While the huge procession culture for Ganesh Chaturthi is quite a newer tradition nurtured first by Marathas and later by Sri Lokamanya Tilak and others, our main objective for this small article will be bringing together some interesting mentions of Bhagavan Ganapati in scriptures as well as writings of some other authors as supplements for those interested.
Would like to clarify that this article, that attempts to bring out the sweet essence from our vedas and shastras, is intended in the praise of Bhagavan Ganapati and for satisfying the intellectual curiosity of readers keen to learn more about Him, on this auspicious occasion. The content must not be used for the purpose of recitation or sadhana, in adhering to adhikara and respecting tradition. As one who has attempted this humble effort, I seek forgiveness of Bhagavan Ganapati, for mistakes arising out of my ignorance.
Ganapati is one of the five main deities (panchadevatas) in the advaita tradition and the shuddha brahma paraatpara deity [pure ultimate reality] according to the tradition of the Ganapatyas.
The earlier mentions of Himself in Rigveda portray himself as “Brahmanaspati” – which only could have been taken as mode of worship for Ganesha.
The famous mantra from Rigveda
gaNAnAM tvA gaNapatiM havAmahe kaviM kavinAm upamashravastamam |
jyeShTharAjaM brahmaNAM brahmaNas pata A naH shR^iNavann UtibhiH sId sAdanaM ||
Among the Ganas (divine beings), to You Who are the Ganapati (Lord of those ganas), we offer our sacrificial oblations.
The above mentions Him as the lord of brahmins, master of the mantras [brahmanaspati], chief of the gana-s [Ganapati].
Other mention of Him in the Rigveda 10.112.9 addresses him as Lord Indra –
ni su sIda gaNapate gaNeShu tvAm Ahur vipratamaM kavInAM |
na R^ite tvat kriyate kiM canAre mahAm arkam maghavan citram arca ||
First few words of this nichrittirishtupa [Nichruttrishtup is a unique meter where the syllables and accents follow a descending pattern, creating a distinctive rhythm] invoke him to sit down in the company of worshippers, calling him the lord of Maruts (vedic gods) and most sage among the sages, while the later addresses him as Maaghavan [Indra] and reads – ‘…make war (for us), you warrior endowed with real strength, give us a share in the undivided riches’.
Ganesha as shuddha-brahma [pure-God] :
In certain vedagamika and Ganapatya scriptures, Ganesha is the ultimate pure reality [shuddha-brahma-paratpara-ganesha].
[1] Brahmanda purana – The Lore of Lambodara
pramathAnAM gaNA ye ca nAnArUpA mahAbalaH| teShAmIshastvayaM yasmAdgaNeshsten kIrttitaH|| ||2.42.33||
bhUtAni ca bhviShyANi varttamAnAni yAni ca| brahmANDAnyakhilAnyeva yasmiMllaMbodaraH sa tu|| ||2.42.34||
There are groups of pramatha-s (Gana-s of Lord Shiva) who are very strong and have various forms and sizes, since he is the lord of those groups he is glorified as Ganesha. All the universes of past, present and future are in Him. Hence he is called lambodara – one with a large belly.
[2] Brahma Vaivarta purana –
Ganapati khanda in the Brahma-Vaivarta purana depicts him as Brahma, as Vishnu prays to him and sings his glory. Some parts of it are as follows:
Vishnuruvaca:
isha tvAM stotumiChAmi brahmajyotiH sanAtanaM |
naiva varNayituM shakto’smayanurUpamanIhakam|| ||43||pravaraM sarvadevAnAM siddhAnAM yoginAM gurUM|
sarvaswarUpaM sarveshaM j~nAnarAshisvarupiNaM|| ||44||avyaktamakSharaM nityaM satyamAtmaswarupiNaM|
vAyutulyaM ca nirliptaM cAkShataM sarvasAkShinaM|| ||45||saMsArArNavapAre ca mAyApate sudurlabhe|
karNadhAraswarUpaM ca bhaktAnugrahkArakam|| ||46||
Lord Vishnu says – “O lord! I intend to offer prayers to you. You happen to be an eternal flame and eternal also. Therefore I can not spell out from glory because you are beyond desire”.
He continues – “You’re the best of all the gods, teacher of all the siddhas and the yogis, the form of everything, the lord of everything, the ocean of knowledge, invisible, indestructible, eternal, truthful, form of self, unattached like the wind, the witness for all and the ship for crossing the ocean of universe. Being a divine sailor, you bestow your compassion on your devotees.
Later in same text:
na kShamaH pa~Ncavaktrasca na kSHamascaturAnanaH |
sarasvatI na shaktA ca na shakto’haM tava stutau || ||52||
na shaktAsca chaturavedAH ke vA te vedavAdinaH || ||53||
Similarly Shiva with five faces, Brahma with four faces, Saraswati and myself cannot sing your glory. Even the four veda-s are unable to do so, what to even speak of those well versed in vedas.
[3] Ganesh stvah from the Ganesha purana upasana khanda –
A set of 13 verses dedicated to Ganesha: who is the Parabrahman. 9/13
Verses are provided here –
ajaM nirvikalpaM nirAkAramekaM nirAnandamAnandamadvaitapUrNam |
paraM nirguNaM nirviSheshaM nirIhaM parabrahmarUpam gaNeshaM bhajema ||
Unborn, without duality, formless, one, beyond happiness, full of bliss.
Let us worship Lord Ganesha who is easily obtainable, desireless and a form of the Supreme. {1}
guNAtItamAnaM cidAnandarUpaM cidAbhAsakaM sarvagaM j~nAnagamyam |
munidhyeyamAkAsharUpaM pareshaM parabrahmarUpaM gaNeshaM bhajema ||
He is transcendental to the modes of nature and is the form of pure consciousness, bliss. One who can be approached through the knowledge, meditated upon by the sages. We worship Lord Ganesha, who is the Supreme Lord in the form of the sky and who is the supreme absolute truth. {2}
jagatkAraNaM kAraNaj~nAnarUpaM surAdiM shukhAdiM guNesham gaNesham |
jagadvayApinaM vishwavandyaM sureshaM parabrahmarUpaM gaNesha bhajem ||
He is the cause of the universe, the form of knowledge, the Lord of the modes of nature, primal happiness, Lord of qualities.We worship Lord Ganesha, who pervades the entire universe and is worshiped by all the other gods and he is the one who symbolizes the absolute brahman. {3}
rajo yogato brahmarUpaM shrutij~naM sadA kAryasaktaM hR^idA’chintyarUpam |
jagatkAraNaM sarvavidyANidAnaM parabrahmarUpaM gaNeshaM natAH smaH ||
Beyond the passion, knower of the vedas, the form which is inconceivable by the heart, the supreme personality of godhead and the absolute truth.We offer our obeisances to Lord Ganesha, the cause of the universe and the cause and sustainer of all knowledge. {4}
sadA satyayogyaM mudA kriDamAnaM surArIharantaM jagatpAlayantam|
anekAvatAraM nijajn~AnahAraM sadA vishwarUpaM gaNeshaM namAmaH ||
He is the manifestation of truth and bliss, destroys the enemies of the gods and rules the universe. We offer our obeisances to Lord Ganesha, who takes many incarnations and carries the supreme knowledge and who is always the form of the universe. {5}
tamoyoginaM rudrarUpaM trinetraM jagaddhArakaM tArakaM j~nAnahetum |
anekAgamaiH svaM janaM bodhayantaM sadA sarvarUpaM gaNeshaM namAmaH ||
He is the controller of tamas, the form of Lord Shiva, the three-eyed lord, the sustainer and the destroyer of the universe.We offer our obeisances to Lord Ganesha in all his forms who always enlightens his people through the supreme knowledge. {6}
tamasstomahAraM janAj~nAnahAraM tR^ayIvedasAraM parabrahmasAram |
munij~nAnakAraM vidUrevikAraM sadA brahmarUpaM gaNeshaM namAmah ||
He destroys the darkness of the tamas and destroys the ignorance of the people. We offer our obeisances to Lord Ganesha who is the essence of three vedas, source of knowledge for the sages, the knowledgeable one who remains still and who is always in the form of the supreme absolute truth. {7}
nijairoShadhIstarpayantaM karAdyaiH suraudyAnkakalAbhiH sudhAstraviNIbhiH |
dineshAMshusantApahAraM dwijeshaM shashAMkaswarUpaM gaNeshaM namAmaH ||
He makes gods happy by the tarpana of streams of nectar. We offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Ganesha, who relieves all distress of plants by the rays of the sun, one who is of the form of moon and who is the lord of the brahmana-s{8}
prakAshaswarUpaM namo vAyurUpaM vikArAdihetuM kalAdhArarUpam |
anekakriyAnekashaktiswarUpaM sadA shaktirUpaM gaNeshaM namAmaH ||
One who is the form of light, the form of air, the cause for changes, and the form of the basis of art. We offer our obeisances to Lord Ganesha, who is the embodiment of many activities and strength itself. {9}
[4] Atharvashirsham:
Sings the glory of Ganapati as the Parabrahman. We will explore first few stanzas of this masterpiece:
OM namaste gaNapataye |
tvameva pratyakShaM tattvamasi|
tvameva kevalaM karttA’si|
tvameva kevalaM dharttA’si|
tvameva kevalaM harttA’si|
tvameva sarvaM khalvidaM brahmAsi|
tvaM sAkShAdAtmA’si nityam|
I offer salutation to Ganapati.
You are apparently the prime principle.
You are evidently the creator and the sustainer.
You are the unconcealed destroyer.
You are evidently the absolute Brahman.
You are ocularly the eternal self.
R^taM vacmi|
satyaM vacmi| [2]
Always speak amrita,
Speak the truth.
ava tvaM mAm।
ava vaktAram।
ava shrotAram।
ava dAtAram।
ava dhAtāram।
avAnUcAnamava shiShyam।
ava pashcAttAt।
ava purastAt।
avottarAttAt।
ava dakShiNAttAt।
ava cordhvAttAt।
avAdharAttAt।
sarvato mAM pAhi pAhi samantAt॥3॥
Protect me.
Protect the one chanting.
Protect the listener.
Protect the giver.
Protect the sustainer.
Protect the guru.
Protect the shishya.
Protect from the behind.
Protect from the front.
Protect from the north.
Protect from the south.
Protect from above.
Protect from below.
Protect me from all the sides.
tvaM vANmayastvaM cinmayaH।
tvamAnandamayastvaM brahmamayaH।
tvaM saccidAnandA’dvitIyo’si।
tvaM pratyakShaM brahmAsi।
tvaM j~nAnamayo vij~nAnamayo’si॥4॥
You are the nature of the words.
You are the nature of bliss.
You are the nature of the Brahman.
You are none other than the sat-chit-Ananda [pure-consciousness-bliss] itself.
You are the only one [with no image/parallel].
You are evidently Brahman.
You are the nature of gyana/jnana[referring to para jnana/gyana: one beyond the world, the knowledge of brahman] and you are science itself.
sarvaM jagadidaM tvatto jAyate ।
sarvaM jagadidaM tvattastiShThati।
sarvaM jagadidaM tvayi layameShyati।
sarvaM jagadidaM tvayi pratyeti।
tvaM bhUmirApo’nalo’nilo nabhaH।
tvaM catvAri vAk padAni॥5॥
All this world came into being from you.
All this world is sustained/nurtured by you.
This entire world finally merges in you. +
This entire world is seen in you.
You are the pancha tattvas (five elements) – earth, water, wind, fire, and space.
You are the four types of speech.*
Note: *Respectively – 1-vaikar : spoken verbally by mouth and tongue, 2-madhyama : judging or thinking before speaking, 3-pashyanti :“apparently visible”, 4-para : which is beyond the imagination of human-mind and is directly materialized from the pure consciousness bliss itself.
Recommended reads:
[1] A must read featuring Jagadguru Sringeri Shankaracharya – An interesting story about mahaganapati by kamakotimandali
[2] Kalyana ganesha anka for those interested in specific sadhana-s.
[3] Ganapati -the god – @/blog_supplement, mAnasa taraMgiNi
[4] Lost vainayaka ritual – @/blog_supplement, mAnasa taraMgiNi
[5] Listen to the melodious and correct recitation of Atharvashirsham along with its translation by The Ghanpati Late Shri K Suresh and his team