On Ganesha

Take the word Ganapati. `Ga’ represents buddhi (intellect). `Na’ signifies wisdom. Ganapati is the Lord of the intellect and wisdom. To worship the intellect and wisdom is one form of worship of Ganapati.

Once, Parvathi and Shiva, parents of Ganapati and Subramanya, wanted to test their intelligence. They summoned the two sons and told them to go around the world to find out which of the two would do it quicker. Thew elder of the two, Ganapati, did not stir from his place. The younger son Subramanya, mounted his peacock and set out on the trip around the world. With a great deal of effort he completed the trip, and was about to approach his parents. Seeing him from a distance, Ganapati walked around his parents and claimed himself to be the winner. The mother, Parvathi, told Ganapati, “Here is your brother who has gone around the world. And you have not stirred from this place. You have made no effort at all. How can you claim that you have gone around the world? How can I regard you as the winner?” Ganesha replied, “Mother, the cosmos is a combination of matter and energy—the unity of the father and the mother. When I go around you, I have gone around the world itself, as you are the parents of the cosmos. There is no place where you two are not present. I see your omnipresence. By walking around both of you I can claim to have gone around the cosmos.” When He heard these words, Shiva was astonished at the intelligence of his son who had recognized the truth about his divine parents. Shiva then said, “Ganesha, you are an exemplary son for one and all. Let the world offer worship you before they offer worship to me. I am not as intelligent as you are. We are your parents, but not more intelligent than you.”

Ganapati occupies the position of one who is the source of all prosperity. Moreover, when He is invoked before any undertaking, there will be no impediments to its completion.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, October 1998