Why Does Lord Ganesha Create Obstacles?

Once, Lord Ganesha took birth as Brahma's son. Do you know about this?

At the beginning of creation, Lord Ganesha created five powers: Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Shakti, and Surya.

• Brahma for creating the world.
• Vishnu for managing the created world.
• Rudra for eliminating the created world at the end.
• Shakti is the base material that is used for creating the world and also the power imposing limitations and boundaries on the created beings.
• Surya is the prompting power and energy behind all actions in the world.

Brahma thought, 'I am the greatest among these five powers. That is why Lord Ganesha has entrusted the task of creation to me.' This thought made Brahma arrogant. He forgot even Lord Ganesha.

At the beginning of anything, Ganesha puja needs to be done. He forgot to do that.

Soon, the ganas of Lord Ganesha appeared—horrifying forms of all kinds. Some had three eyes, some had five eyes, some had eyes on their backs. Some had ten faces, while some had a thousand faces.

What exactly is this Ganesha pujanam? What exactly is the Ganesha smaranam?

Atharva Sheersham says:
Tameva prataksham tattwamasi
Twameva sarvam khalvidam brahmasi

Lord Ganesha is Parabrahma, Paramatma. Every living and non-living being is a manifestation of Lord Ganesha. They are Lord Ganesha.

If you do not remember this and engage in worldly activities with emotions such as anger, pride, jealousy, and greed, then you are taken over by the asuri shakti of Matsarasura, the end of which is disaster.

So, before this happens, Lord Ganesha himself will cause obstacles in your path by sending his ganas—so that you can do a course correction.

This is what happened with Brahma as well. He forgot that he was just a delegate of Lord Ganesha, just as the other powers also were. He thought he was superior.

Now, Lord Ganesha could not allow someone as important as Brahma to go wrong. So, he had to make Brahma realize his mistake. Otherwise, Brahma would assume asuri bhava, and the creation itself would assume asuri bhava—full of deception, cruelty, cheating, lies, and dishonesty.

So, even in your case, whenever you meet with an obstacle, do an introspection. Lord Ganesha is telling you that you are going wrong somewhere. If you continue with this attitude, this present approach to life, then you will end up being a loser, with the purpose of your whole birth defeated.

The lord's ganas started tormenting Brahma. He was punched and kicked around. He was being thrown here and there, just like how naughty children play with toys.

Brahma's arrogance vanished.

See, everywhere, what Lord Ganesha does is reformation. He reformed Matsarasura and made him into a good ruler.

Brahma started observing intense tapas to please Lord Ganesha. When he started doing this, the ganas disappeared. After a long and intense tapas, Lord Ganesha appeared before him in his Vakratunda form, seated on a lion.

Looking at this form, Brahma got scared and said, 'Please assume a gentler form.'

The lord said, 'This is my gentle form, which I have assumed since I am pleased with you.'

Then you can imagine what his original form is like.

'Ask for anything, any boon,' the lord said.

Brahma replied, 'Bhakti, firm bhakti at your feet—that is what I want. That will bring everything else.'

And Brahma asked for one more thing: 'Please take birth as my son.'

Brahma realized that it was the excess of rajoguna in him that had made him arrogant.

'Please take birth as my son. I know as a good son you will always protect your father. Prevent me from going wrong again.'

Lord Vakratunda promised him, 'Yes, I will take birth as your son.'

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi