I like the months from April - Nov more, as it marks many festivals and gives us a festive atmosphere all around.
Tomorrow which is Tamil month of Avani (August), valarpirai chathurthi (4th day of waxing moon) is celebrated as Vinayaka Chaturthi.
All our prayers and worships start only after praying to Vinayaka. Let me start this post also after offering prayers to Vinayaka.
"Mooshika vahana mothaka hastha
samara karna vilambitha soothra
vamana roopa maheshwara puthra
vigna vinayaka patha namasthe"
As we celebrate his birthday, let us know his story of birth. This version of story is from Shiva Puranam.
One day Goddess Parvati wife of Lord Shiva, wanted to take bath. She made a small boy Ganesha out of the scurf from her body and placed him in the entrance and asked him not to allow anyone till she complete her bath. Lord Shiva returned home and was feeling thirsty. He was interrupted by the small boy Ganesha who was standing outside guarding at the entrance. Ganesha told, "Mother asked me not to allow anyone till she completes her bath. So please wait."
Shiva got angry on seeing this and told, "I am Shiva, Parvati's wife and no one can stop me from going inside my home." This created a tussle between them and Lord Shiva suspecting the boy to be an outsider cut off his head.
When Parvati came out and learnt what happened, she grieved for the state of the boy she created.
Lord Shiva in order to set things right, asked his Bootha Ganas to get the head of a creature which is sleeping facing north and bring that creature to Him.
Bootha Ganas found an elephant sleeping facing north and got its head to Lord Shiva. He then attached the head of the elephant over the boy's neck and made him alive.
Parvati was worried about Ganesha's elephant head, but Shiva consoled her saying Ganesha will be the foremost God to be worshiped before starting any activity or rituals. He bestowed that Ganesha will remove all the hindrances and obstacles in our efforts to achieve some task and bless us with success.
Let us all offer our prayers to Lord Ganesha and seek His blessings to remove obstacles on the path of our achievements.
Lord Ganesha's form has many significances which is good to know as we pay our worship to Him.
Big head reminds us to "Think Big"
Small eyes points us to "Concentrate in our work"
Large ears asks us to "Listen more"
Small mouth reminds us to "Talk less"
Long trunk symbolizes strength and fine discriminative power
(Elephant can pull off a tree with his trunk and also can pick a needle. A wise man should cultivate immense strength and fine capability to carry out big tasks as well as meticulous jobs)
Big stomach reminds us to digest patiently and peacefully the good and bad we face in life
Mothaka represents the rewards for our Sadhana.
(A point to be noted is that we cannot see Ganesha eating Mothaka. He just have them in His hand. So, a wise man never gets attached to the rewards of his deeds)
Mouse is the vahana (vehicle) for Ganesha and resembles that we should keep our desires under control.
(Senses and desires keep a man nibbling always and hence has to be kept under control, otherwise it will have a ride on us)
Let us listen to this beautiful Kids Bhajan on Vinayaka
http://vimeo.com/22187130
Inputs: The Symoblism of Hindu Gods and Rituals, by A. Parthasarathy
Tomorrow which is Tamil month of Avani (August), valarpirai chathurthi (4th day of waxing moon) is celebrated as Vinayaka Chaturthi.
All our prayers and worships start only after praying to Vinayaka. Let me start this post also after offering prayers to Vinayaka.
"Mooshika vahana mothaka hastha
samara karna vilambitha soothra
vamana roopa maheshwara puthra
vigna vinayaka patha namasthe"
As we celebrate his birthday, let us know his story of birth. This version of story is from Shiva Puranam.
One day Goddess Parvati wife of Lord Shiva, wanted to take bath. She made a small boy Ganesha out of the scurf from her body and placed him in the entrance and asked him not to allow anyone till she complete her bath. Lord Shiva returned home and was feeling thirsty. He was interrupted by the small boy Ganesha who was standing outside guarding at the entrance. Ganesha told, "Mother asked me not to allow anyone till she completes her bath. So please wait."
Shiva got angry on seeing this and told, "I am Shiva, Parvati's wife and no one can stop me from going inside my home." This created a tussle between them and Lord Shiva suspecting the boy to be an outsider cut off his head.
When Parvati came out and learnt what happened, she grieved for the state of the boy she created.
Lord Shiva in order to set things right, asked his Bootha Ganas to get the head of a creature which is sleeping facing north and bring that creature to Him.
Bootha Ganas found an elephant sleeping facing north and got its head to Lord Shiva. He then attached the head of the elephant over the boy's neck and made him alive.
Parvati was worried about Ganesha's elephant head, but Shiva consoled her saying Ganesha will be the foremost God to be worshiped before starting any activity or rituals. He bestowed that Ganesha will remove all the hindrances and obstacles in our efforts to achieve some task and bless us with success.
Let us all offer our prayers to Lord Ganesha and seek His blessings to remove obstacles on the path of our achievements.
Lord Ganesha's form has many significances which is good to know as we pay our worship to Him.
Big head reminds us to "Think Big"
Small eyes points us to "Concentrate in our work"
Large ears asks us to "Listen more"
Small mouth reminds us to "Talk less"
Long trunk symbolizes strength and fine discriminative power
(Elephant can pull off a tree with his trunk and also can pick a needle. A wise man should cultivate immense strength and fine capability to carry out big tasks as well as meticulous jobs)
Big stomach reminds us to digest patiently and peacefully the good and bad we face in life
Mothaka represents the rewards for our Sadhana.
(A point to be noted is that we cannot see Ganesha eating Mothaka. He just have them in His hand. So, a wise man never gets attached to the rewards of his deeds)
Mouse is the vahana (vehicle) for Ganesha and resembles that we should keep our desires under control.
(Senses and desires keep a man nibbling always and hence has to be kept under control, otherwise it will have a ride on us)
Let us listen to this beautiful Kids Bhajan on Vinayaka
http://vimeo.com/22187130
Inputs: The Symoblism of Hindu Gods and Rituals, by A. Parthasarathy
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