GANESA WORSHIP

By: Dr.S.Jayabarathi

This picture was drawn by the artist Maniam for the Deepavali issue of Kalki magazine

The original basis for Hinduism are the holy books called the "Vedas". In the ancient times, the followers of the Vedas developed many forms of worships and cults. They also quarrelled among themselves. So the Vedic culture was split. This was taken advantage by the Buddhists and Jains who belonged to different religions. The Vedic culture was facing danger of becoming extinct. Then the Great "Adhi Sankara" came. He overcome all the non- Vedic religions and combined all the different cults following the Vedas. He created six branches of the Vedic religion. Each of them had its own supreme god of goddess. But they were all based on the Vedas. The branch with Siva its supreme god was called Saivam. For Vishnu was Vaishnavam. Ambal worship was called Shaktham. Surya had Sauram and Muruga had Kaumaram as their sub -religions. The branch which followed Ganapathi as the chief god was known as Ganapathyam. The present form of Hinduism that we follow is combination of all the six sub - religions. During the course of time,

all the other five sub - religions accepted Ganapathi and gave prominence. In all of them, Ganapathi was worshipped before any Puja is done at present by Ganapuja. When any new venture is undertaken, Ganapathi is first worshipped. He is worshipped to prevent obstacles and also to remove existing obstacles. It is also believed that, failure to worship Ganapathi will lead to problems. There are many stories about Ganapathi. He was created from the body of Ambal by Herself. She made him Her guard. In a battle, His head was cut off. Siva fixed an elephant's head onto the body. So he was named as Gajaanana. He was made as the chief of the servants of Siva. Thus he earned the name as Ganapathi, Gana Natha and Ganesa. As the remover of obstacles, he is known by the names Vigna Raja, Vigneshwara. Since he is worshipped before any other god is worshipped, he is also known Vinayaka, "He who has no overlord". When Veda Vyasa composed the Great Epic of Maha Bharatha, he asked Ganesa to do the writing, So Ganesa broke off his right-sided tusk and wrote the epic while Vyasa recited the verses. Because he has only one tusk. He is known as Eka Danta. He always keeps his trunk curled and thus earned the name as Vakra Thunta. Because of His big belly, He is known as Lambhodhara. His large body gives him the name Maha Kaaya. His size, shape, elephant - head have given Him the name Vikata. Because He was the Moon as the tilaka on His fore - head, He is called Pala Chandra. In Tamil, He is popularly known as Pillaiyar. This is because He is the eldest son of Siva and Ambal. Once upon a time, there was an asura demon who threatened the world. Ganesa went after Him. The asura changed himself into a large rat called bandicoot. Ganesa sent his noose called Paasa and tied Him. Ganesa's paasa removed the ignorance from the Asura. He remained in the form of the rat which is known as 'Mushika'. Thence he is known as Mushika Vahana. There are many exploits of Ganesa. In one episode, He used His intellect to win a competition with His younger brother Muruga. His prize was the Divine Fruit. The Sage Agastya is known as the Tamil Muni. He brought one of the seven holy rivers called Kaveri in his pot. But Ganesa played a trick on him by taking the shape of a crow and toppling the pot. The entrapped river flowed out of the pot and thus the River Kaveri found its home in TamilNadu. The enraged Agastya chased after the crows, which took the form of a small boy. Agastya went to knock hard on the boy's head. Just then, Ganesa showed Himself to Agastya in His true form. Agastya was shocked and knocked his own forehead as an apology. It was thus that the "Pillaiyar Kuttu" was born. After Agastya settled down in the Pothiya Mountains, he compiled the grammar for the Tamil Language. This was written on the side of the mountain by Ganesa with His tusk. This grammar book

was called Agaththiyam. This episode is mentioned by the Sage Arunagiri Nathar in the first hymn of Thiruppugalzh. One of the greatest poets of the Tamil is Auvaiyar. She was a worshipper of Ganesa. She has dedicated a hymn called "Vinayagar Agaval" to Ganesa. This hymn is a Mantra verse and contains deep spiritual knowledge about Kundalinii Yoga. After the dedication of the hymn, Ganesa, lifted Auvaiyar with His trunk and placed her in heaven. Ganesa's manthra which starts as "Ganaanaamtvaa Ganapathim" is found in the Vedas. In Tamil Nadu, Ganesa worship was practiced for a long time by the class of merchants called Nagaraththar. The famous Pillaiyarpatti temple in Ramanathapuram District of TamilNadu was founded by them. It is a temple where the giant shrine of Ganesa is cut out from the rock which has been excavated into a cave temple. This temple is at last 1600 years old. The PiLLaiyAr is known as KaRpaga Vinayakar and DEsi VinAyakar. The Merchants' ancient history mentions that the merchants worshipped 'Maragatha VinAyakar' - probably a VinAyakar of Emerald or Jade. There is a famous Ganapathi in Kasi known as Dundi Ganapathi. Then we have the Vatapi Ganapathi of Thiruvarur and Thiruchenggaatangudi. All performances of Carnatic music always start with a Kirthanai dedicated to Ganapathi. The most famous Kirthanai is "Vaathapi Ganapathim baje" composed by Muthu Swamy Dikshithar. The Thiruvalanculzi PiLLaiyAr is also very famous. Gangai koNda VinAyakar was brought from the banks of the river Ganga by RajEndra ChOlza and kept in the temple at Gangai koNda ChOlzapuram. KaNakku elzudhiya PiLLaiyAr wrote the accounts for the construction of the great temple of Gangai koNda ChOlzapuram. There are many famous hymns dedicated to Ganesa. In Tamil, we have Vinaayager Agaval, Vinaayagar Kavacam, Kaariya Siddhi Maalai, Ganesa Thothiram, Mootha Pillaiyar Thiruvirattai Mani Maalai by Nambi Aandaar Nambi, Mootha Pillaiyar Thiru Mummanikkovai by AdhirAvadigal, Mooththa Naayanaar Thiru Irattai Mani Maalai. Adi Sankara has dedicated the Ganesa Pancha Ratnam and Ganesa Bhujangam, Naradhar has composed the Sankata Naasana Ganapathi Sthothram. Among the mantras, we have the twelve names of Sankata Naasana Ganapathi called Dvaadasa Nama; sixteen names of Vignanaasana Ganapathi called Sodasa Nama; twenty one mantras or Eka Vimsathi Namavali; one hundred and eight names called Ganesa Ashtotharasatham and thousand mantras of the Ganesa Sahasranama. The great Tantric scholar, Baskara Raayar has given the commentary for all the thousand mantras. He has also written a commentary for SriLalitha Sahasranamam. There is a main Purana dedicated to Ganesa called Vinayaka Purana. This has been translated into Tamil by Kachchiyappa Munivar. Ganesa occupies an important position in Kanda Purana also. He helped Murugan marry Valli whom He loved very much. If not for Ganesa, we would not be having the Thevaram hymns. They were composed on Siva by Appar, Sambandhar and Sundarar. After Sundarar went to Kailas, the hymns were safely kept in Chidambaram and forgotten. After about ten generations later, Raja Raja Cholzan I became the emperor of South India and Ceylon. He was an ardent Saivite. He heard about the Thevaram hymns but did not know where to look for them. In a place called Thiru Naaraiyur, there was a boy saint called Nambi Aandaar Nambi. He was blessed by Ganesa and could talk with Him. So Raja Raja asked his help to find the Thvaram hymns. Nambi in turn appealed to Ganesa, and Ganesa told him the secret place where the Thevaram hymns were kept in the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple. They found them. But the paNs or tunes, with which they should be sung, had been forgotten during the long lapse. Again RajaRaja sought the help of PollA PiLLaiyAr and found a lady

belonging to the lineage of ThrunIlakaNda YAlzpANar and through her, found the tunes. Then Raja Raja caused the Thevaram to be sung at all the temples. Nambi, with the blessings of Ganesa went on to compile the first eleven Thiru Murais of Saivism. There must have been a lot of Tantrik texts regarding VinAyaka. But they seem to have been lost. It is the Tantrik GanEsa who is found all over South Esat Asia, Japan, China, Tibet, Nepal, and Mongolia. The important festival for Ganesa is the "Vinayaka Chathurthi". This comes in the 4th day of the Sukla Paksha, in the month of Aavani (September/ October). This is the day that Vinayaka took the Avatharam. Just as Vishnu has ten avataras or incarnation, Ganesa has twenty-one avataras. Among Virathas, Chathurthi Viratha, Sankara Hara Chathurthi Viratha, Ganesa Shasthi Viratha and Velli Viratha are important. The Sankata Hara Chathurthi Viratha comes every month on the They Pirai Chathurthi the fourth day of the waning moon. The viratha lasts to before sunrise until moon rise, just before midnight. This is observed in order to prevent and overcome difficulties and problems - Sankata. People with bad effects of Moon or Mars can perform this viratha. Once a year, Maha Sankata Hara Chathurthi is celebrated in the month of Maasi. There are thirty-two forms of VinayAka. They have their own methods of worship and special mantras. They are worshipped for special purposes. Some of the forms are Maha Ganapathi, Sakthi Ganapathi, Siddhi Buddhi Ganapathi, Lakshmi Ganapathi, Heramba Ganapathi, Bhakthi Ganapathi, Bala Ganapathi, Vira Ganapathi, Uchchishta Ganapathi, Vigna Ganapathi, and Sangkata Hara Ganapathi. Ganesa can be worshipped in many ways. There are elaborate rituals and homas, pujas etc. But at the same time, Ganesa worship is also the simplest of all. Ganesa statue can be placed beneath a tree and by very simple means, He can be worshipped. GaNesa can alos be made with a little bit of clay, turmeric powder or cane-sugar. All it needs is to press the substance with the fingers and shape it into a pyramid-shaped little mound. Nandiya Vartha flower, Arugu grass and Bilva leaves are special in His puja. He likes sweet fruits. Special among them are the wood-apple, mango, pomegranate, Naaval Fruit, bananas and jack fruit. Milk, honey, and sugar syrup are also offered. Chundal nuts, green grams, Kolu Kattai, Modhakam and payasam are also His favourite offerings. Juice of sugar cane is offered in special types of worship. Panchaamirtham is also one of the offerings made to Him like His brother Murugan. His favourite bali is the shattering of coconuts. This is known as "Sidharu Kaay". But Ganesa actually prefers very simple bhakthi with hope, dedication and deep faith.