Page 1 - september 2018

Invoke Ganesha –

Destroy Egotism

SWAMI SWAROOPANANDA

he first deity to be the followers of Lord Siva.
T worshipped in Hinduism is According to Pauranic lore,
Shri Ganesha. Before under- Ganesha is the leader of all these
taking any auspicious activity, demigods. In fact, the word
He is invoked as Vighna- ‘gaëa’ comes from the root ‘gaë’,
vinayaka, the remover of all which means ‘to count’ or ‘to
obstacles and difficulties. Even measure.’ Ganesha is the Lord
when the main püjä is done for of this entire universe, which is
one of the other deities, first Shri measurable in time and finite in
Ganesha is invoked so that the nature, but He remains ever in
worship may be done without His own infinite nature.
any kind of hindrance. One of the most famous
The very form of Ganesha is stories about Ganesha’s mani-
fascinating. The Vedas point out festation is related to Parvati,
that He is Oìkara-svarüpa, and Siva’s consort. Parvati had only
surely enough, Om, the indi- two female attendants, in
cator of the Supreme Reality, contrast to Siva’s countless
can be easily discerned in the gaëas. So Mother Parvati
form of Ganesha. decided to create a being who
Let us see the meaning of the would be totally and exclusively
name Ganesha. ‘Éça’ means loyal to Her. She moulded her
Lord, and ‘gaëa’ refers to the sandal-paste in the form of a
innumerable demigods who are beautiful boy and then breathed

Be a flute in His hands. Let His
CHINMAYA MISSION
love protect us on our path,
COIMBATORE lend us help when we falter,
(All Wings of Chinmaya Mission, and add joy when we feel tired
CIRS, Chinmaya Gardens & and exhausted on the path
Chinmaya Vidyalayas – Coimbatore)
divine.
Swami Chinmayananda

Tapovan Prasad 12 September 2018