The Esoteric Significance of Ganesha Worship

With your elephant’s trunk
And single tusk, and benign looks,
With the tingling of your anklets,
And your prodigious belly,
Looking like a dwarf,
But capable of bestowing all knowledge,
Oh son of Parvati!
Hail! Lord of the Ganas.

Bharatiyas’ [Indians’] festivals are pregnant with spiritual significance. Unfortunately Bharatiyas today give importance only to external rituals and observances, ignoring their inner meaning and eternal values.

“Parvati tanayaa Ganaadhipa!” “Oh son of Parvati! Lord of the Ganas.” In these terms the Vedas extolled Ganapati. Who is this Parvati? Who is her son? What is the relationship between mother and son? Few Bharatiyas care to enquire into these questions. The Vedas proclaimed: “Oh Ganaadhipa!” Who are these “Ganas”? Are they celestial hosts or demonic (asura) beings? They are celestial beings. Where are they? Are they wandering in the external world or are they present subtly in human beings. He (Vighneshwara) is called Ganaadhipati because he is the Supreme Lord of the Ganas. The Ganas are the embodiment of the organs of perception (jnanendriyas) and of action (karmendriyas). The mind is the master of these ten senses. The presiding deity of the mind is called Indra as he is the Lord of the indriyas (the senses). The master over the mind is the intellect (buddhi).

What does the name “Ganapati” signify? Ga means intellect, Na means wisdom. As Vighneshwara is the Lord of the intellect and wisdom he is called “Ganapati.”

From this it follows that what are called “Ganas” are the parts of the human body. The individual is a part of creation. Hence, divinity, of which the cosmos is a projection, is immanent in the human being. “Vigatho nayakah Vinayakah” (Vinayaka has no master over him.) This means that Vinayaka is a totally autonomous and independent deity. He has no Lord above him. In the world, every individual or authority has someone who is superior to him. But Vinayaka has no overlord.

In Bharat, the worship of Vinayaka has been in existence from times immemorial. The Rig Veda, the Narayanopanishad, and the Taitiriya Upanishad [scriptures] have passages referring to Vinayaka. It is embedded also in a Gayatri mantra.

“Thathpurushaaya vidmahe
Vakrathundaaya dheemahi
Thanno danthi prachodayaath”

This mantra indicates that Vinayaka’s divinity is glorified in this Gayatri mantra. Hence, Ganapati signifies an all‑pervading divine potency.

In everyday parlance, Ganapati is described as the son of Parvati. Parvati represents nature. Man is a child of nature. Hence every human being is a Vinayaka. He is a spark of the Divine Shiva‑Shakti, the union of the Lord and nature. Everything in the world has emanated from nature. All things are aspects of nature. Holy festivals are observed to reveal this sacred truth.

Elephant head and Mooshika

How does it happen that Vinayaka has the head of an elephant and has a mouse as his vehicle? The mouse is called mooshika (in Sanskrit). It is a sign of night, which signifies darkness. The mouse is a symbol of darkness. Because Vinayaka has control over darkness, he is described as the rider on a mooshika. He is the one who dispels darkness and sheds light on the world.

The mouse is also a symbol of the sense of smell. The mouse moves about following the direction of the smell (vasana). Vinayaka is the one who has mastery over vasanas, that is, desires and ignorance (represented by mouse).

What is meant by describing the mouse as the vehicle of Vinayaka? It means that Vinayaka rides the mooshika, which represents desires (vasanas) and ignorance (darkness).

Vinayaka is one who drives away all sorrows, difficulties, and miseries. He is the enemy of all obstacles. He will not allow any obstacles to come in the way. He is the destroyer of obstacles. He confers happiness and peace (on his devotees). He is the master of all these powers (buddhi and siddhi). What is this siddhi (fulfillment)? When there is purity of mind, you achieve peace (which is siddhi). Vinayaka is thus the Lord of buddhi and siddhi (the intellect and Self‑realization). Hence, every human being should acquire control over the mind.

Food offerings

Every festival is celebrated by various culinary preparations. For Vinayaka Chaturthi, these preparations are of a special kind. The edible offerings to Vinayaka are totally free from oily substances. Vinayaka is offered only items cooked through steam. What is the reason? According to the science of Ayurveda (the ancient Indian system of medicine), food cooked through steam is easily digested.

Moreover, the Vinayaka festival, which is celebrated in the month of Bhadrapada [September], falls in a month when sesame and jaggery come to the market after the harvest. The sesame seeds are powdered and mixed with rice flour and jaggery [raw sugar] and cooked into balls that are offered to Vinayaka. Jaggery has curative vlues for several ailments relating to phlegm and bile. The sesame seeds have the power to cleanse the lungs and improve the vision. These balls of sesame and jaggery are thus noted for their medicinal properties for curing both external and internal ailments.

The ancient Bharatiyas never indulged in meaningless practices. Every festival has an inner spiritual significance. Every word they spoke, every step they moved, every food they consumed had spiritual significance.

The Lord of learning

Vinayaka is the Lord of all learning. Does learning mean bookish scholarship? No. Everything pertaining to the cosmos is included in the term vidya (learning). Walking, talking, laughing, sitting, eating, strolling, thinking—every kind of activity is related to learning. Vinayaka is the master of every kind of learning. Today learning is identified with acquisition of information. But apart from knowledge of the physical world, we have many other kinds of knowledge relating to chemistry, the fine arts, and other skills.

Vinayaka is the master—of every kind of knowledge. Learning is related to the intellect. It is not mere scholarship. Familiarity with books is not knowledge. One’s entire life is a continuous process of learning. Any process of enquiry is related to learning. But basically our enquiry should be concerned with finding out what is transient and what is permanent. This is true knowledge.

Worshipped by animals

Hence, today students worship Vinayaka with zeal. Vinayaka is not the one who merely comes to the aid of those who read their books. He helps everyone at every step in life’s journey. He is readily accessible. He is pleased with an offering of flowers of no value (Jilledy flowers). It is said that any one who eats these flowers will become insane. Such flowers are offered to Vinayaka. Vinayaka is also worshipped with an offering of green grass.

What is the inner meaning of these kinds of offerings? It means that earlier Vinayaka used to be worshipped even by animals. His face is that of an elephant. His vehicle is a mouse. These are symbols from the animal kingdom. They indicate that Vinayaka is worshipped even by birds and beasts.

Vinayaka is thus worshipped by all beings and is Lord of all beings. He does not belong to one country or one nation or one period of time. He is related to all places and all times.

Puranic stories

There are scriptural texts that testify to all this. But some of them are quite fanciful. For instance, in one Puranic story, it is stated that once Shiva and Parvati were playing a game of dice. For any game there has to be an umpire, who has to declare the winner. Shiva and Parvati agreed to have Nandi (the divine bull) as the umpire. Nandi is a favorite of Shiva, as he is Shiva’s vehicle. Although Shiva lost the game, Nandi declared Him the winner.

It is said that Parvati was indignant over Nandi s partiality for Shiva and cursed him that he should die from an incurable disease. Thereupon Nandi fell at her feet and pleaded for forgiveness, “Mother! Forgive me. Should I not show at least this amount of gratitude to one who is my master? Is it not humiliating for me to declare that my master has lost the game? To uphold His honor I no doubt uttered a lie. But am I to be punished with such severity for so small an offence?”

Parvati forgave Nandi and taught him the means to atone for his lapse. She told him. “The Chaturdasi [fourth] day in the month of Bhadrapada is the day when my son’s birthday is celebrated. On that day you have to offer to my son what pleases you most (green grass).” This means that one atones for one’s sins when one offers to the Lord what is most pleasing and enjoyable to him. For Nandi the most enjoyable and relishing food is green grass. As directed by Parvati, Nandi worshipped Ganapati by offering green grass. Nandi was then relieved of his dreaded disease. His health improved and by Parvati’s grace he was redeemed

This incident is the basis for the practice recommended for pilgrims to Gaya, Banaras, and other places that they should give up something they love most as an offering to the Divine. Thus they should give up something that they like most and not something that they dislike. Whether it is a fruit or a vegetable, what you should choose to give up, as an offering to God, is what you like most.

Offer to God what you like most

Today many people go to Prayag (Allahabad). What is the real meaning of Prayag or Kashi? The scripture declares: “The human body is a temple in which the Indweller is the eternal self.” The body is the temple in the centre of which the Ganga [the River Ganges] of wisdom is flowing. In this Ganga of wisdom the two rivers of devotion and earnestness or faith (represented by Rivers Yamuna and Saraswati) merge and the point of h conjunction of the three is known as Prayag. Hence, the Divine should be offered what is most pleasing to one.

Unfortunately today this ancient traditional practice has been reduced to a fashionable formality. Pilgrims going to Prayag are asked by the priests to give up what is most pleasing to them. Some of the pilgrims ponder over what they can easily give up and mention the names of these vegetables and fruits. They give up the bitter gourd or something else that they dislike. This is not proper. When they offer something which they don’t like, the Lord is seated in the heart declares, “ So be it!” As you have not offered what is most dear to you, the Lord also offers to you what you dislike most. If you offered what is good, will not God give you what is good for you?

This is illustrated by the example of [King] Harishchandra. He made an offering of what was most dear to him, namely, truth . He was prepared to give up his kingdom, his wife, and son and sell himself in bondage to uphold truth. Truth is God. God is truth. Where there is truth there is God. Therefore adore truth. Make all your offerings truthfully. Thereby you will reach the abode of truth. As is your offering so is your reward. This is the truth demonstrated by Vinayaka.

Gajasura and Shiva

There was once a demon by name Gajasura. He was a demon King. He performed severe penance. Eashwara, who is easily propitiated, appeared before him., For example when Bhasmasura prayed to Shiva to grant him a boon that whomsoever he touches by his hand should be reduced to ashes. Shiva granted the boon. Immediately Bhasmasura wanted to test the power he had received by trying to place his hand on Shiva Himself! Ultimately Siva was saved from Bhasmasura by a stratagem of Vishnu who made the demon place his hand on his own head and he was reduced to ashes.

Likewise, Gajasura also performed penance and prayed to the Lord. Eashwara appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. Gajasura said, “Lord! You must merge in my stomach,” Shiva granted the boon and lodged himself in the demon’s stomach. Parvati, not finding Eashwara, went out in search of her Lord and could find him nowhere. She went to her brother, Vishnu and appealed to him to trace her missing Lord.

Vishnu knew that Shiva was in the habit of granting boons indiscriminately and getting into difficulties. He told her, “Parvati! I know what has happened. Be calm. You go to your abode. I shall bring Eashwara there.”

Vishnu took Shiva’s Nandi and decorated it to appear like a performing bull. Assuming the role of a bull‑performer, Vishnu led the bull to the city of Gajasura, playing on a pipe all the way while the bull danced to the tune. The bull was dancing to the music of the Divine embodiment of all mysteries. Gajasura was intensely watching the performance of the bull and its master.

Pleased with their performance, Gajasura asked the bull trainer, “What do you want?” The latter said, “You should not go back on your word. Will you grant me what I want? You are Gajasura, a great king.” “Yes,” he said. “Give me Eashwara who is in your stomach,” said Vishnu. Only Vishnu knew this fact, none else. Gajasura immediately fell at the feet of Vishnu and said, “Swami! This secret is not known to anybody except You. I will keep my word even at the cost of my life. But there is one condition. My head should be worshipped by all and Eashwara should wear my skin.” Vishnu agreed to it. That is the reason why Eashwara wears an elephant’s skin. The head of Gajasura is worshipped as Vinayaka’s head.

These are some of the Puranic stories relating to Vinayaka. They are only stories. But such stories have been related to turn people’s minds God‑ward.

If a deep enquiry is made, it will be realized that there is only one God. God is present in all. Vinayaka is not separate from us. The indwelling Principle in our hearts is the Divine atmic principle.

Acts to please God

What is it that you should offer to God? Is it an unripe fruit or a ripe fruit? You should offer only a good ripe fruit. Likewise, you should offer your good thoughts to the Divine. That is the supreme significance of the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival. Without realizing this, people install a mud idol, decorate it with meaningless flowers, make offerings of useless things, and seek the most valuable things from him. What kind of bargain is this? You should offer to the Lord what is most sacred.

Look at the example of a cow. It is offered all kinds of grass and other fodder. But it offers in return the most nourishing milk. Even the cow offers to man something pure and holy. But what does man offer to God? He keeps the pure things for himself and offers the impure to God. This is not right. You should offer what will please Him. You pray to God to give you all kinds of things. How are you entitled to ask for them? You should only if you offer to God what will please Him. If you do not perform acts that will please God, how do you expect God to do things that will please you?

Therefore, at the outset you have to do things that will please God. Then God will offer what will please you. This is one of the truths to be learnt from the Vinayaka festival.

Vinayaka is the Lord of life. Men should learn to shed selfishness and cultivate love of the supreme self. This is the inner truth about Vinayaka. Vinayaka should not be considered as merely an elephant‑headed deity riding on a mouse.

Similar mistakes are made about other deities. For instance, Saraswati is represented as a Goddess riding on a swan. Saraswati is the Goddess of speech. Speech is based on the inhaling and exhaling of breath. In this process of respiration, the sound “So‑Ham” is produced and when it is repeated regularly, you have the sound “Ham‑So”—which is identified with a swan. The inhaling and exhaling process is the chariot on which the Goddess of speech moves. The inner meanings of the terms and symbols used in Vedantic parlance have to be properly understood.

Everything is for your good

The best way to please God is to act according to His injunctions. For instance, I advise students not to indulge in excessive talk. Carry out your duties. Contemplate on God. Is all this advice being given for God’s sake? No. Whatever Swami tells you is for your own good. Recognize that everything is for your good.

Swami recalled in this context a story in which there was a minister to a king who was in the habit of declaring that whatever happened was for one’s‑good. Once the king cut his finger while slicing a piece of sugarcane. Seeing the bleeding finger of the king, the minister remarked that the cut was for the king’s good. The king got so angry that he committed the minister immediately to prison. Even then the minister remarked that the prison sentence was for his own good.

A few days later the king went, alone for hunting in a forest and was resting under a tree. The servants of the tribal chief of the forest seized the king to be offered as human sacrifice for the tribal goddess. When the king was about to be beheaded, it was noticed that the king’s finger was mutilated, and such a mutilated person could not be offered as sacrifice. The king was freed. He remembered the minister’s words and realized that the injury to his finger had saved him from death.

He went to the prison and asked his minister how he could declare that the prison sentence was good for him. The minister replied that but for his being confined in prison, he would have accompanied the king, and the tribal people would have chosen him in the place of the king for their sacrifice!

The lesson of this story is that one should learn to welcome everything that happens as for one’s own good. Recognition of this truth is the means to acquire God’s grace. Develop the firm conviction that whatever God says or does is for your own good.

This is what all the Bharatiya festivals seek to teach. Underlying every festival is a profound spiritual message. Unfortunately present‑day students, caught up in modernity, are unable to comprehend this truth. They are obsessed with trifles and do not realize that education is for the purpose of leading the good life and not for earning a living. Yearn to lead an ideal life.

Consider Vinayaka as the indweller in your heart. He is constantly warning you against what is bad. You ignore the warning and get into trouble. How much will you benefit if you “follow the master” within you. Your conscience is the master. Above all, heed the dictates of the Divine. That will be your best safeguard.

Vinayaka is one who has all the five elements under his control (here Swami incidentally referred to Arjuna’s penance for acquiring the Pashupata Astra [weapon] from Shiva and explained how he overcame the powers of the five elements by the power of his penance). He is the embodiment of all potencies. He has no superior above him.

In our bhajans, the first prayer is addressed to Vinayaka. The bhajan starts with Om, the pranava. It is the combination of pranava with Vinayaka that serves to redeem our life.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Oct. 1995