Our new AHYMSIN Sangha Mantra will be the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra.
The new mantra will be the Ganesha Gayatri mantra for the next one year, until the Mahashivaratri next year in 2023.
ॐ तत्-पुरुषाय विद्महे
वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि ।
तन्नो दन्ती प्रचोदयात्॥
Om tat-puruṣāya vidmahe
Vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi ।
Tanno dantī pracodayāt ॥
This mantra like all the Gayatri mantras has the three segments of eight syllables each to have a total of 24 syllables.
From Ahymsn:
Swami Veda has beautifully explained this mantra –
“This Mantra is the mantra of stability and of removing the obstacles from someone’s path. If one is planning to do a long undertaking, a long observance of a mantra like Gayatri, sometimes one is faced with karmic obstacles. This mantra will prepare your karmic field so that some of those obstacles coming in the way of your spiritual progress will not hinder you excessively. It is the mantra of the Ganesha; type of mantra known as Gayatri, not the regular gayatri that you know, but a specialized Gayatri. There are many hundreds of these kinds of Gayatris.
This is Ganesha Gayatri. Now Ganesha is the divine force as it operates in the Muladhara chakra to stabilise, not only to make one sit in a stable way but also to have stability in life. The exact translation of the mantra does not matter because behind each word, there is a mystery and behind that, there is another mystery. For example, the figure of Ganesha is quite a little bit like the figure of the way we right the sound of ‘Om’.
Tat-puruṣāya vidmahe (we seek to know that supreme divine person)
Vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi (we meditate upon the one with a curved trunk, remember the curved trunk represents the base of consciousness as seen in the writing of the letter ‘Om’)
Tanno dantī pracodayāt (may that one who has one tooth, that one tooth of Ganesha on one side of the Elephant like trunk represents the principle whereby dualities are merged into oneness. May that one, the one with the one tooth – Pracodayāt – inspire us).”
Lord Ganesha, who is the remover of all obstacles in our life, in our sadhana. He provides physical and emotional stability that we all aspire for by removing the obstacles, the resistances, the conflicts of our spiritual life, of our relationships.
In this [mantra] the figure is mentioned as having a curved trunk like that of an Elephant. This actually refers to the little piece that sticks out of the sound of ‘Om’, when the word ‘Om’ is written.
Lord Ganesha represents firm determination. Whenever our mind is resolute, it is also fearless. And then, all our obstacles are automatically overcome.
Ganesha the lord of the ‘Adhara’. You’ve heard Swamiji speak so much about that firmness of that seated pose. He would say that he would just sit and it would be like he was a rock, earth upon earth. In fact, we even have his words to share with you tonight.
Swami Veda Bharati says:
“Ganesha is a deity of the Muladhara chakra. “Mula” means root, “Adhara” means base, substratum. If you see the pictures of various chakras in the Kundalini books, you will see a little Ganesha drawn in the Muladhara because bottom heavy. There is a word in yoga called “asana-siddhi”. Asana-siddhi means accomplishing an asana, meaning you can stay in an asana, let us say your meditation asana, unmoving for as long as you wish without feeling disturbance and without feeling discomfort. As I’ve been telling you, I can sit for five hours in the same position lecture and it is through the grace of Ganesha.
There was some particular sadhana my master gave me at one time, fire offerings to a particular Ganesha Gayatri and after that – steady, that is one part. The other part it is not easily visible. It’s anthropomorphic representation of “Om” and the trunk curls this way, that way, and that laddoo (that round sweet) that is the bindu (the point of concentration). The representation of “Om” in the Tamil script, you know there’s so many scripts in India. In Tamil script, the representation of Om is much closer even to the figure of Ganesha.
It's always a multi-layered thing, nothing is unilateral. So, it can it can be a yantra, it can be a mantra, it can be in iconographic form, anthropomorphic form, zoomorphic form, and they are all superimposed one upon the other, just like your brain has a limbic system and a cortical system and has the figures and the mantra and the thought all in unitary address in different parts of your being and should not be taken just as one as it is seen.
You know the story of Mahabharata?
After the war and so on, Sage Vyasa (the father of Shukadeva) he wanted to dictate his book. So, he put an ad in the galactic times. It described – ‘to take the dictation of a nonstop Epic’. Ganesha is also in India God of script of course applied
If you go to the Badrinath temple, up in the mountains, at the border with the China, which is now closed for the winter, to the Mana village, there’s a cave of Vyasa and a cave of Ganesha.
Ganesha said “Okay, I would like to take the job, on one condition.” “What?” “Well, you know, I’m Ganesha. I am the master of Asana. Once I say sit down, I sit down. So, if you are dictating, if you stop, I quit. If you make a stop anywhere, I quit.” He says, “Okay, agreed?”
Vyasa says, “Okay, I have one condition too. Whatever I’m dictating, you must understand before writing it down.” He says, “Alright. Set. Ready.” So, every now and then, Vyasa’s composition, in composing instantly a hundred thousand verses, without stopping. You know, it’s even for Vyasa, it’s a little hard, you know. So, every now and then, he is dictating. He throws, when he feels that he might stumble and he might have to stop, he’s not sure. So, he creates a verse which is very difficult to understand. These are known as “Kuta shlokas”, cryptic, cryptic, shlokas, cryptic verses. So he throws in one or two cryptic verses, this is…he says, “Wait, I have to understand it.” While Ganesha is busy understanding, he is composing in his mind. Tricky, tricky fellow.”
Lord Ganesha, Lord of the Adhara, this seat, this stability, this firmness of conviction. When I sit for my meditation, mind you are with me. Mind, why are you over there, over here? Here today gone tomorrow? Mind, listen to my direction and with that firmness, the buddhi is purified, its ability to decide, to make the judgment – “Is this the correct thought, appropriate thought, necessary thought at this time?” “No?” Okay, then leave. That buddhi is Ganesha.
The purpose of the new mantra – the “Ganesha Gayatri Mantra”.
Our purpose, our sankalpa – you take a resolve with that intention and these are the intentions that I will provide for the Sangha, but each of you will have your own personal intention then that you’ll establish for your practice.
Collectively, as the Sangha, we vow towards a pillar like stability and stillness in mind and emotion, perseverance in asana, daily meditation (same time, same place), removal of obstacles and sadhana and in daily life and in relationships, purification of buddhi, resolved on enlightenment, harmony with Mother Earth with a resolute commitment to Ahimsa and non-violence, protection and security through freedom from all fears. That protection, that security is necessary for us to feel grounded and stable, to be able to move into our higher realms of life, with relationships and our service to humanity.
When we begin any kind of quest, or journey, or take on any kind of vow, a marriage, bringing a child into the world, during such decisions, we ask for Lord Ganesha to be there with us to make that firmness of that decision, of that sankalpa, of that intention to be pure, and thereby to bless us. He is the destroyer of obstacles and gives the way in which one can begin major endeavours. He grants wisdom and skill, the two qualities needed for any endeavour to succeed.
In the clarity of your own mind, you will accept the blessing of this special mantra, and set the determination of its presence in your life.
Whether you do the 108 beads, seeds as recitations or how may malas you will decide to do. If you do about 4 malas per day or able to do the one mala a day. Swami Veda would say, “Simplify. But be ambitious.” So, search in your hearts for that ability, that inner strength, to be ambitious. It is important that you begin with a certain attitude. Noticing if there is a rush to the meditation seat, “oh, I have to go somewhere. I have to rush to get somewhere. Let me at least sit for 5 minutes.”
And, with that sankalpa, with that intention, set a commitment. Accordingly, set a time and place, and begin.
Let us explore the transformative effect of the Ganesha Gayatri mantra on all our relationships through japa, through self-observation, reflection, and through your spiritual journals.
One of the ways is through Japa.
Which mala to use for the Ganesha Gayatri mantra?
You can use the Rudraksha mala.