Lord Ganesh is the God of wisdom, success, prosperity & Good luck

Lord Ganesh - Remover of Obstacles

Learn About Shri Ganesh

About Shri Ganesh

Widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the ‘Deva’ of intellect and wisdom, Lord Ganesh (also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka) is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu religion. As the God of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rituals and ceremonies.

Lord Ganesh is the God of wisdom, success and prosperity. He is the remover of all kinds of obstacles. According to Rigveda, “a Kritey Twayam Kriyate Kim Chanare” i.e. no work begins without the blessing of lord Ganesh.

The benevolent lord is always ready to help those who seek his blessings earnestly. To appease the elephant-headed lord, one needs to know what he likes the most.

Ganesh (also known as Ganesh or Ganapati), is the elephant-headed, pot-bellied, Hindu God. He is the most beloved God in all of Hinduism. Even though there are many different sects of Hinduism in India and throughout the world, Ganesh is the one Deity that all Hindus love and worship. He is the "common thread" amongst all Hindus, or those practicing Hinduism (which is called "Sanatana Dharma").

But, admiration of Lord Ganesh is not limited to India, for his influence is worldwide. Devotees and statues (or "murti") of Ganesh can be found around the globe, by both those who are practicing Hindus and those who are not.

Ganesh is known as the Remover of Obstacles and the God of Success and Prosperity. He is also known as the destroyer of evils and the god of education, knowledge, wisdom, wealth and domestic harmony. In India, no new undertaking, whether it is a new business, a marriage, a new job, taking an exam, or any other endeavour, is started without first making an offering or prayer to Lord Ganesh and asking for His blessing. (Next time you visit an Indian restaurant or grocery store, look around, you're bound to see an image of Ganesh!)

Symbolism of Ganesh

Some of the symbolism associated with Ganesh is shown in the following table:

Aspect	Symbolism
Elephant Head	Calmness, majesty, wisdom and strength
Mouse	Mastery of fear, indecision, anxiety and uncertainty and control over beings of the subterranean worlds.
Grotesque body	Illusion and duality
Large Ears	Discernment, supernatural auditory powers
Broken tusk	Indifference and detachment. Also, skill in action.
Curve of the Trunk	Connection with curves in the symbol of AUM as the lord of the speech.
Large belly	Completeness, contentment and fulfilment
Pasa	The three impurities of anava, karma and Maya.
Ankusa or Goad	Complete control or mastery of self. The power to mitigate as well as inflict suffering.

There are many ways that Ganesh is portrayed in the form of statues and pictures, but in many cases, you will find the following traits and symbolism: His broken tusk, symbolizes sacrifice. It is said that he broke this tusk to use as a pen for writing the important Indian epic, the Mahabharata. His large ears indicate that he is always willing and able to hear our prayers and requests. In His upper-right-hand, he carries an axe to cut away difficulties and obstacles. In his upper-left-hand, he holds a "goad" or noose, to capture his devotees and help them move forward in life. In his lower-left-hand, he often carries a sweet called a "ladoo," which indicates the sweetness of the spiritual path. His lower-right-hand is almost always extended in a gesture (mudra) of blessing. By his feet, sits Ganesh’s "vehicle," which is a tiny mouse. Ganesh has chosen the mouse as his vehicle because he is quick-moving and small enough to travel even into the smallest of places. Various Names of Lord Ganesh Lord Ganesh is one of the few Hindu Gods, who is said to solve all kinds of troubles and touch all aspects of the human life with his holy presence. In fact, Lord Ganesh has many names like Vighnaharta – the remover of hurdles, Sumukha – the one with an attractive face, Bhalchandra – the wearer of moon on his forehead, Vinayaka – the eternal leader, Lambodara – the one with a big stomach and many more. He is worshipped and adored in all His forms and is one of the cutest Hindu Gods too – and that is why He is children's favourite too. Ganpati – The Lord of all Lords Sumukha – The Lord with a beautiful face Vinayaka – The prominent Lord of all Gajanana – The Elephant headed God Ek Danta – The Lord with one tusk Lambkarna – Long Eared God Vigneshwara – Remover of all the obstacles Kapila - The one with tawny coloured skin

Asking for Assistance from Lord Ganesh
You don't have to be a Hindu to ask Lord Ganesh for assistance. He is an all-loving God, available to assist anyone who will take the time to connect with Him. If there are obstacles that you are facing in life, if you feel stuck, if things are just not "going right," then turn to Ganesh and ask Him to help you. You may just be surprised by the assistance you receive!

Here is the easiest and most effective way to ask Ganesh for help:

• First study a picture of Ganesh, so that you may have a firm understanding of what he looks like and can recreate that image in your mind.
• Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes and bring that image of Ganesh to your mind. Try and see him in as much detail as possible. See his beautiful elephant-head, with welcoming eyes, large ears, long trunk and big, pot-belly. See Him as clearly as you can.
• Now, simply speak to Him in HIS right ear. Just speak all your concerns, worries, needs, etc. right into HIS right ear. Know that as you speak he is hearing you and that you are making a connection with him.

That's it! It's that easy. When you have done this once, it is said that you will then have a permanent and ongoing relationship and connection with Ganesh. Speak to Him anytime you wish, as many times as you wish. It does not have to be a formal meditation. Take a moment in your day, if you feel the need, close your eyes and speak to Him using the above method.

Another way that you can invoke the power of Lord Ganesh is by repeating one of his mantras. In the simplest sense, mantras are ancient Sanskrit words of power. Each syllable of a mantra resonates a certain vibration. Mantras are used in meditation, to focus the mind, but they are also used to invoke the blessing of a Deity. What is happening when you repeat a mantra over and over, is that you are matching your own vibrational frequency to that of the mantra and its purpose (wealth, health, success, knowledge, etc.). Each of the Hindu Deities has their own mantra or mantras, which invoke the type of energy that the Deity represents the following is one of the most popular and most powerful mantras to invoke the assistance of Lord Ganesh and to remove the obstacles in your life. To work with it, simply repeat it aloud (chant) repeatedly, or repeat it silently to yourself. You will see the most benefit from this practice if you do it daily, for at least 4-6 weeks. It may not take that long to see the benefits, but you will come to realize the full power of the mantra if you continue with its practice. I can personally attest to the fact that this mantra is powerful and that Lord Ganesh has blessed me many times, removing many obstacles from my own life, and opening new opportunities.

The mantra follows below. I have written the mantra in English transliteration (because you probably can't read Sanskrit!) with phonetic pronunciation below it, so that you can easily learn to pronounce it.

OM GAM GANAPATAYE NAMAHA
(OHM GUMM GUN-UH-PUT-AH-YAY NAHM-AH-HAH)

Thus, we can see that Ganesh is the power of knowledge, success and fulfillment. To invoke this divine being, several Mantras are chanted in his name. These Ganesh Mantras are also known as Siddhi Mantra (the one with perfection). Each mantra is full of energy and the power of Lord Ganesh. It is believed that His mantras, when recited with genuine devotion, give positive results. They ward off all trials and troubles gracing the devotee with every bit of the success he desires.

One of my favorite Shri Ganesh prayers is:

Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Suryakotee Sama Prabha

Nirvighnam kuru mey Deva Sarva kaaryeshu Sarvadaa

FOLLOWING are very powerful mantras that can be used in Jaap to attain success, knowledge, and wish fulfillment.

Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah

Aum Gam Ganapataye Namah

Aum Vakratundaya Hum

Aum Kshipra Prasadaya Namah

Aum shrim hrim klim glaum gam ganapataye vara varada sarva janamme vashamanaya svaha

Aum Ekadantaya Namah

Aum sumukhaya Namah

Aum kapilaya Namah

Aum gajakarnikaya Namah

Aum lambodaraya Namah

Aum Vikataya Namah

Aum Vigna Nashanaya Namah

Aum Vinayakaya Namah

Aum Ganadhyakshaya Namah

Aum Bhalachandraya Namah

Lord Ganesh is our mentor and protector.
May He enrich your life
by always giving you great beginnings
and removing obstacles from your life.

May all your obstacles be removed and may you receive many blessings from Shree Ganesh!