|| Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah ||
Sri Ganesh is the most revered of Hindu gods. Before any special ceremony or auspicious occasion prayers are first offered to Sri Ganesh.
He is Vighanharta and master of Riddhi-Siddhi. This simply means that he removes all obstacles confronting devotees. A prayer, an offering or penance made for him ensures success. It brings wealth and prosperity.
He is easily pleased. Before any ceremony or special occasion all one needs to do is chant ‘Sri Ganeshaya Namah’.
Sri Ganesh is the God of learning and knowledge. Through devotion to Him one learns to be responsible, to differentiate between good and bad and develop farsightedness. He teaches discipline. It is for this reason that offerings are first made to Sri Ganesh before a ceremony or auspicious occasion.
In Shivpuran, a story narrates that once all the gods went to Lord Shankar to inquire as to who should be the chief amongst them. In response, Lord Shankar proposed that whoever went around the world thrice and returned to Mount Kailash first would be the most revered of all and declared as the foremost amongst gods.
Sri Ganesh’s mode of transport was a mouse (Musak). Surely it was too slow to undertake the journey. Using his ingenuity, Sri Ganesh went around his father Lord Shankar and mother Devi Paravati thrice. With folded hands, he then stood humbly before them. His silence and humility indicated that he had completed his mission. Delighted at His son’s ingenuity, Lord Shankar smilingly told him that none could be as clever and crafty as he was. By going around his parents thrice he had achieved more than he could by going around the world three times.
Pleased, Lord Shankar blessed Sri Ganesha and declared that whoever offered prayers to him before a ceremony or an auspicious occasion would never face obstacles. Since then all mankind has been offering prayers to Sri Ganesha before an auspicious occasion.
Sri Ganesh is the God of learning and knowledge. Through devotion to Him one learns to be responsible, to differentiate between good and bad and develop farsightedness. He teaches discipline. It is for this reason that offerings are first made to Sri Ganesh before a ceremony or auspicious occasion.
In Shivpuran, a story narrates that once all the gods went to Lord Shankar to inquire as to who should be the chief amongst them. In response, Lord Shankar proposed that whoever went around the world thrice and returned to Mount Kailash first would be the most revered of all and declared as the foremost amongst gods.
Sri Ganesh’s mode of transport was a mouse (Musak). Surely it was too slow to undertake the journey. Using his ingenuity, Sri Ganesh went around his father Lord Shankar and mother Devi Paravati thrice. With folded hands, he then stood humbly before them. His silence and humility indicated that he had completed his mission. Delighted at His son’s ingenuity, Lord Shankar smilingly told him that none could be as clever and crafty as he was. By going around his parents thrice he had achieved more than he could by going around the world three times.
Pleased, Lord Shankar blessed Sri Ganesha and declared that whoever offered prayers to him before a ceremony or an auspicious occasion would never face obstacles. Since then all mankind has been offering prayers to Sri Ganesha before an auspicious occasion.