Ganesha Tatwa - Part 4

चतुर्विधधरायैव चतुर्विधमयाय च चतुर्विधविहीनाय स्वसंवेद्याय ते नमः

Chaturvidha Dharaha – the divisions into four – he has only done this. As the four states – jagrat, swapna, sushupti, and tureeya – the four states of awareness. The four varnas – for ease of administration. The four ashramas – for easier spiritual growth. They are all put in place by him only.

It is his presence that you see in all these – hence he is Chaturvidha Mayaha. But is he bound by all these? No, he is Chaturvidha Viheena. He is Swasamvedya – he can be understood only through him. He cannot be understood through descriptions or comparisons. He can be understood only through his own mercy.

पाशङ्कुशधरायैव दंताभयधराय च चतुर्भुजाय वै शुर्पश्रुतये तुंदिलाय च

With his pasha or rope, he binds the world in maya. Through his ankusha, he keeps the world under his control. Abhaya and vara – he only protects, and he only fulfills all desires. Holding these four in his four hands, this is what is being revealed.

And ear lobes as big as winnows. What is a winnow used for? For removing the unwanted from the grains, to make grains good for consumption. So let us have discretion about what we hear. Let us have the viveka to segregate what to believe and follow and what not to believe and follow from what we hear.

महते चैकदंताय महतां च महीयसे लघवे लघुरूपाय लघूनां लाघवे नमः

He is great. He is Ekadanta. The other danta he has sacrificed, made into a writing tool for writing scriptures to take the world out of delusion. He is the greatest among the great. But at the same time, he can assume a form that is the lightest also. Even though he is enormous, he can contain the whole universe in his belly. He can be as light as well, as light as an anu, an atom, even lighter than that.

गजवक्त्राय देवाय ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मरूपिणे ब्रह्मणस्पतये चैव ब्रह्मदात्रे नमो नमः

He is Gajavaktra. Why does the Lord have a Gajavaktra, the head of an elephant? It is a big topic in itself. We will discuss this some other time. For the time being, let us understand that his human body signifies Jeevatma, and the elephant head signifies Paramatma. In this way, Jeevatma and Paramatma together, inseparable, in a single body, the Lord represents the Vedantic principle Tattvamasi.

He is Brahmanaspati – Pati of Brahma, Lord of Knowledge. And he only gives knowledge, Brahmajana, hence he is Brahma Daata.

किमस्माभिः स्तुतिः कार्या ह्यपारगुणराशये नमो नमो गणेशाय त्वं तुष्टो भव सर्वदा

Tattwas say, how can we praise you sufficiently? We have hardly understood you. We hardly know you. But still, may you be pleased with whatever we have said.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi