DwarkaMai - Sai Baba Forum
Sai Literature => Sai Thoughts => Topic started by: Dipika on October 04, 2005, 08:56:05 AM
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Ganesha or Vinayaka is popularly known to be a bachelor. The majority of Vinayaka temples in the South portray him in that state. The Vinayaka who is married is more prevalent in Maharashtra.
Many may not know that a small temple in Chennai has the lord in his married state.
The Sree Siddhi Buddhi Samedha Sree Karpaga Vinayaka temple in Rajah Annamalaipuram has become famous for the manifestation of the lord with his consorts.
Tucked away in a quiet residential area, but barely a few minutes from the busy C.P. Ramaswamy road, the temple exudes a unique quiet and calm.
Established in the year 1960, when there were hardly any houses in the locality, the temple has completed over three decades of existence in the Second Cross Road of Rajah Annamalaipuram.
For those who may be intrigued about the marital status of Vinayaka, there are two popular stories.
Lore has it, that "Siddhi" and "Buddhi" were the two maidens who were conceived in the meditation of Brahma.
Lord Brahma requested his son Narada to entreat Lord Vinayaka to marry his daughter. Lord Vinayaka agreed and the marriage was solemnised in a grand fashion with Lord Vishnu attending the wedding as the "Ma pillai thozhan".
The other story goes thus. Lord Vinayaka upon attaining the age for marriage, was asked by his mother goddess Parvathi as to whom he would like to wed?
The Lord answered saying "somebody who is as beautiful and as virtuous as yourself." To which his mother replied,"find yourself such a maiden and I shall wed her to you."
Thereupon it is believed that Lord Vinayaka retreated to tanks, road junctions, river banks where maidens used to congregate. Some believe that Lord Vinayaka’s quest has still not ended.
Getting back to the temple, there are shrines of Lakshmi Narayana, with Sree Devi and Bhoo Devi, Sree Durgambigai, Sree Valli Devasena Samedha Sree Subramanya, the Navagrahas, Sree Anjaneya, Sree Dakshna Murthy and Sree Iyappa.
In the year 1985, the temple celebrated the "Rajatha Mahotsava Laksha Homa" which was attended by the saint of Kanchi, Sree Jayendra Saraswathi, the Shankaracharya of Sringeri.
The temple conducts a number of spiritual activities and classes are conducted for "Vishnu Sahasranama" from time to time.
There is a small hall where devotees can meditate.
The location in a peaceful residential area, the unique sight of the Lord with his consorts, make the Siddhi Buddhi Vinayaka temple, as it is popularly known, a haven of peace.
http://www.chennaionline.com/toursntravel/temple/vinayaka.asp
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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SAIRAM
In the puranas Ganesha or Vinayaka is not a bachelor. :-)
Lord Ganesha's wives name were RIDHI AND SIDHI
SAIRAM
Bow to Sri Sai - Raksha Karo Deva !!!
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http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/ganesha6.html
Shammi dear..............
Ganesha is an eternal brahmachari (celibate). All the gods are, but they "marry" sometimes so that we people on mundane earth will understand. Thus, Ganesha married two beautiful daughters of Brahma the Creator, and they are called "Riddhi" and "Siddhi." The illumined mind and attainment. The energies or powers of God are His wives. And out of these two wives, Ganesha had two children. One is called Kshema. Another is called Labha. Labha means profit, gain of the highest wealth. And Kshema means complete protection of that highest wealth.
http://www.timesofmoney.com/remittance/jsp/w2i_siddhivinayak_marriage.jsp
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh!
Jai Ganesh, jai Ganesh, jai Ganesh deva
Mata jaki Parvati, pita Mahadeva.
Ek dant dayavant, char bhuja dhari
Mathe par tilak sohe, muse ki savari
Pan chadhe, phul chadhe, aur chadhe meva
Ladduan ka bhog lage, sant kare seva.
Jai Ganesh, jai Ganesh, jai Ganesh deva,
Mata jaki Parvati, pita Mahadeva...
Andhan ko ankh det, kodhin ko kaya
Banjhan ko putra det, nirdhan ko maya
Surya shaam sharan aye, safal kije seva.
Jai Ganesh, jai Ganesh, jai Ganesh deva,
Mata jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva...
http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/a/jaiganesh.htm
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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The Lord of Success
The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.
Significance of the Ganesha Form
Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.
The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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How Ganesha Got His Head
The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.
However, there's another less popular story of his origin, found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Shiva asked Parvati to observe the punyaka vrata for a year to appease Vishnu in order to have a son. When a son was born to her, all the gods and goddesses assembled to rejoice on its birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God), was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behaviour, Parvati asked him the reason, and Shani replied that his looking at baby would harm the newborn. However, on Parvati's insistence when Shani eyed the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the gods started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant, and joined it to the baby's body, thus reviving it.
Ganesha, the Destroyer of Pride
Ganesha is also the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. He is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations. "All Hindus worship Ganesha regardless of their sectarian belief," says D N Singh in A Study of Hinduism. "He is both the beginning of the religion and the meeting ground for all Hindus."
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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http://www.sanatansociety.org/indian_music_and_mantras/ganesha_mantra_invocation.htm
The Lord of Wisdom. The son of Ishwara and Parvati, Ganesha saved the gods when they were in trouble and helpless, by killing Talasura and outwitting Ravana. He is also worshipped as the God who grants success.
Author - Sri Ravi
Maharshi Narada has praised Ganesha as follows:
Vidyarthee labhate vidyam Dhanarthee labhate dhanam Putrarthee labhate putram
Moksharthee labhate gatim
'A student acquires education, a man who desires money gains wealth, one who seeks a son gets a son and the aspires of salvation reaches his goal.'
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Ganesha is the deity of suspiciousness. He is adorable not only to man but also to the gods. The word 'Ganesha' means the Lord of Ganas (the army of the gods), the leader of the army of Shiva. That is why he is also called Ganapati and Gananayaka.
His Names
Ganesha is known not by one name or two, but by many names, Each name has an explanation. Because of his elephant face he is called Gajanana ('Gaja' meaning
elephant); as the leader of Shiva's Gana he is known as Gananayaka; he bestows boons on his devotees and so is Varasiddhi Vinayaka, he is Vidya Ganapati because he grants knowledge and wisdom; he is called Gowriputra because he was born by the grace of Parvati, Ekadanta because he has only one tusk, and Vighneshwara because he is the Lord of all obstacles - so he has many names.
The belief that, Ganapati loves his devotees immensely is the reason for his worship everywhere.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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The Boon of Brahma
Once Talasura performed strict tapas because he wished to get boons from Brahma. Brahma appreciated his devotion. He appeared before him and said Talasura, I am pleased with your devotion. You can ask whatever you want." Talasura said, "Lord, grant that I may not be any body." Brahma thought for a while and said, "How can I grant such an absolute boon? You have to fear some species of living beings. Remember this and ask for a boon. There are four species - the gods, human beings, animals and birds. Whom would you fear?"
Talasura thought over the question of Brahma. Then he said to him, "Father, my desire is to ruler over gods and men with pride of power. Therefore I should not have fear of death from them. But let me fear the elephant, the strongest of animals." Brahma granted the boon and disappeared.
Talasura was already a wicked fellow. Once he secured the boon from Brahma his arrogance knew no limits. Indra and the gods were in hiding. He began to search for them and to torture those whom he found.
"Ganesha Can Subdue Him"
One day Devendra, who could no longer bear the torture of Talasura, went to Brahma along with other gods. He explained to him the injustice and wicked deeds of Talasura. He begged Brahma to show a way to destroy Talasura. Brahma said, "Devendra, that wicked asura has grown strong because of my boon. No one can overcome him except an elephant. If you approach Ishwara, he can help you through his son Ganesha. Ganesha can easily subdue that asura as he has the head of an elephant."
Accordingly Devendra went to Kailasa. He explained the havoc caused by Talasura and the suggestion of Brahma.
He prayed, "Lord Parameshwara, please save us from this trouble soon."
Talasura Learns His Lesson
Ishwara was moved at the plight of Indra and other gods. Immediately he called
Ganesha and said, "Ganesha, go at once to the city of Ramanaka and conquer Talasura, the wicked enemy of the gods."
Ganesha was all-powerful and the enemy of the asuras. So, as his father had
commanded, he rushed to Ramanaka. He destroyed all the wealth of Talasura. He
smashed his huge army. He challenged Talasura and waged a fierce fight with him. The great warrior Talasura also fought with great valor. However, he could do nothing
against Ganesha. In the end, Ganesha lifted him bodily in his trunk and dashed him to the ground. The fierce blow made Uasura unconscious, and he vomited blood. When he regained consciousness he saw the angry Ganesha before him, with the shining Parighayudha in his hand. Talasura looked at him for a moment, his eyes filled with fear. Then he remembered that, according to the boon granted by Brahma, his life could be in danger from an elephant. At once his arrogance and strength melted away like butter melting before fire. He caught hold of the feet of the elephant faced Ganesha and begged him for mercy: "Vighneshwara, please excuse me and spare my life."
Ganapati is as kind as he is strong.
He said to Talasura, "Talas you were proud of your strength Brahma's boon. You troubled all. You drove away Indra from the heaven. Only if you are going to learn lesson will I pardon you and let live."
Talasura replied: "Vinayaka, I have done wrong. I will not trouble the gods. You have
taught me a lesson. The pride that I am the strongest has now vanished. Pardon me."
The kind Ganesha forgave him.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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A Terror to the Gods
Ganesha is known as Vighneshwara because the devotees believe that Ganesha roots out obstacles and difficulties. There are many stories, which narrate how he saved even the gods.
Ravana was the king of Lanka. He was very strong. Once there were indications that the gods would suffer at the hands of Ravana.
Ravana was a devotee of Ishwara. Once he performed strict tapas. Pleased with his
tapas Ishwara appeared before him and said, "What boon do you desire?" Ravana begged for Shiva’s Atmalinga (Shiva’s Atmalinga was the reflection of Shiva in the form of the Linga. The presence of this Linga is as good as that of Shiva Himself). It was Ravana’s conviction that nobody could defeat him, once he acquired the very power of Shiva.
Shiva had said, "Ask for whatever boon you choose." Therefore he was bound by his words and had to give away his Atmalinga. He, however, cautioned Ravana: "Don’t put this Atmalinga on the ground even for a moment; once you put it on the ground you cannot get it back." He then disappeared.
The gods trembled to see Shiva’s Atmalinga in the hands of Ravana, who was a menace to the world. Ravana was their bitter enemy; and now, with the Shivalinga itself in his possession, they were in great danger. They were troubled not knowing who could protect them.
Then they remembered Ganesha. They went straight to him and explained to him their troubles. The kind Ganesha consoled them. He put courage into them saying, "I shall not allow Ravana to get Shiva’s Atmalinga Have no fears." The gods went away and Ganesha followed Ravana to carry out his mission.
Ganesha's Victory
Ravana was on his way to Lanka carrying Shiva's Atmalinga in his palms. He came to the west coast. By then it was evening. It was time for Ravana to perform I
sandhyavandana' (the evening prayers). Ravana was in a fix. Ishwara himself had told him that the Linga should not touch the ground. How was he to perform sandhya- vandana, with the Atmalinga in his hands? There was no one in that deserted place that could help him. He stood there, thinking, 'I must perform sandhyavandana. What shall I do?'
Ganesha was following Ravana and was waiting for a chance. He understood Ravana's difficulty. He appeared before him in the guise of a small boy. When Ravana saw him he was as happy as if he had found water in a desert.
Ravana called him and said, "Little boy, will you hold this Linga till I perform sandhya- vandana and return?" Ganesha, in the guise of a boy, said, "It appears to be
very heavy. Please put it on the ground and go."
Ravana said, "No, I cannot do that. It should not be put on the ground. Please keep it in your hands, till I return."
The boy said, "Suppose it becomes too heavy for me?" Ravana spoke softly, "I will
return quickly, my boy. You are a clever fellow, aren't you? Please hold it in your hands, my good boy."
The boy agreed.
Ravana gave him the Atmalinga and said, "Don't forget. This should never be put on the ground." And then he went
Towards the sea to perform sandhya- vandana.
Hardly had Ravana started when Ganesha cried out, "Alas, it's too heavy! Too heavy!"
Ravana was afraid. But, he could not return without completing sandhyavandana. Therefore, he cried out, "Boy, I shall be back soon. Don't put the Linga on the ground whatever may happen." By the time Ravana was offering holy water to the gods Ganesha cried aloud, "Oh, Ravana, I can no longer bear the weight of this Linga; I shall put it down here." So saying Ganesha put the Linga on the ground and ran away. Ravana completed sandhya- vandana in haste and ran back in fear. But Shiva's Atmalinga was firm in the earth. No matter how hard he tried, Ravana could not take it out.
It was not an easy task to prevent Ravana from getting Shiva's Atmalinga. With his
sharp intellect, Ganesha did this difficult task easily.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Ganesha Curses the Moon
One day while travelling round the universe on his rat, Ganesha came to Chandraloka
(the realm of the Moon). The Moon saw him. The Moon, very handsome, was proud of his appearance. On seeing the elephantfaced, big-bellied Ganapati riding on a rat, he- laughed at Ganesha with contempt.
This was an insult and Ganesha was very angry about the Moon. His eyes grew red. He pronounced a curse "Oh Moon, your handsome appearance has made you too vain. Fool, I am worshipped in all the worlds, but you laugh at me. Receive now the fruits of your foolish pride. Let your beauty, which is the cause for your arrogance and ignorance vanishing! From now on, whoever sees you on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada month, the day of my birth, will suffer because of unjust accusations."
The curse shattered the Moon's pride. He realized his mistake, and felt sorry. Standing devotedly with folded hands before Ganesha he prayed to him. "Sir, forgive me and my ignorance. Take back the curse and protect me."
Then the kind Ganesha grew calm. He consoled the unhappy Moon. He said, "Moon, you have realized your fault. What is important is the destruction of your pride. Anyhow, my curse cannot be in vain. But those who are subjected to false accusations will be saved and regain their good name if they see you on the second day of the bright fortnight also or listen to the story of the Syamantaka gem." The Moon was satisfied
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Krishna Himself Worships Vinayaka
The story of the Syamantaka shows how powerful of the curse Ganesha is.
Satrajita of Dwaraka had a gem called Syamantaka. It was dazzling. If it was worshipped with devotion it used to give plenty of gold every day.
Once Prasena, Satrajita's brother, went out hunting. He was wearing the Syamantaka. A - lion killed him and went to a cave, carrying the gem. A bear by name Jambavanta killed the lion and gave the Syamantaka to his child to play with.
This Jambavanta was not an ordinary bear; he was the heroic follower of Shri Rama.
Prasena did not return to Dwaraka. Satrajita suspected that Krishna himself had killed him for the sake of the Syamantaka. The rumor soon spread.
Krishna had not done anything wrong. So when he heard about Satrajita's suspicions he was unhappy. He went in search of Prasena.
He found the corpse of Prasena. There were footprints of a lion nearby. Following these footprints, Krishna entered the cave of Jambavanta. He fought with Jambavanta for twenty-eight days. At last, Jambavanta understood that Shri Krishna was Shri Rama himself. Then he offered him the Syamantaka.
Krishna gave the Syamantaka to Satrajita and put an end to the evil rumors. However, he was surprised at what had happened. "How could such things be said of me even when I had not done anything wrong Great sages told him the story of Ganesha's curse and said, "You saw the Moon on the fourth day."
I Then Krishna worshipped Ganesha. Siddhi-Vinayaka Vrata-the worship of Ganesha-is performed on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada. The devotees believe that those who see the Moon on that day will not suffer, if they listen to the story of the Syamantaka.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Vyasa Dictates to Ganesha
The Mahabharata is a great epic. It is one of the greatest epics in the world. Vyasa is
the author. He was a great inani (one who has realized God) and a Maharshi. The
Mahabharata War was fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Vyasa had seen the Pandavas and the Kauravas from the time of their grandfather and he had helped that clan very often. He knew all about the Mahabharata War.
Vyasa was thinking of dictating the epic, the Mahabharata, to some one. But he wanted some one capable of writing fast and without mistakes. Brahma decided that Ganapati was the only person equal to this great task. He sent Ganapati. He came to Vyasa and said, "Bhagavan, I will take down the story of the Mahabharata." Vyasa said, "My dear Ganesha, I shall dictate the poem quite fast. Can you take down without any mistakes? Ganesha threw a challenge in return: "Bhagavan, I shall write as fast as you dictate and that, correctly. But once you start dictating you should not stop till you complete it. Do you agree?" Vyasa Maharshi accepted the challenge.
After they had come to this agreement, Vyasa went on dictating the story and Ganapati wrote down what he said. So the world got the great epic.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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The Puranas say that the fourth day of the month, known as Chaturthi, is specially Ganesha auspicious for Ganesha worship. It is believed that Ganesha was born on the chaturthi of Bhadra. However every chaturthi is considered auspicious and Ganesha Chaturthi is an important festival in India, especially in Maharashtra.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Ganesha
Baba Sri Siva Speaks:
“Following are 108 powerful mantras of Ganesha to remove obstacles and delays. I want you to take time-out to at least say them once when you receive them. Ganesha is the god who removes obstacles. So to recite this sacred "litany" of ancient Sanskrit names of Divine attributes will invoke this obstacle-removing aspect of the Divine in a powerful way. This recitation is for removing obstacles (physical, emotional, mental, financial, spiritual). I have written elsewhere about how powerful it is to use God's name with sincerity. Send us the feed back.
108 Names of Lord Ganesha (with their meanings)
1. Akhurath (One Who Has a Mouse As His Charioteer)
2. Alampata (Ever Eternal Lord)
3. Amit (Incomparable Lord)
4. Anantachidrupamayam (Infinite and Consciousness-Personified)
5. Avaneesh (Lord of the Whole World)
6. Avighna (Remover of Obstacles)
7. Balaganapati (Beloved and Lovable Child)
8. Bhalchandra (Moon-Crested Lord)
9. Bheema (Huge and Gigantic)
10. Bhupati (Lord of the Gods)
11. Bhuvanpati (God of the Gods)
12. Buddhinath (God of Wisdom)
13. Buddhipriya (Knowledge Bestower)
14. Buddhividhata (God of Knowledge)
15. Chaturbhuj (One Who Has Four Arms)
16. Devadeva (Lord of All Lords)
17. Devantakanashakarin (Destroyer of Evils and Asuras)
18. Devavrata (One Who Accepts All Penances)
19. Devendrashika (Protector of All Gods)
20. Dharmik (One Who Gives Charity)
21. Dhoomravarna (Smoke-Hued Lord)
22. Durja (Invincible Lord)
23. Dvaimatura (One Who Has Two Mothers)
24. Ekaakshara (He of the Single Syllable)
25. Ekadanta (Single-Tusked Lord)
26. Ekadrishta (Single-Tusked Lord)
27. Eshanputra (Lord Shiva's Son)
28. Gadadhara (One Who Has the Mace As His Weapon)
29. Gajakarna (One Who Has Eyes Like An Elephant)
30. Gajanana (Elephant-Faced Lord)
31. Gajananeti (Elephant-Faced Lord)
32. Gajavakra (Trunk of The Elephant)
33. Gajavaktra (One Who Has a Mouth Like An Elephant)
34. Ganadhakshya (Lord of All Ganas [Gods])
35. Ganadhyakshina (Leader of All the Celestial Bodies)
36. Ganapati (Lord of All Ganas [Gods])
37. Gaurisuta (The Son of Gauri [Parvati])
38. Gunina (One Who Is The Master of All Virtues)
39. Haridra (One Who Is Golden Colored)
40. Heramba (Mother's Beloved Son)
41. Kapila (Yellowish-Brown Colored)
42. Kaveesha (Master of Poets)
43. Krti (Lord of Music)
44. Kripalu (Merciful Lord)
45. Krishapingaksha (Yellowish-Brown Eyed)
46. Kshamakaram (The Place of Forgiveness)
47. Kshipra (One Who Is Easy To Appease)
48. Lambakarna (Large-Eared Lord)
49. Lambodara (The Huge Bellied Lord)
50. Mahabala (Enormously Strong Lord)
51. Mahaganapati (Omnipotent and Supreme Lord)
52. Maheshwaram (Lord of the Universe)
53. Mangalamurti (All Auspicious Lord)
54. Manomay (Winner of Hearts)
55. Mrityuanjaya (Conqueror of Death)
56. Mundakarama (Abode of Happiness)
57. Muktidaya (Bestower of Eternal Bliss)
58. Musikvahana (One Who Has a Mouse As Charioteer)
59. Nadapratithishta (One Who Appreciates and Loves Music)
60. Namasthetu (Vanquisher of All Evils and Vices and Sins)
61. Nandana (Lord Shiva's Son)
62. Nideeshwaram (Giver of Wealth and Treasures)
63. Omkara (One Who Has the Form of OM)
64. Pitambara (One Who Has Yellow-Colored Body)
65. Pramoda (Lord of All Abodes)
66. Prathameshwara (First Among All)
67. Purush (The Omnipotent Personality)
68. Rakta (One Who Has Red-Colored Body)
69. Rudrapriya (Beloved Of Lord Shiva)
70. Sarvadevatman (Acceptor of All Celestial Offerings)
71. Sarvasiddhanta (Bestower of Skills and Wisdom)
72. Sarvatman (Protector of the Universe)
73. Shambhavi (The Son of Parvati)
74. Shashivarnam (One Who Has a Moon-like Complexion)
75. Shoorpakarna (Large-Eared Lord)
76. Shuban (All Auspicious Lord)
77. Shubhagunakanan (One Who Is the Master of All Virtues)
78. Shweta (One Who Is As Pure As the Color White)
79. Siddhidhata (Bestower of Success and Accomplishments)
80. Siddhipriya (Bestower of Wishes and Boons)
81. Siddhivinayaka (Bestower of Success)
82. Skandapurvaja (Elder Brother of Skanda [Lord Kartik/Muruga])
83. Sumukha (Auspicious Face)
84. Sureshwaram (Lord of All Lords)
85. Swaroop (Lover of Beauty)
86. Tarun (Ageless)
87. Uddanda (Nemesis of Evils and Vices)
88. Umaputrav (The Son of Goddess Uma [Parvati])
89. Vakratunda (Curved Trunk Lord)
90. Varaganapati (Bestower of Boons)
91. Varaprada (Granter of Wishes and Boons)
92. Varadavinayaka (Bestower of Success)
93. Veeraganapati (Heroic Lord)
94. Vidyavaridhi (God of Wisdom)
95. Vighnahara (Remover of Obstacles)
96. Vignaharta (Demolisher of Obstacles)
97. Vighnaraja (Lord of All Hindrances)
98. Vighnarajendra (Lord of All Obstacles)
99. Vighnavinashanaya (Destroyer of All Obstacles and Impediments)
100. Vigneshwara (Lord of All Obstacles)
101. Vikat (Huge and Gigantic)
102. Vinayaka (Lord of All)
103. Vishwamukha (Master of The Universe)
104. Vishwaraja (King of The World)
105. Yagnakaya (Acceptor of All Sacred and Sacrificial Offerings)
106. Yashaskaram (Bestower of Fame and Fortune)
107. Yashvasin (Beloved and Ever Popular Lord)
108. Yogadhipa (The Lord of Meditation)"
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Ganesha as a brahmachari
While playing, once, Ganesha wounded a cat. When he returned home he found a wound in his Mother's body. He enquired how she got hurt. Mother Parvati replied that this was caused by none other than Ganesha himself! Surprised Ganesha wanted to know when did he hurt her. Parvati explained that She as Divine Power was immanent in all beings. When he wounded the cat she was hurt. Ganesha realised that all women were veritable manifestations of his Mother. He decided not to marry. That's how he remained a brahmachari, a life-long celibate.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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Ganesha has two Siddhis (symbolically represented as wives or consorts): Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). It is widely belived that "Wherever there is Ganesh, there is Success and Prosperity" and "Wherever there is Success and Prosperity there is Ganesh". Which is why Ganesh is belived to be the harbinger of good fortune, and he is invoked first at any ritual or cermony. Whether it is diwali puja, a new house, a new vehicle, or students praying before the exams, or people praying before job interviews, it Ganesha they pray to, because it is belived that he will come to their aid and grant them sucess in thier endeavor.
Ganesha is worshipped as Vinayak (knowledgeable) and Vighneshwer (remover of obstacles). It is belived that he blesses those who meditate upon him. Ganesha, in astrology, is belivied to help people know, what can be achieved and what cannot be.
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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http://www.dhrishticreations.com/files/ganeshtemples.htm
http://www.123ganeshchaturthi.dgreetings.com/legends/
http://www.schoolsahead.com/indianfest/Vinayak.html
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Hinduism/Deities/Ganesha/
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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http://www.dharmakshetra.com/literature/puranas/genesha%20purana.html
http://www.ruthrakali.org.sg/htmlfiles/vinayagar.htm
http://www.cix.co.uk/~ganesh/ganesha.htm
http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/ganesha.htm
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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http://www.khandro.net/animal_elephant_2.htm
http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~hscyja/gods/ganesha.htm
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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The First Prostration
The Lord of Lords -- VinAyaka
There is no other God or divinity in the entire Hindu pantheon who has such a variety of interpretations and such a spectrum of legends as those associated with Lord gaNeSa. He is one of the six major divinities of Hinduism, namely, sUrya, Sakti, vishNu, gaNeSa, subrahmaNya and Siva. However gaNeSa (or gaNapati or vinAyaka or vighnezvara, which are some of the most well known names of this divinity) is the one Divinity who is considered as the primal God of all worship and therefore always invoked at the commencement of any worship. Be it a secular function, a religious ritual, a marriage ceremony, an auspicious undertaking, or any individual or collective enterprise, He is propitiated first in order to have all obstacles removed. For the same purpose we are also beginning this book with our first prostrations to Him. There is no greater authority than gaNapati, the master of all the gaNa’s, namely of all the associates and disciples of Siva. The word gaNa’s also means divine soldiers who constitute the dynamics of divine action or management. Worshippers of other divinities have to worship Him first. But to worship Him one is not obliged to worship any other deity. He is the Lord Special. Therefore He is vinAyaka. (nAyaka means Lord and vi is the prefix denoting viziSTa which means distinguished or special). Everything about Him has an esoteric or philosophical meaning in addition to the mundane legends associated with Him.
In worshipping gaNapati, the devotee cuffs the head with a closed fist five times uttering his five names and prays for the removal of all obstacles. The five names are:
SuklAm-bara-dhara, He who is clad in pure white
vishNu He who pervades everything and everywhere
Sasi-varNa, He who is of the cool colour of the moon
catur-bhuja, He who has four hands
prasanna-vadana, He whose face is always beaming with
satisfaction.
The corresponding Sloka that is often uttered at the beginning of every worship or ritual is:
SuklAmbara-dharaM vishNuM SaSi-varNaM catur-bhujaM /
prasanna-vadanaM dhyAyet sarva-vighnopaSAntaye //
The deity is invoked here for meditation and reverence, through His five names. The obvious purpose is explicitly stated: ‘in order to quell every form of an obstacle (for the work to be started)’. He Himself is the Lord of all obstacles, therefore He is vighna-ISvara (=vighneSvara); not just the queller of obstacles as the above invocation would motivate us to conclude – for in that case His name would have been vighna-ghna-ISvara. So His name signifies He is at the same time the creator of obstacles and also the remover of them. He creates obstacles in order that people may shed their egoism (ahaM-kAra) and think of God with humility. People have to surrender their ego to Him with humility and he takes this offering of our ego, converts it into a mouse and neutralises it by sitting over it. When one thinks of Him thus with humility, He removes the obstacles to success and gives us siddhi – success or fulfillment, and buddhi – intelligence. The goddesses siddhi and buddhi are in fact the names of His two energy-consorts.
The four hands and the one trunk of this elephant-faced deity have esoteric significance. The upper left hand (with or without the noose) stands for Creation (or binding power). The binding power is what binds Matter and Spirit and is therefore the source of all this universe including all the living. The lower right hand (with or without the broken tusk) stands for Sustenance and Protection. He thus gives abhaya, Fearlessness. The upper right hand (with or without the hatchet) stands for Dissolution. The lower left hand with modaka or laddu (the standard sweet dish which is always associated with Him) stands for Grace. It gives Liberation (from the cycle of births and deaths). The trunk of the deity is His organ of smell and touch; it stands for Obliteration or Deception (mAyA).
The deity vinAyaka is the embodiment of oM, the symbol for the Absolute. With His right tusk broken, he represents the female principle by his right half and the male principle by his left half. So He represents the Transcendental Absolute which is beyond any sexual principle. By His animal face and human limbs He signifies that He is beyond Man and Animal. The Absolute is also the Overlord of all the senses and their activates – as signified by the fact that He is gaNa-pati . The word gaNa also means ‘category’. So gaNa-pati is the Lord of comprehension or consciousness. Though He holds the modaka (sweet dish) in His hand, his trunk is never shown as putting the modaka in His mouth. He just holds them. He watches. He is the Witness ( = sAkshi ) to everything. He does not Himself consume or experience. He is the Witness of Consciousness in each one of us. He is the symbol of the Primordial Power of Consciousness.
His elephant-head is adored as the emblem of wisdom. The elephant-headed God is sitting on a mouse, the smallest of animals – showing His mastery over everything from the micro to the macro. He is therefore the wisdom of comprehension of the relationship between the micro and the macro. The whole figure of vinAyaka with the sweet dish in His hand and with His pot-belly infuses an utter contentment typifying wisdom. It is the spiritual contentment of the fullness of the Absolute. The pot-belly also signifies that the entire universe is within Him. It is this contentment that makes Him dance sometimes. There are innumerable images and artistic representations of dancing gaNa-pati.
The gaNapati Upanishad, from the atharva-veda has elaborate discourses on the glories of the divinity that is gaNapati. One such is :
All this universe springs from you, merges in you and everything goes back to you. You are Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Space. You transcend the three guNa’s – satva, rajas and tamas. You are beyond the three bodies – physical, subtle and causal. You are beyond the three states of Time – past, present and future. You are Brahma, vishNu, indra, agni, vAyu, Sun and Moon. You are the three vyAhRti’s and finally you are brahman itself symbolised by oM
sarvam jagad-idaM tvatto jAyate, tvattas-tishTati, tvayi layaM eshyati, tvayi pratyeti / tvam bhUmi-rApo-nalo’nilo-nabhaH / tvaM guNa-trayA-tItaH / tvaM deha-trayA-tItaH / tvaM kAla-trayAtItaH / tvam Brahma tvam vishNuH tvamindras-tvam-agnis-tvam vAyus-tvaM sUryas-tvaM candramAs-tvaM Brahma bhUr-bhuvas-suvar-oM //
subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
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Ganesha Mantra
Chant this Mantra for Success
Vakrtund Mahakaya Surya Koti Samaprabha |
Nirbhignam Kurumedaya Sarva Karyashu Sarvada |
http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-ganeshamantra.htm
ALLAH MALIK!
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
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Ganesha Mantra
Chant this Mantra for Success
Vakrtund Mahakaya Surya Koti Samaprabha |
Nirbhignam Kurumedaya Sarva Karyashu Sarvada |
http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-ganeshamantra.htm
ALLAH MALIK!
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM