Ganesh Chaturthi: Accessing the energy of Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh is said to be the deity closest to the physical world. He is regarded as the god of wisdom, knowledge and prosperity. On Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi, it is believed to be easier to access the energy of Ganesh.

The name Ganesh is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘gan’ and ‘esh’. ‘Gan’ means jan samooh, or the general people, while ‘esh’ means supreme or Lord. Lord Ganesha is considered the supreme deity of the common man, the guardian of the spiritual world and the first energy that grants access to higher dimensions. He is therefore also known as the pratham pujya, or the first deity to be worshipped.

Every aspect of this energy is believed to have its own significance. The elephant head symbolises supreme intelligence, while the human body and large belly represent a reservoir of energy stored in the manipoorak chakra, which is located at the navel.

Ganesh is regarded as the child of Mahadev, the supreme purush, and Adi Shakti, the mother of creation. Riddhi, representing prosperity, and Siddhi, representing spiritual powers, are said to be married to Ganpati. This signifies that Ganpati is an energy that bestows both spiritual and worldly boons. It also reflects the philosophy given in the shastras that the attainment of worldly pleasures is essential for reaching higher realms, including moksha or liberation.

This is also the reason why, in yogic practices such as the Sanatan Kriya, the first sadhna given to a sadhak, or spiritual aspirant, is Ganpati sadhna and Ganpati jaap. It is believed to open the doorway to lokas beyond bhu-loka, the physical dimension of creation.

The jaap and mala are received from the Guru, who channelises the energy into the mantra, paving the way for its siddhi. Sadhaks at Dhyan Ashram who have been seriously practising various mantra siddhis are said to have experienced physical manifestations of various gods.

To master the mantra of Lord Ganesh, it is important to move the mala, made of rudraksha beads, while chanting. As the mala moves, the shakti of the mantra is believed to accumulate in the mala and its meru. The various tantric mantras are used later in sadhna for specific purposes, with their application taking place through the meru.

Ganesh Chaturthi is regarded as the day when the energy of Lord Ganesh is most easily accessible to human beings. A yagya invoking the energy of Ganesh, performed on this day under the guidance of a Guru and with purity of thought (bhaav), chanting (uccharan) and offerings (samagri and samidha), is believed to unlock doorways to subtler dimensions and enable individuals to realise their true potential.

Such a yagya is also believed to purify the home and the karmas of participants while stimulating the manifestation of thoughts and desires, as experienced, according to Dhyan Ashram, by practitioners of the Sanatan Kriya.

Ashwini Guruji is the guiding light of Dhyan Ashram and an authority on Vedic Sciences. His book, Sanatan Kriya: The Ageless Dimension, is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing.

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