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Gaṇeśa Caturthī, one of the most popular Hindu festivals. It is celebrated in various ways across India, different by region, tradition, and lineage of each bhakta.
Gaṇeśa Caturthī as a festive celebration was revived by Śrī Bal Gangadhar Tilak as a means of unifying the Indian society during the Independence movement. Today, more than ever before, Bhārata’s countless communities celebrate this joyous festival with great enthusiasm.
The festival marks the birth tithi of Śrī Gaṇeśa, which falls on the fourth day of the brighter fortnight (śukla pakṣa) of the Bhādrapada month. Special attention and worship is also given to the moon in several traditions.
The festival continues with celebrations for two to ten days, with turmeric and clay mūrtis being made, worshiped, and finally dissolved in water through the sacred process known as visarjana.
Storytelling: The Hidden Message In His Form
Dhārmic literature, our śāstras, have mastered the art of storytelling to convey deeper meaning in the form of values, lessons, and universal truths. In simple stories, as well as complex ones, the secrets of life are revealed to those who are tuned enough to listen and learn.
Here through the contemporary story-telling lens, we attempt to convey some symbolism behind the form and significance of Śrī Gaṇeśa.
ऊँ गम गणपतये नमः
Little Devika watched as an enigmatic idol of Śrī Gaṇeśa made its way into her society – accompanied by loud cheers and songs of happiness from all members. An easy smile rested on her face as she looked at His form in adoration
Then a thought struck her, a frown of deep concern coming upon her. She had a penchant for wanting to know the symbolism behind Hindu Dharma’s mystical forms and traditions. As she looked closely at Gaṇeśa’s statue, beyond the happy and friendly Lord –
She wondered what it was that His form represented?
Now her penchant was matched by a special gift. This little girl could converse with the Lord, in her heart, whenever she wanted! He would hear her confused mind, and appear right next to her, answers and clarity beaming back at her through His divine smile.
“Fascinated by my elder brother’s form?” He whispered, as she looked at Him enraptured.
“Ayyappā!!” she exclaimed happily, delighted to see Him.
Bhagavān chuckled indulgently, radiating supreme patience while she composed herself to launch a tirade of questions -
“Yes, yes!
You know, whenever I look at Gaṇeśa, I can’t help but feel happy because He brings such joy and peace.
But then His form is so different, one of the most unique in all of our culture!
Outsiders and even our own people might find it weird because no one knows what He represents. I can’t help but wonder,” she rattled off.
“Every form is an indication of the formless. Beyond the form, lies the formless,”
Bhagavān said as he gazed at Śrī Gaṇeśa’s form with deep reverence in his heart.
“But let us go step by step.”
He chuckled looking at Devika’s confused face.
“What do you think of when you look at Śrī Gaṇeśa’s huge head?”
“Well, it’s an elephant’s head.
And an elephant is one of the most powerful animals, always leading from the front.
So leadership?” she pondered.
“Most certainly.
Primarily, his head represents the evolved intellect of what we call a Man of Perfection or a Ṛṣi.
This is the pinnacle that every man aspires to reach after a period of continuous sādhanā and reflection.
This intellect is rooted in the powers of knowledge and discrimination.
It helps man take the right decisions in the world outside and unravel the layers of his own inner personality too.”
Bhagavān said, impressed with her line of thought.
“Wow. That is intense.
What about his trunk?
I know an elephant’s trunk can pick both a tiny needle from say a flat surface and uproot the mightiest tree,” she responded.
“Perfect.
Similarly, a wise man can perform the most difficult task with ease and go into the tiniest of details.
He does not get perturbed by either.
His focus is unbreakable.”
Bhagavān smilingly shrugged.
Devika paused to absorb this message before launching her next question:
“And his broken tusk?
I can’t wrap my mind around what that could tell us,” she complained.
Bhagavān laughed at her expression.
“My dear, what does the power of knowledge and discrimination give you?
Tremendous inner strength and understanding, is it not?”
She nodded avidly, eager to know more.
“With this understanding you go beyond the pairs of opposites.
As in, look: the world is made up of heat and cold, joy and sorrow and so on.
That is its nature.
Can you help it? No.
But what you can certainly help is how you react to it. Right?”
He searched her face for an understanding.
“Yes. I can slowly get my mind to not complain about these things because they are what they are.
They are not going away. But I can live happily despite that if I have the right understanding,” she was quick to respond.
“On point.
Perhaps this duality does not even exist, but that is for another day.
Now Śrī Gaṇeśa’s broken tusk represents he who has gone beyond this duality and remains established in that subtle oneness which pervades this entire universe.
The vision of love.
There is no hatred or anger left in him.
He is full of love and calm alone,”
he explained, making Devika wonder what that state would be like.
“Such large ears he has!
He can listen to all the love the entire world has for him, right?”
She asked.
“That’s exactly what his super-large ears are for.
To listen keenly.
A wise person listens to all those who come to him with compassion, with a keen sense of being present in the moment – not allowing any prejudice to color the mind.
When he listens keenly, he makes the right decisions, and when he does that he acts well and finally lives well!”
Bhagavān winked.
“Wow, quite a skill to pick up from Gaṇeśa,” Devika said as her wide smile returned.
“And, what about his large stomach?” she continued.
“Haha.
My dear, the Lord is the very origin of this world.
Think.
After an evolved intellect goes beyond the pairs of opposites and remains established in the Infinite, what does life become like?”
Bhagavān counter-questioned her.
“Eh?
Life would be all balanced, calm and joyful.
Nothing can affect us anymore, because we would have realized that all of it is actually an illusion.
This is my understanding so far,”
She replied.
“You got that somewhat right.
This has layers to it, so we will see in the future.
For now his large stomach tells us how a Ṛṣi can digest all the experiences that life has to offer with a smile on his face.
Established in the Truth, he has an unbeatable appetite for life!
Because he knows that no problem is unsolvable and life itself is to be lived fully until you are here on this plane,”
Bhagavān smiled widely, quite satisfied as He watched the light dawn on His little seeker’s face.
“No wonder we are delighted on seeing Gaṇeśa!
He symbolizes the ability of facing obstacles with grace and turning a problem into a possibility,” she exclaimed.
“Haha, totally.
Now before you ask, I have a question for you.
Why do you think the Lord rides a mouse?”
Bhagavān raised a brow.
“Hawww!
You beat me to this.
Not fair.
So, the mouse is small.
Our desires are all-consuming for most of us. Maybe the mouse, as a vehicle, tells us that for a wise man they are limited, therefore small?”
She was thinking out loud.
“Aha. Perfectly put.
If you notice, the mouse looks up at the Lord with devotion in his heart.
It is small but its teeth are very powerful.
They can nibble away at anything and cause destruction.
So too our desires in the beginning are small, but when our insistence on their fulfillment goes beyond control – they spell disaster in our lives.
Then greed, anger, envy and so on come into the picture.”
He paused to let Devika absorb this.
“But aren’t desires also necessary if we are to live a successful life?”
she questioned hesitantly.
“They are.
But like Mūshika surrenders to Gaṇeśa, when our desires and the root cause of it – the mind surrenders to the Lord or to a Higher goal – its potential is turned in the right direction.
That passionate insistence on the result vanishes.
All that remains is a centered intellect which works with single-pointed devotion.
Thus a wise man sublimates his desire and becomes an instrument to work for the welfare of all.”
Bhagavān concluded.
“Amazing this is, Ayyappā!
Truly amazing. Such depth,”
Devika was left speechless.
“Now we have three elements left for the day.
The axe, the rope and the modaka that he holds.
Quickly go and get your materials for your eco-friendly Gaṇeśa.
Give me your answer when you get back.”
Bhagavān said and went into a meditative posture.
Devika admired him for a few moments and ran away to get the material, simultaneously thinking about His question.
She got back after a while and saw that Bhagavān was still immersed in meditation. She did not know how to call him back, so she quietly sat next to Him and wrote down her thoughts about the three elements. As soon as she was done, and much to her delight, Bhagavān opened His eyes.
“So what have you come up with?”
He was back to his teasing mood.
Devika giggled, her mind felt quite fresh after the reflections.
“Ayyappā, don’t underestimate me, okay?
Have some faith in your little girl,” she admonished him.
Bhagavān shook his head at her innocence while she went on:
“Bappā tells all of us,
With the axe when you cut off
your attachments and fears,
With the rope when you reign in
Your past regrets,
Your fanciful future imaginations and distress,
Then you serve the world with love and joy,
You receive from me modakas of Peace and Abundance!”
“Wow. A poetess in the making it seems.”
Bhagavān exclaimed with pride.
Devika went red in her face after hearing that from Him.
“Beautiful, my little girl!
Keep reflecting, keep walking.
I will always be here with you.
So will my dear elder brother, Bappā!”
He patted her head lovingly before leaving.
Devika grinned.
She felt like dancing around but decided to sit down and make her Śrī Gaṇeśa with all the love she had for Him in her heart.
As she was finishing she realized her Ayyappā was right all along.
It was all about merging into the form to go beyond, to the formless!
Gaṇapati Bappā Morya!
The Foundation, Siddhi Vināyaka Vrata
This story takes place every year, in every home, in a different way during the annual Gaṇeśa festival.
The festival has gained the status of holiday throughout Bhārata, and it is the celebratory and worshipful expression of the Gaṇeśa Vrata, also known as Siddhi Vināyaka Vrata, for the attainment of a specific goal or intention. The vrata is a lesser known foundation of the festival itself, its history is rich and varied in our scriptures.
As per śāstra, the vrata is taken up for various reasons, including clearing oneself of false and unjust accusations and charges, recovering lost objects, regaining lost status, or removal of obstacles in an enterprise.
It was the divine Nārada muni who originally prescribed this vrata to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who wished to wipe off the dishonorable charge of stealing the Syāmantaka gemstone. Later on, Śrī Kṛṣṇa also instructed Yudhiṣṭhira to perform this vrata at the time of the Mahābhārata war.
Other than these, the vrata was even effectively followed in the following Aitihāsika and Paurāṇika events:
- The Devas took up this vrata to obtain the amṛtam on the eve of the churning of the milk ocean
- Śrīmatī Damayantī took up this vrata to find her lost husband
- Bhagvān Rāma undertook this vrata to get back Sītādevī
- Indra undertook this vrata to overcome Vṛtrāsura
- Rājā Bhagīratha followed this vrata to bring the celestial Gaṅgājī to Bhūloka
- Both Draupadī devī and Sāmba, son of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, followed this vrata to heal from incurable disease
That such a powerful vrata exists is little known to many of us, though we go through the motions each year and enjoy the beautiful Gaṇeśa processions, dance, food, and grand āratīs. This sādhana is a powerful treasure into which we must again begin tapping into and relying on.
With each passing year, we yearn to know more about the Gaṇeśa utsava. It has become commonplace in all metroplexes across Bhārata, as opposed to just concentrated in one or a few states as it was in the past.
May we continue to learn and understand more about our own festivals, traditions, and iṣṭadevas as the child Devika here did.
May Bappā bestow upon the world all the health and happiness.
References:
- Swami Sivananda on Gaṇeśa | https://www.dlshq.org/religions/Gaṇeśa/