Ganesh Chaturthi Spiritual Significance

Ganapati Bappa Morya!!

Before we begin any auspicious task we are advised to invoke Shri Ganesh  since he is destroyer of obstacles (Vignaharta), Wiper of sorrows (Dukhharta) and bestower of happiness (Sukhkarta). We lovingly praised, remember and Worshiped Shri Ganesh ji.

But is it Sufficient just to invoke, remember and praise him ?

Why not we take inspiration from him?

Why we not imbibe his qualities and powers into our own life and also endeavor to become like him?

The story of shri Ganesh ji's birth it holds several lessons for us its is said that Shankar ji had gone too far off mountains in order to meditate. Shri parvati devi took the dirt from her body and created a boy out of it. One day, she made the boy stand at the entrance since she had to go for a bath so she instructed the boy to not let anyone inside the house. Unexpectedly that day, Sri Shankar ji returned. That boy promptly did  his duty and did not allow Shankar ji to go inside because that boy didn't recognize his own father. It is said that Shankar ji was so angry that he cut off the boy's head. Shri parvati devi who came out by then she grieved that Shankar ji had beheaded his own son. Then Shankar ji assured her," Whoever will pass by our home next, I shall cut his head and affix it to this boy's torso". It was an elephant which passed by their home. Shankar ji cut that elelphant's head fixed it to the boy's torso and named him Ganesh

We have heard this story Since very long but did not think enough, about what it is trying to teach us

The child does not recognize his father Shankar ji, a deity had returned after 10 years of meditation

How could he get so angry that he cut a child's head?

Today if you and I meditate for just 10 mins, we will feel so calm and peaceful, that we cannot even raise our voice but being a deity, how could he get so angry at a child, over a trivial matter? The child was just simply discharging his duty and the child's head was cut off.

But it is never said that Shri Shankar ji killed the child it is only said that he cut the boys's head both are completely different.

When God descends on Earth because of our ego or body consciousness, we fail to recognize God.

Why is it said that Shri Parvati devi created the boy from all the dirt present on her body? is it even possible for a deity to have so much dirt on the body? is there so much dirt on our own bodies today that we can make a child out of it?

Creating a child out of the dirt on body signifies that the body is made of mud this is body consciousness where we fail to recognize God. The first thing which god does is to cut off our body-conciousness based head.He cut off our ego which is represented by our head. So shankar ji cut off the boy's head. He could have fixed back the same head what was the need to trouble another life?

But when god cuts off the head of our ego then in its place, he replaces a soul conscious head, a head filled with wisdom, purity and divinity. He fixes a very wise head on our Torso. Thus Shankar ji replaced the head of ego with a head of wisdom and gave him the name Ganesh

So if we observe every part of Shri Ganesh's body it all teaches us the right way to live and how to inculate spiritual wisdom in our daily life.

1) The forehead of Shri Ganesh is very broad which signifies wisdom and broad intellect

2) His eyes are very tiny which signifies anyone with a wise intellect will exhibit farsightedness when we try to see an object which is quite far away from us our eyes automatically become smaller looking at the distant future and then doing our karma implies whatever karma we do everything that we think, speak and do it is our karma before doing any karma it is important to think of its consequences and then perform karma.

3)Mouth is small which teaches that we should speak less (avoid meaningless talks).

4) Ears are large which means listen more. Ears are not only large, but are shaped like a sieve. What does a sieve do? it does the job of filtering or separating it retains what is good and disposes the rest. So ears shaped like sieve means we need to take in only right information through them. Now- a-days we just keep on listening from media article message after message we are consuming information and taking it all in. If we consume so much and when the quality of information is not good. How will our state of mind become? So we need to listen only to pure content, positives, goodness about other people. 

5) Shri Ganesh ji is shown to have two tusks, but one of them is broken 'Ek-dant' what it symbolize? Our life is full of dualities base on age, religion, gender, caste, profession, seniority. Where there is body consciousness there will be ego, there will be duality When God gives us knowledge the first point he teaches is "I am an eternal soul you are a soul" this finishes duality. Duality can be finished only with soul consciousness. Thus one tusk and not two tusk "EK-dant"

6)what is the  significance of Shri Ganesh's trunk? Trunk can easily uproot a massive tree or lovingly lift a small child which means a soul which become wise which inculcates spirituality and become a soul conscious that soul will be very soft, very loving and also very powerful. Sometimes we live in an illusion that spirituality makes us weak people will trample us by being simple and straight forward we get cheated by people that's not true.Spirituality means the perfect balance of soft but powerful 

7) Although Shri Ganesh is a deity but his stomach seems to be enormous which signifies a wise soul assimilates and retains maatera with the self. Today even if somebody keeps spreading information with every other person we say " His stomach just cannot retain information within". A big stomach also signifies the power to accept we meet so many people, work with them, they all have different traits or behavior we all need is to keep on accepting everyone.

8) Shri Ganesh ji is shown to have four shoulders or arms which has beautiful objects of significance in one hand an axe is held which signifies the knowledge we get from god is an axe of wisdom which used to cut and finish our vices, negativity and most important our past wrong karmic accounts. A rope is shown in his second hand which symbolize that we need to tie our life with the rope of discipline. The third hand is shown giving blessings which signifies increase in standard of giving. The fourth hand is shown holding Modak it signifies that it takes constant attention and a certain amount of efforts to inculcate spirituality in life.

9) Shri Ganesh ji is always shown seated with one leg folded and the other facing down and the leg that faces down, only the toe is shown touching the ground which means we need to live in this world spirituality doesn't mean move away from the world, people, stop working No. One leg is shown touching the ground we need to perform our prescribed duty and sustain beautiful relationships, take care of our jobs or business but we need to be detached.

10) Shri Ganesh ji is deity so his vehicle supposed to be very beautiful but he is shown sitting on a mouse what it signify?  if we seen a mouse is typically nibbling at something or the other throughout the day even if it is not edible this symbolizes our sense organs i.e we lost control over our sense organs. Thus a mouse is symbolic of being a slave to sense organs. This is why Shri Ganesh ji is shown sitting on top of the mouse i.e victory over sense gratification.

11) Riddhi and Siddhi are shown sitting on either side of Shri Ganesh ji this signifies that a spiritual soul who inculcate all these prosperity and success  in life will always be alongside of such a soul.

So Shri Ganesh ji teaches us the way of life each of us needs to become like shri Ganesh ji.