Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha Sri Ganesha Chaturthi Festival
My Dear Children, Are you suffering from constant obstacles and hardships? If so, then try to worship Lord Ganesha on Ganesh Chaturthi, so that you can say “goodbye” to all of your problems and obstacles. Ganesha Chaturthi comes during the lunar month of Bhadrapada, on the fourth day of the waxing moon. Depending on the year, Ganesha Chaturthi may come either in August or September. This year the festival falls on September 11, 2010. Although this is considered the most auspicious day of the entire year to worship Lord Ganesha, in truth, whichever day you worship Lord Ganesha becomes like a Ganesha Chaturthi day. Lord Ganesha is extremely kind and compassionate, so whenever you worship him according to your ability, he happily accepts your love and offerings, and he removes all your obstacles.
The Vedas say, “Kalau Chandi Vinaayakaa!” This means, in this age of Kali yuga[1], one obtains immediate results by the worship of Divine Mother Chandi[2] by performing Chandi homa, or by the worship of Lord Sri Ganesha. The fourth day, Chaturthi,[3] of the ascending phase of the moon cycle in the lunar month of Bhadrapada (August/September) on which Hasta Nakshatra[4] also falls is considered to be most auspicious for the worship of Lord Ganesha. Any practice or homa performed on this day is sure to annihilate the karma load of millions of sinful actions. The Rig Veda says: “Vinaayakaanaam veda priyaha bhadrapada chaturthi yajna mahaa priyaha.” When one performs yajna, the sacred fire ceremony, on the auspicious day of Ganesha Chaturthi by following all the correct rituals, Lord Ganesha will surely grant the devotee the fruits of this sacred and meritorious action.
Lord Ganesha is referred to as Ganaanaam patihi. This means Sri Ganesha is Pati, the Supreme Lord who presides over all ganas or forms of creation, including: devatas, the demi-gods, nakshatras, the stars, millions of brahmandas, the galaxies, and sapta rishis, or the holy seven sages. This is the reason why his name is Ganapati, the Lord of all ganas. The significance of the name Ganesha can be understood by learning about the meaning of each syllable in the name. Gam stands for jnana, eternal knowledge. Nam means mukti pradata or nirvana pradata meaning one who grants liberation. Isha means the Divine Father who rules. Thus Lord Ganesha is Niraakaara Para Brahma Svarupa, the embodiment of the formless Supreme Consciousness, who grants jnana and nirvana.
The Sri Ganesha Tapini Upanishad says: “Ganeshovai sadajaaya tavadvai Param Brahma”! This means it is only akhanda satyam or the eternal supreme truth, and Para Brahma tejas, the effulgence of the eternal Supreme Consciousness that has assumed the form of Lord Ganesha. It is a most difficult and herculean task for people to gain control over the ari shadvargas or the six enemies of desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and enmity. However, one can remove all of these negativities and obtain auspicious benefits by worshipping Lord Ganesha and by chanting the mantra, “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha,” daily 108 times counting along with a rudraksha mala, a rosary of rudraksha beads. Lord Ganesha confers supreme protection for all those that worship him. One can find a great amount of salient information about Lord Ganesha in the Mudgala Purana[6]. In this purana it is mentioned that thereare many divine forms embedded in the viswa rupa or cosmic form of Lord Ganesha. By performing homa to Lord Ganesha on Ganesha Chaturthi, one obtains various benefits through these divine forms. The divine forms and the benefits are: Sri Vakratunda Ganapati - This form of Ganesha is most pleased with homa or sacred fire ceremony. He removes maatsarya, enmity, from the devotee’s heart. Sri Ekadanta Ganapati - This form of Ganesha burns away madam, pride, from the devotee’s heart. Sri Mahodara Ganapati - This form of Ganesha removes moha, attachment, from the devotee’s heart. Sri Gajaanana Ganapati - This form of Ganesha vanquishes lobha, greed, from the heart of the devotee. Sri Lambodara Ganapati - This form of Ganesha burns away krodha, anger, from the devotee’s heart. Sri Vikata Ganapati - This form of Ganapati burns kama, desire, which pervades the devotee’s heart, to ashes. Sri Vighnaraaja Ganapati - This form of Ganesha removes mamata, self-centered love, from the heart of the devotee. Sri Dhumravarna Ganapati - This form of Ganesha burns down both durabhimana, evil-mindedness, and ashta madas, eight types of pride, from the devotee’s heart.
Devotees who are unable to worship Lord Ganesha on a daily basis will find the benefits one hundred times more powerful when they worship Lord Ganesha on the day of Ganesha Chaturthi. By performing japa, that is, repetition of the mantra “Om Gam Ganapataye namaha” 108 times on a daily basis, the devotee receives one thousand times more immensely auspicious benefits and also fulfillment of all desires.
When one’s name is recited during the sankalpa[7] before a homa, sacred fire ceremony, the devotee is sure to receive millions of times more powerful and auspicious results. The devotee will be liberated from pancha maha patakas, five types of the most heinous sins and also from all upa patakas, minor sins. Vighnas, obstacles, will not haunt these devotees anymore. Lord Ganesha removes all of their sorrows and grants them many auspicious benefits.
The day of Sri Ganesha Chaturthi is extremely auspicious. Anyone sponsoring a homa on this day will experience the benefit of having all arishtas, negative influences removed and divya tejas, divine effulgence will encircle and illuminate the devotee’s whole body.
The following is a sloka, couplet from Sri Ganesha Upanishad[8]: Devotees who worship on the auspicious day of Sri Ganesha Chaturthi as well as on a daily basis Lord Sri Ganesha, who is naasha rahita, without destruction, who existed even prior to Creation, and who is Para Brahma svarupa, the embodiment of Supreme Consciousness, those who perform Ganesha homa, and those who chant the Ganesha Mantra on a daily basis—all such devotees will verily transform into the most noble and supreme yogis among all yogis. They are sure to become the most noble paramahansas[10]. Lord Sri Ganesha is sure to grace these devotees with true yogitva—the state of union with Universal Consciousness—and bless them with Atma jnana, knowledge of the Self. When, with a particular desire in mind, a devotee chants the Ganesha mantra 1008 times daily, that desire will be readily fulfilled by Lord Ganesha. Devotees who worship Lord Sri Ganesha in accordance with vedic principles and vedic rituals will be granted with vaak sakti, the power to speak divine knowledge, and kavita sakti, the power to become a poet and a literary scholar. Those who perform the homa sacred fire ceremony on Sri Ganesha Chaturthi day while observing the austerity of fasting throughout the day, or have a homa performed on this day by a priest with knowledge of the correct rituals required to perform fire ceremonies—all such devotees will receive the boundless compassion and grace of Lord Sri Ganesha. The Lord will shower upon them like nectar the auspicious benefits of vidya, knowledge, vijnana, knowledge of the Self, and Veda jnana sampatti, the treasure of vedic knowledge. Sri Ganesha will grace these devotees with the experience of Atma jnana, Self-Realization.
Sri Ganesha Upanishad continues with the following couplet: “Yo modaka sahasrena yajati” On Ganesha Chaturthi day, whoever performs with sincere devotion Ganesha homa with offerings of 1008 modukas[11], whilecarefully following the vedic rituals of performing a homa—Lord Sri Ganesha will grant such a devotee apaara aiswarya, boundless wealth, yasas, fame, gaurava, respect, shanthi, peace, jnana, knowledge, and medhas, powerful intellect. The Ganesha Upanishad continues: “Maha vighnaat pramuchyate Maha doshaat pramuchyate” On Ganesha Chaturthi, when you follow worship of Lord Ganesha with a Ganesha homa, Lord Ganesha will remove maha vighnas, all of your greatest obstacles, and will destroy all doshas, all the negativities that have been responsible for all your hardships.
All those devotees who constantly repeat the Ganesha Mantra, “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” elevate themselves spiritually, and become eligible for attaining Brahmatva, the state of Self-Realization. Obstacles will not come in the way of a devotee who is in constant worship of Lord Ganesha. Such devotees are freed from the load of maha patakas or most severe sins from all of their past births, and they will experience shanti, peace and tranquility. When devotees chant the Sri Ganesha Mantra both morning and evening, Lord Ganesha removes the load of all of their sins. When you are in constant worship of Lord Ganesha and when you continually chant the Ganesha Mantra, Lord Ganesha will not let any obstacles come in your way. Such devotees will acquire the fulfillment of all the four purusharthas[12]. Chaviti, the fourth day of every moon cycle, is very auspicious for performing a homa sacred fire ceremony, as well as for worship of Lord Ganesha. In general, while performing worship, mantra repetitions, and fire ceremonies for Lord Ganesha, one should be aware of the appropriate day, time, nakshatra or star of the day, and tithi, the position of the moon in its cycle. When the afore-mentioned spiritual practices are performed at appropriate times, Lord Ganesha will grant the devotee with good results and auspicious benefits.
Those who worship Lord Sri Ganesha daily twenty seven times with garika grass[13] while chanting the Ganesha Mantra, “Gam,” will receive wealth equivalent to that of Kubera, who is well-known as the Lord of riches. Lord Ganesha will end ashta kashtas, the eight types of hardships, and ashta daaridryas, the eight types of poverties of all such ardent devotees. Sunlight will shine fully and brightly on the bodies of those that worship Lord Sri Ganesha, and Ganesha will destroy their ignorance or lack of knowledge. Worship of Lord Sri Ganesha on Ganesha Chaturthi day will grant pavitra vaak sampada, the sacred gift of speaking lovingly, Brahma tejas, divine effulgence, and Brahma jnana siddhi, the fulfillment of the goal of Self-Realization. It will ensure that devotees are not affected by the negativities of others. Devotees of Sri Ganesha will acquire all knowledge and they will become sarvajnas, those who have acquired all knowledge. When you see such elevated souls, it is verily equivalent to witnessing Lord Ganesha only. There is a very wonderful idol of Ganesha, which is in the form of a female. The head of this form of Ganesha is attached to the body of Devi, Divine Mother. This Devi is called “Gaaneshi.” Those who are blessed to realize the complete knowledge of Gaaneshi are sure to attain the supreme state of moksha, liberation.
Even without your knowledge, Lord Ganesha, who is the embodiment of Supreme Consciousness, protects you at all times by side-stepping those that are about to harm you. It is auspicious to worship Sri Ganesha with red hibiscus flowers, red roses or rose petals, garika grass, red sandalwood paste, and red akshatas or energized rice mixed with vermilion. Such worship will grant you ahkhanda jnana, boundless knowledge, and aishwarya, wealth, and you will be steadily free of your problems of debt. When you worship Sri Ganesha and perform the fire ceremony with ten thousand modukas on Ganesha Chaturthi, it will bestow auspicious benefits to all the people in this entire universe, thus becoming a deed of service to humanity.
Ganesha Chaturthi is indeed a very special day. Hasta Nakshatra, which falls on this day, is very dear to Lord Ganesha. When vedic priests perform Sri Ganesha homa on this day during the time of Hasta Nakshatra—Lord Ganesha grants Brahma tejas or divine effulgence to all those that sponsor such an auspicious fire ceremony. The following slokas extol the benefits of repeating Ekaakshara Ganesha Mantra or the single syllable Ganesha mantra, “Gam”: “‘Gam’ beeja ekaakshara yogenaiva vishaantakaha ‘Gam’ beeja shabda mantrocchaarana maatrena visham daashaya chochyata ‘Gam’ beeja shabda maatrochaarana nena sarva rogaan hara hara” The moment you chant the mantra, “Gam,” all the poisonous and negative thoughts in your mind will be burnt into ashes. The moment the sound “Gam” reverberates in your body, all diseases will disappear, much in the same way as people shout “Hara Hara! Hara Hara!” to cleanse their sins. When you repeatedly chant the “Gam” beeja mantra, seed syllable, all the devious plans of your enemies will cease to work against you. The “Gam” beeja mantra blockades all such harmful plans. In ancient times, when sage Kashyapa[14] asked sage Mareechi[15] about the power of the Ganesha Mantra, sage Mareechi revealed many secrets about this powerful mantra.
The Ganesha Upanishad continues with the following slokas: “Tvam guna trayaa teetaha Tvam avastha trayaa teetaha Tvam deha trayaa teetaha Tvam kaala trayaa teetaha” Sri Ganesha is guna trayaa teetaha—he is beyond the three attributes of tamas, dullness, rajas, activeness, and sattva, state of harmony and purity. Sri Ganesha is avastha trayaa teetaha—he is beyond the three states of jagrit, the awakened state, svapna, the dream state, and sushupti, the state of deep sleep. He is even beyond turiya, the state of Self Consciousness, awareness of the Self. Lord Ganesha is deha trayaa teetaha, beyond the three bodies—the sthula shareera, the gross or physical body, sukshma shareera, the subtle or astral body that is guided by antahkarana or the inner conscience, and kaarana shareera, the causal body which veils the innermost Self. Lord Ganesha is kaala trayaa teetaha, beyond the three time periods of bhuta kaala, the past, vartamaana kaala, the present, and bhavishyat kaala, the future.
The Ganesha Upanishad continues: “Tvam mulaadhaare sthitosi nityam” Sri Ganesha resides in the mulaadhaara chakra[16] and guides the flow of kundalini sakti[17] which is in a coiled state in the muladhara chakra. . “Tvam sakti trayaatmakaha” Sri Ganesha is beyond the three powers of icchaa sakti, the power of will, jnana sakti, power of knowledge, and kriyaa sakti, the power of action. “Tvaam yogino dhyayanti nityam” Sri Ganesha is being constantly meditated upon with utmost devotion by nija yogis, those who are truly in constant bliss or those who are in constant union with Brahman, Supreme Consciousness. “Tvam Brahmastvam Vishnustvam Rudrastvam Indrastvam Agnistvam Vaayustvam Suryastvam Chandramaastvam Brahma Bhur Bhuvas Suvar Om” O Lord Ganesha! You are Brahma the Creator! You are Vishnu the sustainer! You are Maha Rudra, the One who presides over the dissolution of the individual into the Supreme! You are air, fire, the sun, and the moon! You are everything including Brahma Loka, the abode of Lord Brahma, Bhu Loka, the Earth, Bhuvar Loka, the astral plane, and Suvar Loka, the abode of celestial Gods!
The following slokas reveal the true secret of the Ganesha Mantra “Gam”: “Ganaadeen poorva muchaarya varnaadeen stadantaram Anusvaaraha parataraha ardhendu lasitam taarena ruddham etattava manu svarupam Gakaarah poorva roopam akaaro madhyama roopam Anusvaaraschaantya roopam binduruttara roopam Naadassandhaanam samhitaa sandhihi nyshaa ganesha vidyaa ganaka rishihi nricchad gaayatri chandaha Sri Mahaa Ganapatirdevataa Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha”! First come the ganas or metered syllables. Then come the Sanskrit alphabets beginning with “a” and ending with “ksha.” Then, anusvara or the nasal sound, “m,” and later the beautiful sound of half moon or half circle. After all of these comes the primordial sound, “Om”! Therefore, first the form of the Ganesha Mantra begins with the syllable “g”. Then, you add to it in the middle the syllable “a”, and later at the end you add the syllable “m.” Thus, when you go through the process of “g+a+m”, you obtain the seed syllable “Gam”. Then when you add “Om” in front, you have “Om Gam”, which is verily the subtle form of Sri Ganesha. Thus, “Om Gam” is the subtle form of the Ganesha Mantra. This subtle form of the Ganesha Mantra is subtlest of the subtle and its effulgence is also in a subtle form. The effulgence of the “Gam” mantra is most wondrous and brilliant. When you chant the “Gam” mantra, your heart and your whole body is filled with effulgence and brightness. As your heart radiates with effulgence, the six enemies in your heart are burnt away and you are filled with supreme peace in your heart.
The rishi, sage of this Ganesha vidya or knowledge, is Ganaka. The chandas, meter, is Ncchrud Gayatri. The devata, presiding deity, is Maha Ganapati. The complete Ganesha Mantra is “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha”. This mantra is very fruitful for those who are addicted to drinking. Chanting of this mantra will not bear good results to those who do not have faith in the Guru, the preceptor, and those who think that the Guru does not know very much.
Lord Ganesha has supreme compassion for his devotees. He has been in existence prior to the creation of the universe and he himself is responsible for this Creation. Those who worship Lord Ganesha will feel abundant, and they will not experience shortage of anything.
If a devotee is suffering from acute poverty and debt, and constant worry and anxiety, then, observing austerities such as fasting, and maintaining external as well as internal cleanliness, if the devotee worships Lord Sri Ganesha on Ganesha Chaturthi, performs Ganesha mantra japa or repetition, and also performs Ganesha mantra homa with modukas—then Lord Ganesha will grant the devotee abundance of wealth, and the devotee’s debt problems will be removed permanently. This has been discussed in the sacred text, Mantra Maharnavam[18]. Also, if you are suffering from nava graha doshas, negative effects of the nine planets, then you must perform Ganesha mantra homa on Ganesha Chaturthi. Then, all negative effects of the planets will be completely destroyed. Benefits of Worshipping Red Sandstone Ganesha, Red Sandalwood Ganesha, and Red Ruby Ganesha: The worship of these Ganeshas will remove negative effects of the sun. Black spots on the face will be erased and ashta daaridryas, the eight types of poverty will be removed. All diseases of the body will be removed when you worship any of these Ganeshas on every Sunday, with utmost devotion.
Benefits of Worshipping Marakata Ganesha or Jade Ganesha: Marakata Ganesha or Jade Ganesha will not come to a devotee’s home unless the devotee has acquired benefits of good and meritorious deeds for several of the past births. Devotees will get the sacred opportunity of worshipping Sri Marakata Ganesha only when they have overcome the dark days of their life and have entered into their good and bright period. When you get the wonderful opportunity of worshipping Jade Ganesha on Ganesha Chaturthi, it will permanently drive away ashta daaridryas, eight types of poverty. You will flourish consistently in your businesses and ventures, and you will scale great heights in acquiring wealth. All the negative effects of the nine planets will be removed and you will not have to work unduly hard to accomplish your tasks. You will gain respect in society and your financial position will improve day by day. You will not have any worries about financial matters when you worship Jade Ganesha every Wednesday. Devotees, who worship Jade Ganesha daily twenty seven times with fresh garika or fresh green grass, will receive the grace of Lord Ganesha and will attain all auspicious benefits. For details of Sri Ganesha worship at Amma's Sri Lalitambika Trisakti Peetham at her Penusila Ashram please click here.
[1] Kali Yuga: According to Sanatana Dharma, the eternal principles of life, there are four yugas or age-periods that together last for 4,320,000 years. The first is Krita yuga or Satya yuga. This is the period of Satya, truth. This yuga lasts for 1,728,000 years. The second is Treta yuga, which lasts for 1,296,000 years and is known best for performing yajnas or sacred fire ceremonies. The third is Dwapara yuga, which lasts for 864,000 years. In this yuga, it is best to do worship in temples as spiritual practices. The fourth is Kali yuga, which lasts for 432,000 years. We are currently going through the Kali yuga in the cycle of time, and we have already passed more than 5000 years of this yuga. In this Kali yuga truth prevails only in 25 percent of peoples’ actions. As a result, morality is at its ebb and in general people undergo much suffering. The best spiritual practice in this yuga is namasmarana, the constant chanting of the Divine Name. [2] Chandi is the fierce form of Divine Mother and is considered to be the combination of Sri Maha Kali, Sri Maha Lakshmi and Sri Maha Saraswati. [3] Chaturthi is the fourth day of the moon’s cycle. Since there are two cycles for the moon in a month, Chaturthi comes twice in a month—once during the waxing phase and the other during the waning phase. Both are considered auspicious for Lord Sri Ganesha. [4] Hasta Nakshatra: According to the lunar calendar, one month is made up of approximately twenty-seven days. Each day goes by the name of a nakshatra or a star. The Hasta Nakshatra is the thirteenth star among the twenty seven stars. [5] Sapta rishis are the seven great sages of ancient India. The seven great sages are: Atri, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, and Viswamitra. They also form the eternal Ursula major or the Great Bear in the northern sky. [6] Puranas are sacred texts of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal principles of right conduct. There are eighteen maha puranas or great puranas and another eighteen upa puranas or ancillary puranas. Compiled by the great sage Veda Vyasa, the puranas are as significant as the four Vedas. That is why all the puranas together are called the fifth Veda in Sanatana Dharma. There are two upa puranas that are entirely devoted to Lord Ganesha. They are Ganesha Purana and Mudgala Purana. The Mudgala Purana that Amma refers to here mainly contains many stories and rituals for worship of Sri Ganesha. [7] Sankalpa is the intention for which the yajna or homa sacred fire ceremony is being performed. Before the homa is performed, mantras are recited which include the names of those sponsoring the homa, the location of the homa, the benefits to be achieved by doing the homa, and the divine energies being invoked. [8] Ganesha Upanishad is a sacred vedic hymn in praise of Lord Ganesha that was revealed to the sages of ancient times. Like other Upanishads, the Ganesha Upanishad is not meant only to be studied and understood but it should also be chanted loudly to receive the maximum spiritual benefits. [9] Yogi: The word yoga means spiritual practice to attain union of the individual soul with the Universal Soul. A yogi is an individual who has attained a state of mind that is constantly in union with the Universal Soul or who is in constant integrated awareness. [10] Paramahansa is a title ascribed to great souls that have attained the highest state of enlightenment. The title means great or supreme swan. Just as a swan can live equally comfortably on both land and water, these great souls are in constant awareness of the universal Supreme Consciousness even while living in the external world. [11] Modukas are sweetmeats that are most dear to Lord Sri Ganesha. First jaggery and grated coconut are prepared into a paste form. Next flour is mixed with water, and small balls of this mix are made. These small balls are flattened and small portions of the jaggery-coconut paste are placed upon each one of these flattened dough rounds. Then, the paste is enveloped with the dough into onion shaped balls and deep fried in clarified butter. These deep fried sweetmeats are modukas. It is auspicious to offer modukas to Sri Ganesha whenever one performs Ganesha homa or fire ceremony for Lord Sri Ganesha. [12] Purusharthas: These are four in number—dharma, right conduct, artha, wealth, kama, desire, and moksha, attainment of liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. According to Sanatana Dharma, the goal of every individual is to attain the fulfillment of these four facets of life. [13] Garika is a type of holy grass. Its botanical name is Cynodon dactylon and it belongs to the Poaceae family. Apart from having good medicinal values, the grass is most auspicious for worship of Lord Ganesha. [14] Kashyapa is an ancient sage. He is one of the Sapta Rishis or seven sages, widely revered as the greatest sages. He is the father of devatas or gods, as well as asuras or demons. [15] Mareechi, an ancient sage, is the son of Brahma, the Creator. With his divine will, he created sage Kashyapa. He is also the great grandfather of Manu, the greatest thinker. [16] Mulaadhara chakra is the first of the seven most powerful energy centers in the subtle body. It is located at the seat of one’s physical body and stores the kundalini sakti, the most powerful serpentine energy. [17] Kundalini sakti is the serpentine energy, which is stored in a coiled form in the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine. When awakened through spiritual practices, this energy rises and travels upwards passing through the other important chakras or energy centers. Eventually it reaches the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head, at which time the individual becomes fully awakened spiritually. [18] Mantra Maharnavam is an ancient tantric text of mantras. It contains some of the rarest of stutis or prayers, which reveal the principles and practices of tantra, a form of practice for attaining Self-Realization.
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