Lord Ganesh is said to be the deity closest to the physical world; he is the god of wisdom, knowledge and prosperity. On Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi, it is easiest to access the energy of Ganesh.
The term Ganesh comes from the Sanskrit words “gan” and “esh”. “Gan” means jan samooh (general people) and “esh” means the supreme or Lord. Lord Ganesh is the supreme deity of man. He is called Vighnharta — the remover of obstacles. He is the patron of letters and learnings too. He is the guardian of the spiritual world and the first energy to grant access to higher dimensions, also known as the pratham pujya — at the start of any ritual or ceremony, Lord Ganesha is invoked.
Every aspect of this energy has a significance of its own. The elephant-head symbolises supreme intelligence, the human body with a large belly symbolises a reservoir of energy stored in the manipoorak chakra, which is located at the navel. Ganesh or Ganpati is the child of Lord Shiva, the supreme purush, and Adi Shakti, the mother of creation. Riddhi (prosperity) and Siddhi (spiritual powers) are married to Ganpati.
This indicates that Ganpati also has an energy that bestows spiritual as well as worldly boons. This is also the reason why in yogic practices like the Sanatan Kriya, the first sadhna given to a sadhak (spiritual aspirant) is Ganpati sadhna and Ganpati jaap, which open the doorway to lokas beyond the bhuloka, the physical dimension in creation. Ganesh Chaturthi is the day when the energy of Lord Ganesh is most easily accessible to human beings.
Yogi Ashwini, the guiding light of Dhyan Foundation, is an authority on yoga, tantra and the Vedic sciences. His recent book is Sanatan Kriya, The Ageless Dimension. Contact him at dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com
