In this way a Hindu learns to bow to Ganesha at every turn. In our religious tradition, the remembrance of the divinity of man and the immanence of God must be present before the doer of any action. In Ganesha Hindus perceive one of the basic concepts of Hindu mythological symbolism: the identity of the macrocosm and the microcosm. He figures as the scribe of Sage Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata. Mythologically, He is the scribe who writes down the scriptures. It is noteworthy that Ganapati is sometimes identified with Brihaspati, the patron of letters. As the Lord of categories, Ganapati rules over the universal intellect and the principles of the elements (tattvas) derived from it. The principle of categories transcends intellect. He guards the first approach to life and all its manifold unfoldment. Mahaganapati is the ruler of all the categories and can be identified with Divinity in its perceptible manifestation. All that can be counted or comprehended is a category (gana). The principle of classifications through which the relations can be understood between different orders of things, between the macrocosm and the microcosm, is called the Lord of Categories. So, category is a fundamental element of existence. He embodies the Truth of Tat Tvam Asi, “Thou art That.”Įverything that our mind can grasp can be expressed in terms of kind, or category.
The mahavakya Aum Tat Sat implies “That is what it is,” and it is transmuted into the form of Ganesha. By meditating on Him in the three aspects of A-U-M, devotees can realize the reality of the Godhead. He is ever Pillaiyar, the cherished child of Uma-Parameshvara. His sound-symbol Aum is indestructible in past, present and future. Thus, Ganesha Aum, the divine son of Siva, is the support of the whole universe.
Omkara signifies the Supreme Siva, being both vyashti (individual) and samashti (cosmic). The power of knowledge known as Vishnu Formulation, or jnana shakti, and the power of action known as Brahma Expression, or kriya shakti, also express the Causal Word, Aum. It corresponds to the power of will, known as Siva Intention, or icchha shakti. The Causal Word, Aum, represents the divine thought, the source of existence. One infers the unseen in the seen, the unheard in the heard. This audible symbol Aum serves as a support of contemplation. This syllable is the imperishable spirit, That Word is Aum, and the resonance of Aum is heard everywhere. This word occurs in the Gayatri sacred to Ganapati: In the Taittiriya Aranyaka is a clear reference to Ganapati as Dantim (tusker). Ganesha reflects the wisdom of His Father and is the repository of the word of God Siva. Ganesha thus came to be recognized as the “God Word.” The Son is the testimony of the immanence of God being generated eternally. In Shatapatha Brahmana 10.4.56, the Son of God, “a second myself,” dvitiya atma, is spoken of as mithuna: the “word not spoken.” God’s unspoken word is internal and unmanifest. Hear us and take Thy place, bringing with Thee all enjoyments. O Ganapati, the Seer of seers, unrivalled in wealth, King of elders, Principal of principals. He is invoked as the Law of laws, the Seer of seers and the Principal of principals in the verse above, as translated below: Various prayers to Ganesha are recorded in the Vedic texts. He was propitiated to bestow success and enjoyment and to avert obstacles and calamities. The Vedas assign Him a special place amongst the Gods. However, the descriptive epithets applied to Him are apposite as well to the elephant-faced God as Kavinkavinam, the Seer of seers, Ganapati being the God of wisdom par excellence, and Jyeshtharajam, the Vinayaka commanding precedence over others.Īlso, in the Ganesha Pancharatna by Shri Shri Shri Adi Sankara is found the line: kaladharavatamsakam, “He who dons the crescent,” which attribute is also applied to Siva. The Deity who is hailed as the chief of the celestial hosts (Ganapati) here is called Brahmanaspati. The most famous verse to Ganapati is from the great hymn Sri Rudram found in the Yajur Veda Samhita (and Rig Veda 2.23.1). HYMNS OF THE VEDAS EXTOL GANAPATI, THE LORD of the Ganas, attendants of Siva.