Prayers adressed to God Ganesh are carried out in the context of specific rituals (pûjâ), as well as prayers to others great gods, like Shiva or Vishnu. But, in addition, any invocation to any god, whoever he is, must preceded by an invocation to god Ganesh. Indeed, the role of god Ganesh, as an intercessor, appears to be prominant everywhere, and everytime.
Il must be noted first that there is a Ganesh temple in Paris. The address is :
72 Rue de Philippe de Girard, 75018, PARIS
Tel 0140342189
Opened everyday from 9.30 am to 8.30 pm.
WEB site
Everybody can check in India that temples specifically dedicated to god Ganesh, as the main deity, are less numerous than expected.
We give the name and location for some of them. They draw on huge crowds, mainly during
religious festivals such the Ganesha-Chaturthi
:
The Manakkula Vinâyaka, temple in Pondichery
(Tamil Nadu)
The Pillaiyarpatti temple (60 km east Madurai, Tamil Nadu)
The Uchhi Pillaiyar temple in Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu)
The small Ganesh temple, where the god form is known as
Naramukha Ganapati, Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu)
The Mukkuruni Pillaiyar temple, inside the
main Minakshisundareshvara temple, in Madurai (Tamil Nadu)
The small Sveta Ganapati temple (White Ganesh
carved in an monolithic meerschaum block), inside the Shiva temple, in Tiruvalanjuli, near
Swamimalai (Tamil Nadu)
Many rock temples, excavated during the
Pandya period, all over the Tamil Nadu region
The Ganesh temple in Ranthambore,
near Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan)
The Ganesh temple in Jaipur (Rajasthan).
etc.
The temples (mandir) named Ashta Vinâyaka, which means
eight Vinâyaka
in the Mahârâshtra region
, are also
very famous, since each of them owns a Svayambû Ganesh. They are located in the following townships, not far
from the Pune (Poona) city :
Morgaon : people here pray Ganesh under his form of Lord Shri Mayureshvar. This Ganesh form, riding a peacock, fighted and defeated Sindhu.
Furthermore, all or nearly all Shiva temples, include Ganesh icons in secondary temples (inside the main temple) or, at least, in particular shrines : for exemple in Chidambaram, in Vellore, in Gangaikondacholapuram, etc. On the other hand, Vishnu temples generally do not have any Ganesh shrine.
This chapter will introduce some aspects about the Ganesh cult. In a first part will be presented the exoteric cult, that is to say the popular and daily worship. In a second part, some indications about esoteric cults will be provided.
A detailed description with appropriate mantra
for the different steps of the pûjâ can be found here in annex :
The Ganesh pûjâ.
It has been adapted from an important book about Ganesh : Loving Ganesha.
Ganesh is always present in the cult to the five main hindu deities
(Pañchâyatanapûja) : Ganesh, Sûrya
,
Durgâ
, Vishnu , Shiva ,
but the Ganesh worshippers are mainly devoted to their favorite god.
Vishnu is the Master of Akasha, the ether
Sûrya, the Sun, is the Master of Vayu, the air
Shakti (Durgâ), the Goddess
commands the energy of fire (Agni)
Ganesh represents water (Apas),
the energy of fulfilment; he is the Master of Varuna, god of waters. This is why, when
the Ganesha Chathurti festival ends, clay statues of god Ganesh must be brought to the sea
and immersed to be dissolved.
and Shiva is the Master of the Earth;
he is represented by the stone-made Shiva Lingam.
Ganesh is worshipped every day. The five ritual offers are :
the red santal paste
flowers
incense
the light of burning campher
food.
These offers represent the Five Elements ether, air, fire, water and earth.
Rituals may vary from one region to another in India; their exact codification seems to be somewhat complex.
Various invocations
Sanskrit transcription in latin characters requires specific signs, named
diacritical signs. We have choosen a simplified transcription without these signs. To look
at some simple rules for the sanskrit prononciation, please
click here.
Ganesh Chalisâ
Jai Jai vandana bhuvana | nandana gauri ganesha ||
Glory, glory, all glory to You, O Ganesha; to You, the whole world pays homage, for You
are the delight of Gauri and the charming son of Shiva. You are the extirpator of all pairs of
contraries (such as joy and sorrow, birth and death, attraction and repulsion, etc.) and
deliverer from them.
Jayati sambhu-suta gauri-nandana | vighna harana nasana bhava-phandana ||
Glory to You, O son of Shambu and delight of Gauri; You are the destroyer of all obstacles
and deliverer of all from the cycle of birth and death. Glory to You, O leader of Shiva's
henchmen, bestower of happiness on all your votaries, teachor of all and operator of the intellect !
Eka radana gaja badana virajata | vakratunda suchi sumda susajata ||
O Ganesh (Vakratunda), resplendent is the only tusk which You have on Your elephant face and
well adorned is Your sacred trunk; the crescent shaped triple mark on Your forehead is as
beautiful as the Moon, and the celestials, men and ascetic who beheld Your loveliness cannot
of it spell.
Ura mani-mala sarohuna lochana | ratna mukuta sira socha vimochana ||
On Your bosom is a garland of jewels, in Your eyes the beauty of the full-blown lotus and
on Your head a crowd of gems. You deliver Your devotees from anxiety and wield a sacred
axe and a beautiful trident in Your hands. Sweet laddus among delicacies and fragrant blossoms
among flowers are Your favorites.
Sundara pitambara tana sajita | charana paduka muni mana rajita ||
Blessed are You, O Karttikeya's brother and beloved son of Shiva and Gauri;
elegantly attired in a beautiful yellow silken dress and wearing a pair of wooden
sandals all studded with gems on Your feet, You are the source of all the blessings of the world.
Riddhi siddhi tava chamvara sudharahim | mushaka vahana sohita dvarahim ||
Both Prosperity and Accomplishment wave royal whisks (chowries) over You (as if they were
chowrie-burdars), and Your vehicle, the mouse, adds to Your splendor at Your door. As the story of Your life
is so strange and mysterious, who can venture to describe Your magnificence which passes all
telling ?
Eka asura shiva rupa bavanai | gaurihim chalana hetu tavam avai ||
A demon, disguised as Shiva, often came to delude Gauri; in order to foil his design, Gauri,
the beloved consort of Shiva, created a divine form from the scurf of Her body.
So nija suta kari griha rakhavare | dvarapala sama tehim baithare ||
Asking Her son to keep watch, She stationed Him at the palace door, like a door-keeper.
When Shiva Himself came there, He wasn't recognized and was denied entrance into the house.
Puchyo shiva ho kinake lala | bolata bhe tuma vachana rasala ||
Shiva asked :"Tell me, who is your father ?". In a voice sweet as honey, You replied :
"Hearken, sir, I am Gauri's son; don't you dare advance even a step beyond this point".
Avahim matu bhuji taba jao | balaka se jani bata baRhao ||
"O sir ! Let take my mother's permission before I allow you to go inside; wrangling with a
mere stripling like me will be of no avail". Not listening to Your behest, Shiva attempted to
rush towards the house, which so vexed You that You, waxing furious, threw the gautlet down.
Tatkshana nahi kachu sambhu bicharyo | gahi trishula bhula vasa maryo ||
In a fit of rage, Shiva picked up His trident and driven by delusion, hurled it on You.
Your head, tender like the sirisha flower, was severed and instantly it soared into the sky
and disappeared there.
Gayo sambhu jaba bhavana mamjhari | jaham baithi giriraja-kumari ||
When Shiva went happily inside where Gauri, daughter of Mountain King, was sitting, He
smilingly asked : "Tell me, Sati, how did you give birth to a son ?"
Khulige bheda katha suni sari | giri vikala giriraja dulari ||
On hearing the whole episode, the mystery cleared. Gauri, though daughter of the Great Mountain
King (celebrated for immobility) was so moved and distraught that she fell to the ground and
said :"You have done me a great disfavor, my Lord; now go and fetch the severed head of
my son from wherever You find it".
Chalyo vishnu samga shiva vijnani | milyo na so hastihim sira ani ||
Shiva, expert in all skills, took His departure accompanied by Vishnu, but having failed to
find the head, they brought one of an elephant and placed it upon the trunk and breathed
life into it.
Shri ganeshashiva nama dharayo | vidya buddhi amara payo
It was Lord Shiva who named You Shri Ganesha and blessed You with knowledge, wisdom and
immortality. You are, O Lord, the first among those who are worshipped; You bring joy to the
faithful, destroy all obstructions, and cause the operation of the intellect.
Prathamahim nama leta tava joi | jaga kaham sakala sidha hoi ||
Whosoever remembers You before embarking on any mission finds all his tasks accomplished
in the world. The very remembrance of Your name brings all happiness; whitout Your all-pardoning
grace, there is no security and well-being anywhere in the world.
Tumharahim sapa bhayo jaga amkita | bhadavam chauthi chandra akalamkita ||
Curled by You, the Moon's face was tarnished with the black reflection of the earth as
it appears on the fourth day in the bright half of Bhadrapada, which none would dare look at.
When Shiva wanted to test Your might and intelligence, He asked You to circumambulate the Earth.
Sadmukha chalyo mayura uRai | baithi rache tuma sahaja upai ||
While Satmukha (Your brother Karttikeya) went flying on His peacock, You adapted an easier
curse without budging; You scribbled the name of Rama on the ground and, abandoning all
misgivings, circumambulated it.
Shri pithu-matu-charana dhari linhyo | ta kaham sata pradakshina kinhyo ||
With utmost devotion, you clasped the feet of your parents and circumambulated then seven
times. Thus, You were rewarded with the fruit of having circumambulated the Earth, a feat that
made the gods shower the flowers on You.
"sundaradasa" ram ke chera | durvasa ashrama dhari dera ||
While dwelling in the hermitage of the Sage Durvasa, Sundaradasa, a devotee of Rama, composed
this hymn to Ganesha in forty verses just as the foremost among the adepts in the Shiva
Purana had done.
Nitya gajanana jo guna gavata | griha vasi sumati parama sukha pavata ||
The wise who hymn the glory of Ganesha every day are blessed with supreme bliss. The Lord
of Shiva's henchmen who blesses His votaries with wealth, progeny and happiness, also
bestows upon them every auspicious object.
(Doha)
He who repeats this hymn with earnestness is blessed with all felicity and gracious gifts,
the novelty of which grows ever greater, as well as great honour.
Morning prayer
Abstracts from Shri Ganesha Purânam.
Prâtar namâmi gananâtham ashesha haetam brahmâdi
At morning, I meditate on Lord Ganesha with this prayer : O my Lord Ganesha ! You are
the source of this entire universe of sentient beings and insentient matter. You have blessed
Brahmâ, celestial beings by fulfilling their wishes. You are propitiated by all the Vedas
and holy scriptures. You are the bestower of dharma (virtue), artha (wealth), kâma (love) and
moksha (liberation) to Your votaries. You are beyond works and mind. You are eternal and the
infinite Truth. salutations !
Prâtar namâni kamalâpatim ugra vîryam;
I meditate on Lord Mahavishnu, the spouse of Mahalakshmi - the goddess of wealth - the almighty
Lord who incarnates again and again for the protection of the good and the destruction
of the wicked. I meditate on Lord Vishnu whose abode is the ocean of milk, the human heart, One
who releases us from the bondage of karma and rebirth. I offer my morning salutations to Lord
Vishnu with all my heart
Prâtar namâmi girijâpatam indumaulim;
I meditate on Lord Shiva in my morning prayers, the spouse of Shakti, One who has the crescent
moon decked upon His forehead; One who is clad with the tiger skin; One whose mind's eye-fire
reduced Kamâ to ashes; One who is propitiated by Vishnu, Indra and other celestials on whom
He bestows the great boons. To the Lord who has serpents as His ornaments, trident and drum
as His weapons; to One who has destroyed the demon Tripurâ; to that Parashiva, I salute again
and again. May He bliss me.
Prâtar Namâmi dîna nâtham aghâpahâram;
Every morning I offer my salutations to the Sun god who dispels the darkness from this
world by his light; he destroys our sins and blesses us. He is propitiated by the denizens
of heaven and other great lokas above. He is the embodiment of pure knowledge and is of
extraordinary prowess and strength. To Him, I salute again and again. May He bliss me.
Prâtar namâmi girijâm bhavabhuti haetam;
I meditate on Goddess Girija -Shakti-, the daughter of Mount Himalaya. She is the source
of the highest wealth of Lord Shiva. She is the Divine Mother who takes us across the ocean
of rebirth. She is Mahâmâya, delusion or remover of delusion. She is the embodiment of the
pure knowledge of Brahman. She is the Supreme Goddess, Devî, who is propitiated by Devas
and Sages. I make my obeisance to that Divine Mother. May She bless me.
Various invocations
Prayer to Ganapati
OM suklambaradharam vishnum
OM, attired in white and all-pervading
Invoking Lord Ganapati
Om ganânâ m tvâ ganapating havâmahe
May we worship Ganapati,
Prayer for incense offering
dashangam guggulopetam
O Lord ! here is offered the incense
Miscellaneous
Ajam nirvikalpam nirakaramakam niranandam anandam davâtepuranam | param
nirgunam nirvishesham nîreham
parambrahmarûpam ganesham bhajaim ||
O Lord, Thou art unborn, formless and absolute; Thou art beyond bliss and again bliss itself -
the One and the Infinite. Thou art the Supreme, without attributes, differenciation and desire.
Thou art verily the Supreme Brahman. To Thee, O Lord, do we offer our worship.
Gunatîtmanam chidanandarûpam chidabashkam sarvgam giangamiam |
munidhayyamakashrûpam paraisham parabrahmarûpam ganesham bhajaim ||
Thy nature is beyond attributes. Thou art the embodiment of intelligence and bliss, the effulgent
Spirit, the all-pervaiding, the goal of knowledge. Thou art the object of meditation
to the sages, formless and omnipresent like ether. Thou art the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Brahman.
To Thee, O Lord, do we offer our worship.
Jagat karanam karangianrûpam suradîm sukhadîm Gunesham Ganesham |
jagatvayapanim vishvandhyam suresham parambrahmarûpamganesham bhajaim ||
Thou art the cause of the world, the primal knowledge, the origin of gods, the origin of bliss,
the Lord of Gunas, the Lord of heavenly hosts. Thou pervadest the universe and art worshipped
by all. Thou art the Lord of gods, Thou art verily the Supreme Brahman. To thee, O Lord, do
we offer our worship.
Om shrîm hrîm klîm ganeshvarâya
Salutations to the Supreme Lord Ganesha. Thou art Brahman. Thou art the Bestower of all siddhis.
O Vighnesha, remover of all obstacles, salutations again and again !
Esoteric cults
In the beginning (9th century) , Shankarâchârya
The Gânapatya included other gods in their rituals, but they
considered these other gods as part of Ganesh. For instance, they thought that the Ganesh
holly body is made of is navel (Brahmâ), of his face (Vishnu), of his eyes (Rudra
The Gânapatya divided themselves, in course of time, in six sub-branches, characterized
by specific rituals adressed to different Ganesh forms.
The fist three sub-branches strictly follow the Vedic prescriptions : these are the
Navanîtaganâpatya, the Suvarnaganâpatya, the Santânaganâpatya.
The three other sub-branches are esoteric ones and worship the following Ganesh forms :
Those sects (cultual branches) are sayed to be esoteric, since
their devotees are adepts of tantric practices. Some attempts will be given below to briefly
clarify what is tantrism.
Some basis about tantrism
Tantra is (it would be more precise to tell "are"),
form a set of texts which have been elaborated during past centuries; important ones are nearly one thousand years old.
The word Tantra comes from the sanskrit root "trayati"
which means to release, to disengage. Accordingly, the Tantra
Tantrisme includes a set of methods, even we can say accurate methods, which aim at
getting a transmutation of the energies at work in the human being.
Let us explain.
The Yogi experiment (this exactly means that we don't speak about any belief, therefore it is not a
religious postulate) that the human being is composed of several
"levels", from the coarsest (the physical body) to the most subtle.
These levels, or layers, are named kosha "Ordinary" man is conducted by his passions : he does not have any control on
his body, on his breathing, on his reactions, on his mental activity, etc.
He is only conscious of his body and, in the best cases, of the crude aspects of his breathing.
He even does not know anything about the prana - the energy of life - which
underlays the breathing.
And he is the toy of his "mental - psychic - body"...
Let us try to understand why.
The traditional Yoga teaches that the whole Universe is energy. This
root power is guided by the three Guna
For a human being, excessive tamas leads to breakdown, melancoly, excessive râjas
brings restlessness, anger, greediness, etc.
Tamasic and rajasic energies circulate in the body and grant to him the present turn
of mind. The subtle channels which carry those energies are called nadi
Those short explanations being understood (assuming that the aglossary has been consulted for
the Sanskrit words -if necessary), one may understand that the Yogi purpose and practice aims
to balance the Tamas and Rājas energies, and to develop and improve the Sattwa energy.
To achieve this objective, there is a lot of techniques. The Yoga
(codified by Patañjali) consists of eight stages, which are not necessarily in
succession, but it is merely unwise to overpass the preliminary stages :
More or less, the Yoga path follows this way. However, everybody has to
find (with the help of a capable teacher), the framework of the techniques which fits to him
best : Hatha Yoga, obviously, and also Râja
Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Antar Mauna, Mantra Yoga, Jñana Yoga, etc...
Every teaching underlines such-and-such aspect, but, in any case, it has to satisfy the
compulsory and preliminary purification of the disciple energies, before they can be
adequately transmuted.
On his side, tantrism offers a more direct track, expected to bring quicker results
(only a few decades span of painstaking and regular work).
To be simple, one may say that the goal is to awaken the Sattvic energy of the
Kundalini, asleep in the Mûladhâra chakra We don't intend here to explain more about the chakra symbolism; in fact, it looks to be
a very complex matter. Furthermore, it is linked to practices which are irrelevant in this Web site.
We will only keep in mind that tantric practices emphasize the importance of the Shakti
Hatha Yoga is fundamentaly a tantric way; consequently, it may be practiced
in this full the prospect. However, when Hatha Yoga migrated from India
to Western countries, it grew weaker. Anyway, remember that this word Hatha means
effort, strengh, and yhat there is a trap in the meaning of that word effort : all the Yoga
teachers tell their student not to force themselves...
The Hatha Yoga popularization led most people to know only the physical branch, the
asana (postures). From there, appeared anti-stress yoga for overworked yuppies, exhausted
housewifes, depressed unmarried men and women.
It's not so bad, it's even really nice, but it's the very basic Yoga.
On the other side, tantrism practice may lead, in Western countries, to unfortunate
delusions. Invoking and awakening the Shakti Power requires a very strict life training,
assiduous practice of advanced forms of Yoga (asana, prânâyâma), and
meditation sessions coupled with continuous specific mantra repetition (japa).
All this context must be under the control of a competent Yoga teacher (guru) and
reserved only to adequately trained Yoga students.
In addition, a "sexual" positioning of the tantric Yoga has been developed
in Western countries. One may suppose that this tendency is due to a particular demand
It is true, since many centuries, that specific forms of tantrism focused on sexuality,
more precisely on the mastering of this very powerful force.
However, tantrism adapted to European people has sometimes distorted the fundations of this
very complex and secret science.
We may say secret, since this science requires from the practiser a high level of
qualification, because of real dangers, psychological as well as physical.
Indeed, sexual intercourse, as practised in tantrism, is the acme of a long
partners training. Furthermore, this act is not permitted to culminate in the ejaculation.
The orgasm energy must be voluntarily directed, through the sushumna, from the lowest chakra
(Mûladhara) to the Sahasrara chakra...
Adding the fact that the shakti (here, that word points out the sexual partner) orgasm is
not expected, most amateurs should be discouraged...
Unfortunately, in our countries, the "sexual" tantrism aspects are too often
discussed, or even teached with a dubious complacency by pseudo guru to yoga students greedy to
get "powers" and sensations. When they don't validate a form of sex exchange, these
questionable practices generally end up at disillusions. At best, the "tantric "students
have to content themselves with unusual energy signs (colors, visions, heat, trembling, etc.).
These experiences may reinforce their ego (self-satisfaction), leading them
to a way opposite to the Yoga way...
In any event, we may underline that sexual aspects in tantrism must only be eventually
tackled in the long run, after full achievement of a deep work on energies, opening out onto
the control on purified chakra working.
A few good books :
Ganesh and Tantrism
Ganesh is the Lord of the Mûlâdhâra chakra, which is the first
chakra, the chakra of the base.
The Mûlâdhâra chakra corresponds to the Earth (Prithivî) element;
it is represented by a yellow-colored square figure, in which is written the root-mantra
(bîja-mantra
Therefore, in tantric practices, Ganesh is invoked as the Power able to awake the
Kundalini Shakti.
Indeed, the target of tantric practices (once the context has been correctly appreciated, and the
mentionned-above precautions have been assimilated), is to wake the energy asleep in the
mûladhâra chakra and to make it rising, crossing every chakra, up to the
Sahasrara Chakra. Let us stress this point : this practice is difficult and somewhat
risky if the student expects to run over the stages too quickly.
It is easy to understand why : in every chakra there are blokages (energy nodes, grantha)
which indicate the lack of yogic preparation of this chakra energies.
For exemple : if excessive rajasic energies are vigorously set in motion by
intensive prânâyâma, that can get jammed in the Svâdishthâna
chakra and generate intemperates sexual needs (nice result !), or in the Manipûra
chakra irritate the person who does not understand what happens and why she feels herself
so bad.
In the practices involving Ganesh, we have to remember that the god power is used to transform
our negative forces in positive ones. We know that Hindu gods are definitely universal forces
which take on various functions.
About this topic, read again the
"background" chapter.
Gods act through the mantra which invoke them. Indeed, mantra are very powerful phonemes.
We talk about bîja mantra which are the true vibrations of the deity.
It is absolutely necessary, for several reasons, that working with the Kundalini
implies the use of a bîja mantra under the effective supervision of a skilled
teacher, and in certain circumstances. This is why it's really not very interesting to learn
bîja-mantra in books.
On the other hand, Vedic mantra, used in exoteric rituals, are not dangerous ones;
and they always bring very benefic results.
There are many kinds of tantric mantra. Some are personal mantra used for japa
practice, other satisfy particular purposes.
Mantra bring strong psychic, therapeutic, and spiritual results.
LAM is the bîja-mantra of the Earth element. Therefore, it is
in connexion with the Mûladhara chakra.
GAM is also linked with the Earth element; it is the reason why
one can say that it is a Ganesh bîja-mantra. GLAUM is another
bîja-mantra in connexion with Ganesh.
By contrast, OM is a universal mantra, which must be pronounced before all
the other mantra.
However, we have observed that Ganesh, for his devotees, is OM Himself.
For instance : OM GAM Ganeshaya Namaha.
Mantra purposes are many :
Thus, one may verify that most mantra are specialized ones. They are adressed to specific
Ganesh forms which represent all the specific powers of this god.
To consult the chapter on the Ganesh names.
The very broad range of these names represents a good abstract of the Ganesh powers.
Gâyatrî mantra are Vedic mantra. They are used during pûjâ.
Ganapati Upanishad
om bhadram karnebih shrnuyâma devâh
Mantra 1
om lam namaste ganapataye
Mantra 2
tvam eva pratyaksham tattvam asi; tvam eva kevalam kartâsi; tvam eva kevalam dhartâsi; tvam evam kevalam hartâsi; tvam evam sarvam khalu idam brahmâsi; tvam sâkshât âtmâsi
Mantra 3
nityam rtam vachmi; satyam vachmi
Mantra 4
ava tvam mâm; ava vaktâram; ava shrotâram; ava dâtâram; ava dhâtâram; avânûchânam; ava shishyam; ava purastâttât; ava dakshinâttât; ava pashchâttât; ava uttarâttât; ava cha ûrdhvâttât; avâdharâttât; sarvato mâm pâhi pâhi samantât
Mantra 5
tvam vâñgmayah tvam chinmayah; tvam ânandamayah tvam brahmamayah; tvam sat-chit-ânanda advitîyo asi; tvam pratyaksham brahma asi; tvam jñânamayo vijñânamayo asi
Mantra 6
sarvam jagat idam tvatto jâyate; sarvam jagat idam tvattasstishthati; sarvama jagat idam tvayi layam eshyati; sarvat jagat idam tvayi pratyeti;
Mantra 7. Ganapati Mantra : Ganapati Manu
ganâdîn pûrvam uchchârya, varnâdim tad anantaram; anusvarâh paratarah ardha indu lasitam tatha; târena yuktam, etat eva manu svarûpam.
Mantra 8
gakârah pûrva rûpam; akâro madhyama rûpam; anusvârah cha antya rûpam; bindur uttara rûpam; nâdah sandhânam; samhitâ sandih; sâ eshâ gâneshî vidyâ
Mantra 9
ganakah rishih; nrchat gâyatrî chhandah; shrî mahâ ganapatir devatâ; om ganapataye namah
Mantra 10. Ganapati Gayatri
eka dantaya vidmahe; vakratundaya dhîmahi; tanno dantih prachodayât
Mantra 11. Meditation on Ganapati (Dhyâna)
eka dantam chatur hastam pâshâm angkusha dhârinam; abhayam varadam hastair bibhrânam mûshaka dhvajam
Mantra 12
raktam lambodaram shûrpam sukarnam rakta vâsanam; rakta gandhânuliptânggam rakta pushpaih supûjitam
Mantra 13
bhaktânu kampinam devam jagat kâranam achyutam; âvir bhûtam cha srshtyâdau prakriteh purushât param
Mantra 14
evam dhyâyati yo nityam, sa yogî yoginâm varah
Mantra 15
namo vrâtapataye, namo ganapataye, namah pramatha pataye, namaste astu lambodarâya ekandatâya, vighna vinâshine shiva sutâya varada mûrtaye namo namah
The endd of the Upanishad is :
om saha nau avatu sahau nau bhunaktu saha vîryam karavâvahai tejasvinau avadhîtam astu mâ vidvishâvahai
Nota : From the book "Ganapati" by R.L. Kashyap, Ed Saksi, 2005.
dukha dvandvana phandana harana | sundara suvana mahesha ||
jai gananayaka janasukha dayaka | vishva vinayaka buddhi-vidhayaka ||
tilaka tripunda bhala sasi sohata | chabi sakhi sura nara muni mana mohata ||
kara kuthara suchi subhaga trishulam | modaka bhoga sugandhita phulam ||
dhani shiva-suvana bhuvana sukha data | gauri-lalana sadanana bharata ||
tava mahima ko varne par | janma charitra vichitra tumhara ||
yaha karana te shri shiva-pyari | nija tana-maila murti rachi dari ||
jabahim svayam shri shiva taham aye | binu pahichana jana nahim paye ||
main hum gauri-suta suni lijai | age paga na bhavana hita dijai ||
chalana chahyo shiva bachana na manyo | taba hvai kruddha yuddha tuma thanyo ||
Srisha phula sama sira kati gayau | chata uRi lopa gagana maham bhayau ||
puche shiva nija mana mushakaye | kahahu sati suta kaham te jaye ||
kiyo na bhala svami aba jao | lao sisa jaham se pao ||
dhaRa upara sthita kara dinhyom | prana-vayu samchalana kinhyom ||
bhe prabhu prathama pujya sukhadayaka | vighna vinashaka buddhi vidhayaka ||
sumirahim tumahim milahim sukha nana | binu tava kripa na kahum kalyana ||
Jabahim pariksha shiva tuhim linha | pradakshina prithvi kahi dinha ||
rama nama mahi para likhi anka | kinha pradakshina taji mana shanka ||
prithvi parikrama phala payo | asa lakhi surana sumana varsayo ||
virachyo shri ganesha chalisa | shiva purana varnita yogisha ||
jana-dhana-dhanya suvana sukha dayaka | dehim sakala subha shri gananayaka ||
Shri ganesa yaha chalisa, patha karai dhari dhyana | nita nava mamgala moda lahi ||
milai jagata sammana ||
deva varadam sakala âgamâdyam;
dharma artha kâma phaladam bhava-moksha haetam;
vâchâma agocharan anâdim ananta-rûpam
nânâvatâra niratam nijarakshanâya;
kshîrâbdivâsam amarâdhipa bandham aesham;
pâpâpaham ripuharam bhava-mukti haetam
vyâghrâjinâvritamuda tadayam nandjae;
narayanaendra varadam surasiddha justam;
sarpâm trishula damarûn dadhatam purârim
gâdândhakâra haram uttama loka vandyam;
vedatrayâtmaka mudastasurâri nâyam;
jnanaika haetam urushaktim udârabhâram
samsâra sindhu parapâratarim trinaetrâm;
tâttvâdi karana mudstâsurâri nâyâm;
mâyenayîm suramunîndra nutâm suraeshîm
Sashivarnam chaturbhujam
Prasanna vadanam dhyâyet
Sarva vighnopa shantâye
O moon hued, four-shouldered One
with smiling face so pleasing,
upon You we meditate
for removing all obstacles.
kâvinkavīnâmupamashravastamam
jyêshtharâjam brahmanâm brahmanaspata
ânah shrinvan nûtibhih shîdasâdanam
the Protector of Noble People
the Best Poet,
the Most Honorable,
the Greatest Ruler and the Treasure of all Knowledge.
O Ganapati ! Please listen to us
and take Your seat in our heart.
sugandham sumanoharam
âghreyah-sarvadevânâm
dhûpo-yam pratigrihyatâm
made of sweet-smelling herbs.
This is meant for the devas.
Please accept it.
brahmarûpa charavae
sarva siddhi pradaeshâ,ya
vighneshâya namo namaha
stated precisely about the Hindu main six branches (Shanmata).
The branch of the Ganesh worshippers, who consider this deity as the Supreme One,
is known as the Gânapatya branch. Of course, all of these different branches
were considered as orthodox, that is to say in accordance with the Veda teachings.
.
);
his body right side is Sûrya, his body left side is Shakti
.
He is the OM sound, he is the Lord of the Five Elements.
Mahâ Ganapati
, the Great Ganapati; his color is red, he owns
ten arms and wears the Goddess seated on his left lap. Mahâ Ganapati
is the Ganesh esoteric form which seems to be most often represented
Haridrâ Ganapati with four arms and three eyes;
his color is the curcuma yellow
Ucchista Ganapati, red, seated in the lotus position
(padmasana); he embraces the naked Nîlâ Sarasvatî, Goddess, of a nice blue
color. The Ucchista Ganapati worshippers follow esoteric practices ("the left hand
path") very particular, prohibited by other branches.
ultimate target is to
free human beings from their limitations.
in sanskrit.
We don't intend to discuss here about the intrinsic existence or non-existence of the soul.
At the very least, this concept leads to some confusion when it is compared with
the super-conscious states experienced by the great Yogis
(we don't speak about the students of a
Yoga course - even a high level one...).
. The word Guna
can be translated, for want of something better, by "mode of existence",
"position characterizing everything".
.
Yama, or social behaviour : ahimsa (non-violence),
satya (truth), asteya (honesty), brahmâcharya (sexual control)
,
aparigraha (absence of possessivity)
Niyama, or moral rules in the personal life :
shaucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (austerity)
,
svâdhyâya (self-observance),
îshvarapranidhâna (surrender to God)
Asana, postures
Prânâyâma
, breath control,
Prana
and other energies
named above mastering (the Prana is the
life energy, conveyed by the breath)
Pratyâhâra : senses withdrawal
Dhâranâ,
concentration on a visible or mental meditation support
Dhyâna :
the deep meditation state
Samâdhi : the immersion in the Super-Consciousness.
and to conduct this energy, via the sushumna nadi, crossing every chakra, up to
the Sahasrara chakra.
.
Arthur Avalon. La Puissance du Serpent. Mystiques et Religions. Dervy-Livres, Paris, 1981
Julius Evola. Le Yoga tantrique; sa métaphysique,
ses pratiques. Arthème Fayard, Paris; collection documents spirituels, 1971
Tara Michaël. Introduction aux voies du Yoga. Editions
du Rocher, Monaco; 1980
Tara Michaël. Hatha Yoga Pradîpikâ. Fayard, Paris, 1974
Tara Michaël. Corps subtil et corps causal. Les six cakra et le
kundalini Yoga. Le Courrier du Livre, Paris; 1979
Sri Swami Sivananda. Yoga de la Kundalini. Préface
d'André Van Lysebeth. EPI Editeurs, Rue des Saints Pères, Paris; 1973
) LAM; this square is bordered, on the four sides,
by four petals. Inside the square figure, below the bîja-mantra, one generally
finds the Shiva Lingam ,
black-colored, in a turned down summit triangle. The snake, representing the Kundalini
asleep power, is wound around this Shiva Lingam.
Every bîja-mantra is associated with a carrier-animal (vâhana
). The vâhana of LAM is the elephant.
Please note : the final a f the word namaha is not pronounced.
bhadram pashyema akshabhir yajatrah
sthurair angaih tushtuvâmsah tanûbhir
vyashema devahitam yadâyuh
om shântih shântih shântih
tvam bhûmih âpo analo anilo nabhah; tvam chatvâri vâk parimitâ padâni;
tvam guna trayâtîtah; tvam deha trayâtîtah; tvam kâla trayâtîtah; tvam mulâdhare sthito asi nityam; tvam shakti trayâtmakah;
tvam yogino dhyâyanti nityam; tvam brahmâ, tvam vishnuh, tvam rudrah, tvam indra, tvam agnih, tvam vâyuh, tvam sûryah, tvam chandramâh, tvam brahma, bhûr bhuvah suvar om.
om shântih shântih shântih
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