Ganesha Vaibhavam

gajarUpa dharam dEvam | SaSivarnam chaturbhujam ||

(gaNesa pUrva tApinI upanishat)
Ganesha, Gajanana, Vinayaka, Vighnaraja are the names of gaNapati. He is the praNava swarUpa and
Lord of all gaNams (groups - all the lokas, all maha mantras, knowledge, sadhanas, family, friends,
people-none is it which doesnt fall under the name gaNam in this Universe!). gaNapati mantra-
Gananaantvam Ganapathyis in all the four vedas. gaNapati is in mUlAdhAra chakram and sadhakas
always start their spiritual journey from here. So Ganapati is the Prime lord for the base (Earth) and
gives Ananda and the eternal bliss. He is the lord of the visible and non visible worlds. He can be
attained only when you tie him to a post called bhakti with a rope called love. G symbolizes the curved
trunk; GA symbolizes the ekadanta tattva (one tusked form); GAM is a complete bijakshara which
reminds the form of Ganapathy. He is Akshara Parabrahma, Omkara swarupa, Paramatma swarupa.
The glory of gaNesha has been elaborately presented in a number of vedic scriptures. Brahma Vaivarta
(Ganapati Khandam), Siva, SkAnda (Ganapati Khandam) puranas, gaNapati upa puranam, Mudgala
Puranam, Ganesha Upanishat and Agama SAstras to name a few.
As per SkAnda Purana, Lord Brahma was having trouble creating this universe and prayed ParamAtma
for help. During His meditation, Lord Brahma saw the praNavAkAra (Omkara) becoming an outsplendor
and took a brilliant shape with gaja mukha(Elephants face) for the first time. As per Ganesha Atharva
Seersha Upanishat, Avirbhutam cha shrushtyadou prakrute purushatparam. There are several birth
legends for Ganapati indicating that He born several times since the beginning of the of this universe.
One commonality in all the birth stories is that gaNapati born to Siva and Sakti . Thus Ganesha has two
parts one His body (formed from prakruti) and the other is His head (from purusha ).
Outwardly Ganesha is vakra tunda mahAkAya, but Ganesha removes vakras(twists) or vighnas(obstacles)
by nature. Thus as tApini upanishat says, brahma vishNvAdi gaNanAm ISa bhUta mitvAh, tat gaNapati
meaning brahma, vishnu or Iswara and their ganAs look towards gaNapati to remove any troubles in
their paths. Also Brahma Vaivarta puranam says
Eka Sabdaha pradhAnArthO | dantaScha balavAchakaha || balam sarvasvam tasmAt |Eka danta
mupASmahE ||
vishnu tatvam in gaNapati is beautifully presented in bhArgava upa puranam. Once Parvati decided to
celebrate Ganeshas birthday in Kailasam in an elaborate way. All celestials arrived. Lord Vishnu who
usually attends the events like this, decided to send one of his most important pArshva ganAs in
VaikunTham. Ganesha enjoyed his birthday celebrations and got tired. He left for his place in Kailasa for
taking rest even while all deva, dAnava ganAs stated eating and leaving kailasam. This primary guest
from vaikunTham came to Parvati and thanked for the invitation and presented his pleasantries and said
he wont be able to eat food, as he has a practice to take food only after taking darshan of his Lord
Vishnu. Then Parvati agreed to it and asked him to see Ganesha before leaving Kailasam. He then went
to see gaNapati at his resting location. To his surprise he saw gaNapati looking like Lord Vishnu having
Sankhu, chakra, gadA and Padma in His hands . He then went to Parvati and said he would eat food
then and there before leaving for vaikunTmam. namO Vishnu gaNapatayE namaha.
As per gaNapati atharva Seersham, Omkara which is made out of akAra, UkAra, mkAra, bindu answara
rupas is Ganesha svarupa.
gakArah PUrvarOpam | AakarO madhyamarUpam | anuswAraschyAntyarUpam | binduruttara
rUpam | Nadah sandhAnam | sagumhita sandhihi | saisha gaNeSa vidhya |
Sapta koti (7-crore) veda maha mantras are considered to be gaNas and Om (AUM) is the chief of
these gaNas . Thus gaNapati being praNavaswarUpa, is the Lord of all Veda mantras. Also Lord
gaNapati holds the root (namely mUlAdhAra) of all the yogic centers of the human body.
twam guNatrayAtItaha | twam dehatrayAtItaha | twam kAlatrayAtItaha | twam mUlAdhArasthitOsi
nityam |
mUlAdhAra is one of the fundamental centers in receiving the initial vibrations of nada called para
from the sahasrAra chakra spandana or chaitanya.
There is a nice meaning for ganEsa. gaNyantE samkhyAyamtE iti gaNaha - meaning those which can
be counted by time are ganAs and the one who is above for any count by time is pati.
gaNapati atharva Seersham says twamEva kEvalam kartAsi | twamEva kEvalam dhartAsi |
twameva kEvalam hartAsi | twamEva sarvam khAlvidam brahmAsi | twam sAkashAdAtmAsi
nityam |, uniting gaNesha tatvam to the three brahmanda kriyas and Atma tatvam.
twam Brahmastvam, twam Vishnustvam Rudrastvam Indrastvam agnistvam vayastvam
suryastvam chandramastvam brahmabhurbhurvaswarome
gaNapati is Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Sun, Moon, Earth and ohm, a sampurna
swarUpa.