The Practice: A Nath approach to Ganesha

The Ganesha Practice (Sadhana)

Ganesha's special day is called Ganesha chatur or chaturti, Ganesha fourth. Four is an inauspicious number, but as far as Ganesha is concerned that doesn't matter, because he is a Tantrik deity and things are not what they seem. Ganesha's chatur is calculated as the fourth day of the moons bright fortnight, or period from new moon. The Ganesha moon starts in the lunar month Bhadrapada (August/September).

It is normal to celebrate this festival for five, seven, ten or twenty one days. In the tradition of the right hand path the first day is the most important. In the left hand path tradition the final day is most important. You may if you wish, do something for the days leading unto Ganesha feast day. At the very least establish a special altar with the appropriate things - lights and mirrors and the most common of flowers.

Eight is a sacred number to Ganesha. His mythical life story tells us that he has links with eight 'demonic' (16) elephant guardians. The eight male elephants could be visualised as direction guardians, with Shiva and Parvati guarding the upper and lower realms. Their names are:

Kamasura (Love), Krodasura (anger), Lobhasura (greed), Mohasura (delusion), Matasura (intoxication), Mamasura (ego (17)), Abhimasura (attachment to life (18)), and Istasura (self chosen demon (19)).

Seed mantra is GAN: Om Ganesha - ya namah

Ganesha rupa

You may like to install a special consecrated image (rupa) of Ganesha, made of worthless plaster.(1) This is traditional, and in Maharashtra state, which is the main centre of the Ganesha cult in India, craftsmen produce hundreds of thousands of these images every year. The image should be painted with care so that it becomes an object of real value. This talisman should be destroyed at the end of the working which should be on Ganesha's fourth (chata). In India, this is commonly done by submerging the image in the sea or a local river.

Here is a suggested visualisation (dhyana) of Ganesha which you may incorporate in a daily ritual or meditation:

• Imagine an island made of nine precious stones illumined by the distant light of the setting moon warmed by the early light of the rising sun (2) cooled by the four fragrant winds of heaven
• A perfumed garden of sandalwood sweetness enmeshed in fine, leafy creepers and lapped by the honey-sweet water of paradise. In the distance vibrates the soft echo of eternal drums.
• There, beneath one of those fine, immortal trees is the primordial lotus, and within is Ganesha great-bellied, with one tusk and ten arms, tawny and resplendent, seated within a triangle within a hexagram, his footstool the lion-faced one. (2)

It may help you to familiarise yourself with Ganesha is you read the following doxology, which was composed by Shantidevinath and Katon Shual during a previous puja:

Eight fold (5) Doxology of Ganesha

1. With modaka (6), garlands and incense I worship Ganesha, the beloved god with the fawn coloured eyes.
2. With a staff, a lamp and a key, I worship Ganesha, gatekeeper who removes hindrances (7).
3. With oil, herbs and water, I worship Ganesha the moon crested keeper of the sacred bath (8).
4. With wine, maithuna (9) and lotus flowers, I worship Ganesha monstrous guardian of kundalini (10).
5. With meat, fish (11) and music, I worship Ganesha, the trickster with the twisted trunk.
6. With sweets, healing herbs and haldi (12), I worship Ganesha pot bellied reliever of childbirth.
7. With poetry, blood and amulets I worship Ganesha whose single tusk is like a sword.
8. With parched grain (13), stone and poppies I worship Ganesha with the elephant's mouth, as lord of the harvest (14).

Guardians

North is Maha-Visnu, East is Rama-Sita, South is Shiva-Parvata and West is Rati-Puspabana Thus:

• Hail Rama and Sita in the east. The beautiful Sita was once abducted by demons. Until the hero Rama chased them to the eastern border. Then incited by the gods who guard the directions you hurl the demons ten heads to the skies.
• Hail Shiva and Parvati in the south, Parvati is a match for the god in all austerities. She rouses Lord Shiva from his yogic trance he would walk through burning coals to be with her excited by her presence his third eye opens and all illusion is destroyed.
• Hail Rati and his goddess in the west the god of love is attracted by her presence. From the union of lovers flows an elixir of immortality.
• Hail Mahi and Vishnu in the north the goddess who was once lost in the chaotic waters. Until he lifted her up on his giant boar's tusk. There she clung to its tip, like a speck of dust on the crescent moon For tearing the demons asunder. For destroying illusion For making the divine elixir. For raising the earth Homage to thee, guardians of the temple.