Practical Lessons from Ganesha Festival
By: Amit Chavan
Let's talk about the Ganesha festival.
It's really great that we celebrate the festival and come together but along with that I strongly feel that we should not miss the real essence of it.
If we closely observe, Ganesha Festival is celebrated in three prime stages.
1. Srijan (Creation)
2. Poojan (Devotion)
3. Visarjan (Immersion)
1. Srijan (Creation)
Ganesha’s Idol is created from clay, but the interesting thing to be noticed here is the idol is never worshipped in the shop.
It is worshipped only after Prana Pratistha.
Prana means life force, breath.
The Sanskrit word pratiṣṭhā, which in general usage means "resting" or "position", used in connection with a murti is translated by Apte as "the consecration of an idol or image.
Well, it is a rite or ceremony by which a murti (image of a god) is consecrated at houses or pandals. Wherein hymns and mantras are recited to invite the deity to be resident guest, and the idol's eye is opened for the first time.
Practical Lesson -
Only to be born as humans will not make us Human.
We can call it the Human body, but to be known as Human, we need to establish human values in ourselves.
We can say that if it is a stage of self-realization then only we will be praised and considered as Human beings.
2. Poojan (Devotion)
The devotion of Lord Ganesha is done in various forms, someone offers Lord Ganesha’s favorite food to him, someone does Aarti day and night, someone recites and chants mantras, someone demands something to almighty and so on... As Per the 7th Chapter of Bhagwat Geeta, Bhagwan Shri Krishna categories 4 types of Devotees
a. Who pray for worldly achievements
b. Who pray out of fear
c. Who pray out of curiosity
d. Who prays as enlightened
Practical Lesson –
After getting Birth, As per our upbringing and company. We start developing our nature, and while living in this world either
a. We live only for worldly achievements
b. We live in fear of future, society, and uncontrolled circumstances
c. We live with curiosity to unfold the secrets of Life
d. We live as an enlightened soul.
We need to carry out our analysis, find out in which category we fall in? And just like a software update on your cell phone or PC, Upgrade yourselves to the next level.
3. Visarjan (Immersion)
Depending on the days, after praising Lord Ganesha for 1.5 days, 3 Days, 5 Days, 7 Days or 10 Days - After Uttar Pooja, it's time to immerse Ganesha’s Idol in Water. This Visarjan is celebrated with Dhol-Nagara, nowadays with DJ where devotees dance and bid adieu to their favorite deity with a Promise – Ganpati Bappa Morya – Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Yaa. (Come back early next year oh my Lord)
Practical Lesson – I strongly feel that it is one of the very important lessons in our life. This stage signifies that even when God appears in front of us in mortal form, he has to leave this world. Even we don’t know for how many days we will live, it may end in lesser or more than 1.5, 3, 5, 7, 10 seconds, minutes, days, months, years. We all are going to perish some or the other day. It is important to bid adieu this world with peace and happiness. My spiritual master used to quote
“Panda Ae Maran Vele, Mubaaraq Koi Koi”
Very few people in this world get congratulations at the time of death - congratulations - because one has accomplished the task assigned to it. Those who serve the purpose of life only they can celebrate death too and nobody else.
Let us not only celebrate this festival, rather let’s learn from it. Every person goes through these three stages of Creation, Devotion, and Immersion but not every person grows through it. Let us make this festival a reason to grow. Let's manifest Almighty Lord Ganesha in our Mind, Heart, and Soul which will let us realize God everywhere - in everything.
By: Amit Chavan (Mumbai)
By: Amit Chavan
Let's talk about the Ganesha festival.
It's really great that we celebrate the festival and come together but along with that I strongly feel that we should not miss the real essence of it.
If we closely observe, Ganesha Festival is celebrated in three prime stages.
1. Srijan (Creation)
2. Poojan (Devotion)
3. Visarjan (Immersion)
1. Srijan (Creation)
Ganesha’s Idol is created from clay, but the interesting thing to be noticed here is the idol is never worshipped in the shop.
It is worshipped only after Prana Pratistha.
Prana means life force, breath.
The Sanskrit word pratiṣṭhā, which in general usage means "resting" or "position", used in connection with a murti is translated by Apte as "the consecration of an idol or image.
Well, it is a rite or ceremony by which a murti (image of a god) is consecrated at houses or pandals. Wherein hymns and mantras are recited to invite the deity to be resident guest, and the idol's eye is opened for the first time.
Practical Lesson -
Only to be born as humans will not make us Human.
We can call it the Human body, but to be known as Human, we need to establish human values in ourselves.
We can say that if it is a stage of self-realization then only we will be praised and considered as Human beings.
2. Poojan (Devotion)
The devotion of Lord Ganesha is done in various forms, someone offers Lord Ganesha’s favorite food to him, someone does Aarti day and night, someone recites and chants mantras, someone demands something to almighty and so on... As Per the 7th Chapter of Bhagwat Geeta, Bhagwan Shri Krishna categories 4 types of Devotees
a. Who pray for worldly achievements
b. Who pray out of fear
c. Who pray out of curiosity
d. Who prays as enlightened
Practical Lesson –
After getting Birth, As per our upbringing and company. We start developing our nature, and while living in this world either
a. We live only for worldly achievements
b. We live in fear of future, society, and uncontrolled circumstances
c. We live with curiosity to unfold the secrets of Life
d. We live as an enlightened soul.
We need to carry out our analysis, find out in which category we fall in? And just like a software update on your cell phone or PC, Upgrade yourselves to the next level.
3. Visarjan (Immersion)
Depending on the days, after praising Lord Ganesha for 1.5 days, 3 Days, 5 Days, 7 Days or 10 Days - After Uttar Pooja, it's time to immerse Ganesha’s Idol in Water. This Visarjan is celebrated with Dhol-Nagara, nowadays with DJ where devotees dance and bid adieu to their favorite deity with a Promise – Ganpati Bappa Morya – Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Yaa. (Come back early next year oh my Lord)
Practical Lesson – I strongly feel that it is one of the very important lessons in our life. This stage signifies that even when God appears in front of us in mortal form, he has to leave this world. Even we don’t know for how many days we will live, it may end in lesser or more than 1.5, 3, 5, 7, 10 seconds, minutes, days, months, years. We all are going to perish some or the other day. It is important to bid adieu this world with peace and happiness. My spiritual master used to quote
“Panda Ae Maran Vele, Mubaaraq Koi Koi”
Very few people in this world get congratulations at the time of death - congratulations - because one has accomplished the task assigned to it. Those who serve the purpose of life only they can celebrate death too and nobody else.
Let us not only celebrate this festival, rather let’s learn from it. Every person goes through these three stages of Creation, Devotion, and Immersion but not every person grows through it. Let us make this festival a reason to grow. Let's manifest Almighty Lord Ganesha in our Mind, Heart, and Soul which will let us realize God everywhere - in everything.
By: Amit Chavan (Mumbai)
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