Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah!
Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!

Namaste!

Ganesha
by Sri Swami Sivananda

Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom and bliss. He is the Lord of Brahmacharins. He is the foremost among Brahmacharins or celibates.

He rides on the Vahana, the small mouse. He is the Presiding Deity of the Muladhara Chakra.

He is the Lord who removes all obstacles in the spiritual path and brings worldly success. So He is called Vighna Vinayaka. His Bijakshara is Gang. He is the Lord of harmony and peace.

Lord Ganesha represents OM or the Pranava. Pranava is the chief Mantra of the Hindus. Nothing can be done without uttering it. Hence the practice of invoking Lord Ganesha before beginning any rite or work. The two feet are His Jnana Sakti and Kriya Sakti. Lord Ganesha has the elephant-head as that is the one figure in nature which is of the form of Pranava.

Riding on the mouse represents that He has killed egoism. He holds Ankusa. This represents that He is the Ruler of the world. This is the emblem of Divine Royalty.

Ganesha is the first God, Adi-Deva. Mouse is a small creature. Elephant is the biggest of all animals. Riding on a mouse and wearing the head of an elephant denote that He is the Creator of all creatures, from the biggest elephant to the smallest mouse. Elephants are very wise. Wearing the head of an elephant indicates that Lord Ganesha is an embodiment of wisdom. It also denotes the process of evolution. The mouse gradually evolves into an elephant and finally becomes a man. That is the reason why Ganesha has a human body, the head of an elephant, and mouse as His vehicle. This is the symbolic philosophy of His form.

He is the Lord of Ganas or groups, such as the group of elements, the group of senses, the group of Tattwas. He is the head of the followers of Siva.

The Vaishnavas also worship Lord Ganesha. They have given Him the name of Thumbikkai Alwar, i.e., Alwar with the proboscis.

Lord Ganesha's two Saktis are Kundalini Sakti and Vallabha Sakti.

Read complete article

---

Monday, September 18^th is the the holy celebration of Sri Ganesha Chaturthi (Lord Ganesha's birthday).

---

The following article has been posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:

• A Sadhana Technique

Yours in the service of Gurudev,

Pannirselvam

---

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Hindu Gods and Goddesses
by Sri Swami Sivananda

GOD is one, but His aspects are many. The different aspects of God constitute the Hindu Pantheon.

The naturally pious Hindu delights in his Deities. He delights in singing the Lord’s glories, in chanting His Mantras, in visiting His temples, in worshipping His Murtis. These devotional practices expand his heart, enlarge his vision, aid him powerfully in his Sadhana, and ultimately lead him to the highest goal of his spiritual endeavour, viz., God-realisation.

The conception of the names and forms of various Deities in Hindu mythology is grand, sublime, unique. Every detail connected with every Hindu god and goddess has its inner meaning, its esoteric significance.

Swami Sivananda writes for the readers. His style is simple. His approach is direct. He writes with intense devotion and Prem.

We have great pleasure in releasing this beautiful book for the benefit of all those who want to understand Hinduism better. May God illumine the hearts of all and bring peace on earth.

For more information, please see: Hindu Gods and Goddesses

---

SPECIAL CONCESSION

We are currently having a Special Aradhana Concession on all our publications from 1st July 2023 to 30th September 2023. The discounts on publications are as follows:

20% on Orders Upto Rs. 300/-
30% on Orders Upto Rs. 1,000/-
35% on Orders Above Rs. 1,000/-
40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-

40% Special Discount on the following Pictorial Volumes of Worshipful Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji and Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji:

1. ES8 Glorious Vision                Rs. 650
2. ES4 Gurudev Sivananda        Rs. 250 
3. EC70 Ultimate Journey           Rs. 500
4. EC71 Divine Vision                 Rs. 300

Please visit our online bookstore for further details.

---

SADHANA EXPERIENCES: Sri A., a zealous student of Yoga, met the Master during an evening Satsang. He gave the Master a detailed account of his Sadhana and the mesmeric powers he possessed.

“During the practice of Pranayama, Swamiji, I used to feel a tingling sensation at the base of the spine. Sometimes I used to feel it throughout the spine, too. Then the body would became hot. I did not know what all this meant and so gave up the practice of Pranayama,” said Sri A.

“All this is due to Pranic vibrations,” said the Master. “You were generating new Pranic currents in the body. As the Prana tried to enter the Sushumna, you got the various sensations. But they do not indicate that the Kundalini has been awakened.”

“Will they cease, Swamiji? And will I be able to make progress?”

“Yes, practise Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya. You will then have quick progress.”

“Ahimsa and Satyam are possible for me, Swamiji, but being a householder, I find myself unable to practise Brahmacharya.”

“Then take to Bhakti. Repeat the Name of the Lord. Get up early in the morning and repeat your Mantra. Do not do it haphazardly but in a regular, systematic manner, with full concentration of the mind. The Lord’s Grace and the Mantra-power will slowly awaken the Kundalini. Repeat the Mantra mentally throughout the day.”

“Swamiji, I am able to concentrate the mind even in a market-place for a few seconds. But how is it, Swamiji, that instead of the mind getting purer after every such attempt at concentration, I feel that I am more lustful after the practice?”

“That is the first stage. You are trying to control the mind. You are trying to annihilate the evil impressions. They rebel, they endeavour to overpower you. Stick to your Sadhana. They will pass away. The second stage is perfect purity. Your mind will be filled with Sattwa. Feel that the whole world is a manifestation of the Lord. Is there anything other than God? What is there to hate, to loathe and to be afraid of? See God in all.”

“One more point, Swamiji—when I was about eighteen, I started these concentration exercises. Very soon I acquired the power to mesmerise anyone. I could call up the spirit of any dead man. The spirit would enter the mesmerised person and answer all my questions. Very often I found the spirit uttering all kinds of falsehood.”

“Ohji, please give up this spirit business! There are good and evil spirits. You are wasting your energy running after them. Use that energy in meditation.”

“Are there good and evil spirits, too, Swamiji?”

“Yes, yes. Good spirits try to help you and elevate you spiritually. Evil spirits mislead you, deceive you and might harm you also. But do not worry about them.”

“No, Swamiji, hereafter I shall not indulge in this spirit-communication business at all. I will devote all my psychic energy to spiritual practices. Will you guide me, Swamiji, if I correspond with you?”

“Yes, certainly. Om Namo Narayanaya! May God bless you!”

---

“The ocean cannot be emptied by any amount of bailing out with a spoon. Such seems to be the type of world into which we are born and people who are acutely conscious of this situation become humble enough to accept that even an inch of success cannot be expected in this world without a miraculous grace of God. So, even the little success that sometimes seems to come to us is a kind of undeserved promotion, as it were, granted to us by the mercy of the Almighty. Our efforts are only a puny child’s whining and weeping with a helpless weakness of body and mind. The traditional annual worship of God in this role, as the remover of all obstacles, as Vighna Vinayaka, is known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesa Chaturthi. It is the day on which we offer special adoration to the Remover of obstacles.” – Swami Krishnananda

---

Please click here to subscribe to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.

Other Sivananda related lists:

Various Selections from Sivananda's Works