindu tradition may justly rejoice that there is such richness,
poetry and depth of vision in our religious framework.
May we pay our homage today to this most magnificent principle in the Hindu
spiritual world.

V. V. Raman

Jai Shree Krishna

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranam all

Happy Ganesh Caturti
May he bless us all

Jai Shree Krishna

[PARAM]

ॐ श्री गणेशाय नमः

[Odion]

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi!

[Sahasranama]

Jay Ganesha, Jay Ganesha,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyKA...eature=related

[sunyata07]

Hope everyone has a happy and peaceful Ganesha Chaturthi this year.

Jai Ganesha.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam all: I was over at my temple this morning. The parking lot already had several vehicles of the volunteers for cooking, decorating, preparing the abhishekam materials, etc. I'd like to say 'hats off' to all the volunteers around the world who make such festivals happen. They are the unseen slaves of the slaves of God.

Aum Namasivaya

[Obelisk]

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi, everyone! Praying for Shri Ganesha to always shower his blessings on all of us.