There are repeated queries regarding the upAsanA of ucChiShTa mahAgaNapati and w

e have already responded to the extent we think is permissible on a public forum

. There was one recent query on the relation between this form of gaNapati and s
arasvatI.
It is said that the mUla virAT signifying the supreme kAmakalA and devoid of nam
es and forms, known as brahma vastu (or as svAnandesha by the gANapatya-s), mani
fests as saguNa-brahman named guNesha and from him originate the personification
s of guNas: brahmA, viShNu and rudra. ucChiShTa gaNapati represents a mUrti whic
h encompasses in himself both these aspects - saguNa and nirguNa. Thus, the gANa
patyas describe the origin of ucChiShTa gaNapati from guNeshvara while the shAkt
a visualization of this form is simply the same as shrI lalitAmbikA and kAmeshva
ra. The gaNas of which he is the pati represent the limitless vidyA-vrttis which
aid the upAsaka in overcoming various vighnas that hinder Atma-vichAra. The sam
e is stated in the yAmaLa:
utkR^iShTAshchApi shiShTAshcha praLaye nAshavarjitAH |
gaNA ucChiShTasaMjnADhyAsteShAM cha patirIshvaraH |
ucChiShTagaNapashcheti guNeshasambhavaH smR^itaH ||
A similar explanation can be seen in the rahasya-hR^idaya of this special form:
utkR^iShTAH j~nAninaH siddhAH kAraNabrahmalokagAH |
praLaye nAsharahitAH shiShTAste yogapAragAH |
ucChiShTAshcheti kathitAH teShAM cha pataye namaH ||
He is said to have chosen as his shakti sarasvatI, the daughter of brahmA and sh
AradA and puShTi-lakShmIH, the daughter of mahAviShNu and ramA:
sarasvatIM brahmaputrIM puShTilakShmIM hareH sutAm |
jagrAha vidhipUrvaM tu devocChiShTagaNAdhipaH ||
This simple story which is representative of the gANapatya view should be suffic
ient to dispel confusion in the minds of beginners; further on, direct upAsanA i
s the only way to understand the true essence of this mUrti and his shakti. It s
hould however be understood that there are various aspects of this gaNapati as a
lso of his shakti. The tantras and purANas describe various accounts of ucChiShT
a gaNapati:
- As the adhipati of chidAkAsha or parachidvyoma, he is stationed in chintAmaNi
dvIpa as shabda-brahma mUrti, united with his shakti like shabda and artha.
- Incarnated as the son of shrI mahAtripurasundarI from chidagnikuNDa and is sta
tioned on a rakta-padma in amR^itAbdhi. This form was worshipped by mahAvidyA bh
uvaneshvarI.
- He is stationed in the loka of kubera along with his shakti ucChiShTa-chANDAli
nI or madhumatI, engaged in surata-krIDA. It is this form which is worshipped th
rough vAmAchAra with peculiarities such as ucChiShTa japa etc.
- He is accompanied by mahAvidyA nIlasarasvatI or tArA as his shakti in his own
loka; this mahAvidyA not only accomplishes paravidyA-stambhana, sabhA-jaya etc.
but also illuminates in one svAtmavidyA.
- His shakti mahAsarasvatI represents the mAyA shakti of buddhi-devI who is the
jananI of brahma-patnI sarasvatI.
- He appears in twenty-eight forms in different varNas with a different shakti i
n each of these forms such as mohinI, yoginI, mahAvANI, puShTiH, sanjIvinI, vain
AyakI etc. The AchAra or mode of worship of each of these forms are different.
The importance given to this form of gaNesha among the sixteen chief forms - be
it in the gopura of shrIkAmAkShI at kAnchI, the shrine of tyAgarAja at kamalAlay
a or the shrine of kamalAmbikA, the shrines of chidambareshvara or of jagannAtha
at purI and pashupatinAtha at nepALa - speaks a lot.

Moreover, who does not like easy benefits in the current age?
alpAyAsairvinA kaShTairjapamAtreNa siddhidaH |
gurusantuShTimAtreNa kalau pratyakShasiddhidaH ||