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SANKASTAHARA CHATURTHI KR 4 OR GANESH CHATURTHI-SU-4
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesh. It is the day most sacred to Lord Ganesh. It falls on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada (August-September). Clay figures of the Deity are made and after being worshipped for two days, or in some cases ten days, they are submerged into water. He is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and the elder brother of Skanda or Kartikeya.The following story is narrated about His birth and how He came to have the head of an elephant: Once upon a time, the Goddess Gauri (consort of Lord Shiva), while bathing, created Ganesh as a pure white being out of the mud of Her Body and placed Him at the entrance of the house. She instructed him not to allow anyone to enter while she went inside for a bath. Lord Shiva Himself was returning home quite thirsty and was stopped by Ganesh at the gate. Shiva became angry and cut off Ganesh's head as He thought Ganesh was an outsider. When Gauri came to know of this she was very much grieved. To console her grief, Shiva ordered His GUNAS to cut off and bring to Him the head of any creature that might be sleeping with its head facing north. The GUNAS went on their mission and found only an elephant in that position. The sacrifice was thus made and the elephant's head was brought before Shiva. The Lord then joined the elephant's head onto the body of Ganesh. Lord Shiva made His son worthy of worship at the beginning of all undertakings, marriages, expeditions, studies, etc. He ordained that the annual worship of Ganesh should take place on the 4th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada. This puja is commonly performed on Ganesh Chaturthi day i.e. 4th day of bright half of moon in Bhadrapad month. Puja is done where possible at 1200hrs and morning 0600hrs or earlier. Ganesh or Ganapati is an extremely popular God in India. He is called Vighneshvara or Vighnaharta, the Lord of and destroyer of obstacles. He is worshipped before any venture is started. He is also the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature, and the fine arts. In his first lesson in the alphabet a Maharashtrian child is initiated into the Mantra of Lord Ganesh, Aum Sri Ganeshaya Namah. Only then is the alphabet taught. The following are some of the common Names of Lord Ganesh: Dhoomraketu, Sumukha, Ekadantha, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vignaraja, Ganadhyaksha, Phalachandra, Gajanana, Vinayaka, Vakratunda, Siddhivinayaka, Surpakarna, Heramba, Skandapurvaja, Kapila and Vigneshwara. He is also known by many as Maha-Ganapathi. His Mantra is AUM Gung Ganapathaye Namah. Spiritual aspirants who worship Ganesh as their Deity repeat this Mantra or AUM Sri Ganeshaya Namah. The devotees of Ganesh also do Japa of the Ganesh Gayatri Mantra. This is as follows. Tat purushaaya vidmahe Vakratundaaya dheemahi Tanno dhanti prachodayaat. He has as his vehicle as small mouse. He is the presiding Deity of the Muladhara Chakra, the psychic centre in the body in which the Kundalini Shakti resides. His Bija Akshara (root syllable) is Gung, pronounced to rhyme with the English word "sung". He is the Lord of harmony and peace. Lord Ganesh represents AUM or the Pranava, which is the chief Mantra among the Hindus. Nothing can be done without uttering it. This explains the practice of invoking Ganesh before beginning any rite or undertaking any project. His two feet represent the power of knowledge and the power of action. The elephant head is significant in that it is the only figure in nature that has the form of the symbol for AUM. The significance of riding on a mouse is the complete conquest over egoism. The holding of the ankusha represents His rulership of the world. It is the emblem of divine Royalty. Riding on a mouse, one of nature's smallest creatures and having the head of an elephant, the biggest of all animals, denotes that Ganesh is the creator of all creatures. Elephants are very wise animals; this indicates that Lord Ganesh is an embodiment of wisdom. It also denotes the process of evolution--the mouse gradually evolves into an elephant and finally becomes a man. This is why Ganesh has a human body, an elephant's head and a mouse as His vehicle. This is the symbolic philosophy of His form. He is the Lord of Gunas or groups, for instance groups of elements, groups of senses, etc. He is the head of the followers of Shiva or the celestial servants of Lord Shiva. Lord Ganesh's two powers are the Kundalini and the Vallabha or power of love.He carries a Modak (sweet dumpling) in one hand, for his appetite is insatiable, and conscious of his role the other hand shows in the 'abhaya mudra' (do not fear, I am here to protect). Another legend explains Ganesha's role in changing astronomy. In the month of Shravan and Bhadrapad, after a feast of modaks Ganesha was on his way home. He is very fond of sweet pudding or balls of rice flour with a sweet core. On one of His birthdays He was going around house to house accepting the offerings of sweet puddings. He was riding his mouse, a snake slithered into their path, and the mouse tripped and Ganesh took a tumble. His stomach split, and the modaks fell out, Chandra (the Moon) was watching and he began to laugh. Ganesh picked up the snake and used it as a belt to hold his stomach together. Seeing all this, the moon in the sky had a hearty laugh. This unseemly behavior of the moon annoyed Him immensely and so he pulled out one of His tusks and hurled it against the moon, and cursed Chandra and banned him from the night skies. Soon the gods and humankind were dazed with glare of the relentless Sun. There was no respite of darkness when the Moon was banished from the sky. The gods took a delegation to Ganesh and pleaded their case. Ganesh gave in, but made an astronomic condition. The Moon would never shine like before. Full Moon would be just once a month (earlier every day was a full moon). On other days the Chandra as a reminder of his misadventure should wax or wane! Ganesh and His brother Lord Subramanya once had a dispute as to who was the wise and should be worshiped first out of the two. The matter was referred to Lord Shiva for final decision. Shiva decided that whoever would make a tour of the whole world and come back first to the starting point had the right to be the elder. Subramanya flew off at once on his vehicle, the peacock, to make a circuit of the world. But the wise Ganesh went, in loving worship, around His divine parents and asked for that he be declared as having won the race. Lord Shiva said, "Beloved and wise Ganesh! But how can I give you the prize; you did not go around the world?" Ganesh replied, "No, but I have gone around my parents. My parents represent the entire manifested universe!" Thus the dispute was settled in favor of Lord Ganesh. Mother Parvati also gave Him a fruit as a prize for this victory. In the Ganapathi Upanishad, Ganesh is identified with the Supreme Self. The legends that are connected with Lord Ganesh are recorded in the Ganesh Khanda of the Brahma Vivartha Purana. On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, meditate on the stories connected with Lord Ganesh, during the Brahma Muhurta period. Then, after taking a bath, go to the temple and do the prayers of Lord Ganesh. Offer Him some coconut and sweet pudding. Worship Him at home, too. You can get the assistance of a pundit. Have an image of Lord Ganesh in your house. Feel His Presence in it. May the blessings of Sri Ganesh be upon you all! May He remove all the obstacles that stand in your spiritual path! May He bestow on you all material prosperity as well as liberation! Both men and women can observe the fast. After early morning bath, etc. A Kaalsha and Ganesh idol are installed and worshiped with home made ladoos of jaggery and sesame seeds (til). Moon-god and Rohini are also worshipped ritually and offered naivedya. This is observed as a Vrat, in the evening after sunset and moonrise. The purpose is to get rid of obstacles or problems in life. Fasting during the day, worship of the idol of Lord Ganesh with 16 upacaras, offering of modaks (ladoos) and gifts are given to the Brahmins. This vrat may be done for the life or 21 years or for 1 year. Even Shiva is said to observe this vrat when he wanted to defeat the demon Taraka! The Krishna Paksha Chaturthi of every month is called by the name (Sankastha Chaturthi). The word Puja is derived: Puh means " the achievement of the fruits of enjoyments. The daily and occasional rites yield their benefits in due course but the fruits of Kamya rites are instant. The necessary rites are performed every day. The occasional rites are performed in particularly months, fortnights, years on special occasions. In the Kamya rites one derives the fruits after sin has been stop. Mahaganapati Puja shall be performed on the 4th day of the Krishna Paksha of the Lunar month. This rite removes of the sins of the whole fortnight and gives enjoyment for full fortnight. The worship performed on the 4th day of the Lunar month Caitra gives benefits for a month. The worship performed in the months of Simha (LEO) and Bhadrapad gives enjoyment of the worldly pleasure for a year. The days of special worship of Ganesh are Fridays, the 4th day of the bright half of the Lunar months of Sravana and Bhadrapad and Satabisha star of the month of SAGITTARIUS. He shall be worshiped duly on these days. The person shall worship continuously for 100 or 1000 days. While North Indians are believers of Vishnu and South Indians believe in Shiva, Ganesh is worshipped throughout India. |
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