Worshipping Ganesha; importance of coconuts; benefits of fasting

The Adiveda Weekly #15

Aug 28, 2022

Hari Aum Sadhakas!

It’s Ganesh Chaturthi on 31st August, where we celebrate the birth of this most delectable elephant Lord. This is the day on which Parvati created Ganesha and it was on this day that his first birthday was celebrated in Kailasa.

The Hindu way of life

Ganesha is the most popular and most beloved of all the gods in the Hindu pantheon. Even the votaries of all the other gods have to pay obeisance to him before starting puja to their own special deity. Ganesha is very easy to contact so he is the gateway for all seekers who want to enter into the most ancient religion of the world. One who wants to be a Hindu must supplicate Ganesha. He is the one who will admit you into the Hindu family. Unless you worship him, you cannot establish a relationship with any other god. He is the Lord of all beginnings, and guides the practical aspect of our life in a way that will best fulfil our needs. Hindus start all sacrifices and religious ceremonies, all serious compositions, and even worldly affairs of importance with an invocation to Ganesha.

In South Bharat you will find a small mandir dedicated to this beloved and charming deity, at every street corner so that everyone can make a quick prayer to him on their way to work. He represents the power of the intelligent will unfolding the spiritual life from out of the world of matter. Scientifically speaking, he is the God of Gravity which is at the base of all ordinary existence.

Reflection of the week

“The figure of Ganesha symbolises the idea of the emergence of life from earth and the unfoldment of consciousness from matter. His dual form of animal and human indicates a sublime theme, which points out to us that we too can aspire to a supramental level even though we have evolved from the animal.”

For your everyday practice

Smash a coconut in front of Ganesha to clear obstacles.

The breaking of coconuts is a very special offering to Ganesha. Cracking a coconut for him at the beginning of any new venture is a good assurance that it will be smooth sailing. This is done in all his pujas and is also done as a special vow when he has averted any trouble for us.

For your health and well-being

What are 2 easy things you can do for a stomach upset?

Sometimes, the best thing for a bad tummy is fasting on liquids or very light, non-oily/non-sugary/bland foods, whilst also taking something like ‘activated charcoal’ to help your system clear out whatever is troubling it. Activated charcoal acts like a sponge to soak up problematic toxins and pathogens that may be lurking in one’s digestive tract when you are facing a stomach upset. Fasting on light foods or liquids also allows the body to focus all its resources on eliminating what is troubling the system rather than trying to digest a heavy meal.

These are 2 easy things you can do for your body. Check with your healthcare practitioner on where to get activated charcoal from and how to use it, and then keep it handy at home so that you have it when you need.

By Dr. Poorna Menon, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

From Vanamali Mataji’s desk

The fact that the insignificant mouse is Ganesha’s vehicle is the most enigmatic portion of his figure. According to Hinduism, consciousness is ingrained even in the grains of sand. It turns into intelligence after passing through many rudimentary forms. The mouse is a fitting symbol for this. It is a creature of the earth and lives in burrows and holes in the ground. Its body touches the earth all the time. It cares only for the satisfaction of its palate. It has a primitive intelligence encased in ignorance. It is restless, avaricious and worried.

On the other hand, the elephant is the symbol of power and wisdom. The fact that Ganesha rides on such a creature shows that the liberated man keeps his worldly desires completely under control. The picture of Ganesha mounted on a mouse shows that the human being has the power to be calm and majestic and reach the infinite source of all power. However, most of us continue to be rats and rush about in the rat race of life, fighting and squabbling over trivialities. Thus, his whole image is a graphic picture of the immense possibility of the human being to reach the heights of consciousness.