from form to the formless: awakening the ganesh...

Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas, Punjab

Ganesh Chaturthi Version : 1.0

Prepared By: Prachi A Mahajan

From form to the formless: awakening the Ganesh Tatwa

Ganesha denotes the master of all senses, mind and intellect. That is the all-pervading, antaryamin.

‘Gananam patih eeti Ganapatih’

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the day on which Lord Ganesha isbelieved to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. Ganesha, theelephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvathi, is worshipped as the supremegod of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Though it is celebrated as thebirthday of Lord Ganesha, the symbolism behind the festival is muchdeeper. The essence of Ganesha is brought out beautifully by Adi Shankara.Though Ganesha is worshiped as the elephant-headed God, the form(swaroop) is just to bring out its Parabrahma Roopa. Ganesha is describedas

“Ajam Nirvikalpam Niraakaaramekam”

Copyright. SSSBV Punjab


This means that Ganesha is never born. He is Ajam (unborn), he isNiraakaar (formless) and he is Nirvikalpa (attribute less). Ganeshasymbolizes the consciousness which is omnipresent. Ganesha is the sameenergy which is the reason for this universe, from which everything ismanifested and it's the same energy in which the whole world will bedissolved. Ganesha is not somewhere outside of us, but the very center ofour life. But this is very subtle knowledge. Not everybody can perceive theformless without the form. Our ancient Rishis and Munis knew this; so theycreated the form for the benefit and understanding of people at all levels.Those who can't experience of the formless, over a period of sustainedexperience of manifested form reach the formless Brahman. To enlighten usof that formless Supreme Brahman the sages and god have composedmany a divine plays.

Lord Shiva had gone out. The Goddess Parvathi, by her yogic power, createda boy out of the mud of Her Body and placed Him at the entrance of thehouse. She told Him not to allow anyone to enter, while she went inside for abath. Lord Shiva came back and wanted to go in. The boy stopped Him andsaid, “You cannot go inside.” With His trident, Lord Shiva beheaded theboy and went in. Then Goddess Parvathi told Him about having created theboy. Lord Shiva said, “Ok! He is your mental child. I too will display the powerof My will.” Lord Shiva ordered His servants to cut off and bring to Him thehead of any creature that might be sleeping with its head facing north. Theybrought the head of an elephant and Lord Shiva joined it onto the body ofGanesha. What a great feat of surgery! People talk so highly of plasticsurgery of nose and organ transplant. See the great surgeon Lord Shiva. Hemade a head transplant! And this surgery played an instrumental role inteaching many things to the people. So in reality, Ganesha is formless; yetthere is a form to which Adi Shankara prayed and that form carries themessage of the formlessness of Ganesha. Thus, the form serves as thestarting point and gradually the formless consciousness begins to manifest.

Ganesh Chaturthi marks a unique art of reaching formlessParamatma called Lord Ganesh by repeated worship of the manifestform of Ganesha.

Lord Ganapati has very large ears like winnowing basket. The large earsgive us the lesson that the family-head should be keen in mind. Theelephant’s large ears are symbolic of a winnowing basket that separatesgrains from pebbles, chaff etc. They teach us that one should winnow out theunnecessary things and keep the essence of whatever one hears. Don’t takeall you hear for truth or untruth. Just keep the essence of it. Lord Ganapati’sphysical form imparts this teaching to us. Lord Ganesha has a long trunk.He smells things from long distance. Likewise, the head of the family should



be able to smell the activities of others before they cause seriousconsequences. The eyes of an elephant are smaller than other organs. Yethe can pick up even a needle. Similarly, the head of the family or thecommunity should have a keen insight. He should speak and act withcircumspection weighing all probable consequences of his words and acts.He should be careful what to speak and when to speak. His decisions shouldbe well considered ones. Lord Ganapati rides a mouse. How would such ahuge Lord Ganapati ride a mouse? It teaches that one should keep evensmallest person as his attendant. Big person will not be able to gatherinformation from all places. The small person can enter any place like amouse, and bring the secret information to you. Similarly, take help fromeven the smallest of men and gather information and spread your messagefar and wide. It is not that Lord Ganapati rides the mouse and goes fromplace to place. This is a symbolic message telling how to enter thespiritual world.

The ritual of immersing (visarjan) the idols after few days of worshipreinforces the understanding that God is not in the idol, it's inside us. Soexperiencing the omnipresent in the form and deriving joy out of the form isthe essence of the Ganesha Chaturthi festival. In a way such organizedfestivity and worships lead to an upsurge in enthusiasm and devotion. Wemake clay idol of Lord Ganapati, worship it for a few days and then a farewellis bidden to the Deity by dipping it in water. We first give a form to theformless God; then we immerse that form too in the water. Yet it gives ussomething, when we celebrate the festival with dancing and singing withdevotional love. Dancing on rock and pop music too gives something – itgives irritability and depletion of life energy. But dancing in the name of LordGanapati gives us insights – listen to all, but retain only what is useful; smellthings from far off; take help from the smallest of men to carry out yourdivine works. Bidding farewell to Ganesha suggests us to bid farewell toegotism, sense of reality in the physical forms, and attachment and aversion.Don’t grieve over the past. Let bygones be bygones. Do not be upset withloss of ever-changing things. Have no fear of the tomorrow. Live in presentwithout being overwhelmed by egotism and ignorance.

Ganesha is the lord of all the good qualities in us. So when we worshiphim, all the good qualities will blossom in us. He is also the lord of knowledgeand wisdom. Knowledge dawns only when we become aware of the Self.When there is inertia, there is no knowledge, no wisdom, nor is there anyliveliness (Chaitanya) or progress in life. So the consciousness has to beawakened and the presiding deity of consciousness is Ganesha. That's whybefore every puja, the Lord Ganesha is worshiped to awaken theconsciousness.



Therefore, install the idol, worship it with infinite love, meditateand experience Lord Ganesha from within. This is the symbolicessence of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, to awaken the Ganeshatatva which is masked inside us.


from form to the formless: awakening the ganesh...

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