Wisdom

Who Is Lord Ganesha And Where Is He Present? Talk by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

Ganapati is situated in the Muladhara in our body. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains how we can please Ganesha by doing pooja within ourselves.

Ganesha, the Lord of Muladhara

All the yogis who had done meditation and balanced power points within their bodies had experienced that Ganapati is situated in the Muladhara chakra. This is a matter of experience. This is not an imagination. The power which resides in the muladhara chakra is Ganapati. It has been mentioned by Shankaracharya, in which he has described Ganapati in various ways.

Ganesha, the formless Supreme Divinity

Shankaracharya described Ganapati as formless, the one who was never born, the one with no opinion or idea, the formless one, the one with and without joy. He is the Oneness, and he is the one with the parameters of Brahman. This is how He is. He is in front of me, behind me. 

Ganapati Atharvashesha describes him thus: 

“Oh Lord, Where are you? You are Lord Indra, Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Rudra, and Lord Shiva. You exist in everyone's form.Then where are you? You are below me, behind me, above me, beside me, and all around me. Everything is based on you. You are the provider; You are the one who holds everything. You are beyond all virtues. You can be reached only through knowledge. When sages meditate, the space element within them is You. You are the chief of all groups. You are the cause of this universe. You are the manifestation of knowledge. You are the chief of all, the Lord. You are the beginning and end of all virtues. You are the beginning of joy. If someone exeriences joy, it is only because of you. You are the chief of all virtues. There is no place in this world where you are not there. Everyone, consciously or unconsciously, worships you. If any devotion arises from one's mind, it is towards you.”

Devotion: Worship of Ganesha in Idol form

Lord Ganapati has been worshipped all over the world from time immemorial. Thousands of miles away in Mexico, Ganesha idols have been found.  When people wanted to celebrate the festival, they started making idols in clay and prayed,

"Oh, Lord! You are present everywhere; you are there in my heart. Come out and place yourself in the idol Thereby I induct my consciousness, which is You, into the idol," and thus they celebrated the festival. We offer laddoos and mandalas (Ganesh's favourite sweets), share them among us, and consume them in Ganesha's name.This too is a celebration.

After the festivities, we plead with the Lord to come back to our minds and immerse the idol in water. This ritual is an effort to make the layman understand the superior wisdom that lies in the concept of Lord Ganesha. Everyone cannot comprehend that Lord Ganapati lies within oneself. But everyone worships Him. Hence the ancient sages developed this ritual for the people to worship God within themselves.

When you look at the idol, don't think it is just an idol. Think that the Lord himself is sitting there. This aspect brings devotion to the ritual.

 

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