गणेश चतुर्थी

GANESH

On the auspicious day of Ganesh chaut I want to give a brief introduction of lord Ganesha. It is celebrated on Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthee. This year, it is on Thursday, September 17. The festival is celebrated in the honour of the elephant headed god. The story, how the lord got elephant head is very interesting. Maa Parvati, the wife of lord Shiva, made the shape of a child of sandal wood paste and put life in it. She ordered the child not to allow anybody to enter while she was taking bath. In the meantime lord Shiva came. The child stopped him. He became angry. The child started to fight. In the heated mood he severed the head of the child. In the mean time Maa came out. She saw the scene and started to weep. She became too much enraged. Shiva promised to make the child alive. Devas (gods) were ordered to bring the head of a person whose head might be towards north and opposite to his mother. They found only an elephant child in the position and chopped its head. Shiva fixed the head on the child’s body, gave life and named the child Ganesha (gan+isha= lord of Ganas).

                                                         Ganesha is god of wisdom, knowledge and new beginnings. He is also Lambodar (lamba+udar= long belly). His mount (vahana) is mouse. We should not be confused seeing the big size and weight of the lord and so small size of his mount mouse. The mouse may be of bigger size to take the load of the rider.

                                 He is first worshipped on every festival due to his intellect and vghna harta (remover of troubles). Once the question about who should be first worshipped arose. It was decided that the person who came first in the race to go round the universe would be worshipped first. All gods took part in the race on their faster mounts. Ganesh sat on the mouse and did three pradakshina (moved around three times) of his parents. He was declared first on the logic that parents are similar to the universe. Thus even having very slow mount he became first in the race due to his intellect.   

गणेशजी प्रथम पूज्य हैं। ये विघ्नहरण हैं। इनकी वुद्धि  अति तीक्ष्ण है। इसी के बल पर इनकी प्रथम पूजा होती है। 'वुद्धिर्यस्य बलं तस्य निर्वुद्धेस्तु कुतो बलम्'।