Ganesha

Ganesha means God of the masses or groups. 

His name is composed of GAN = masses/ groups and ESHA = God, meaning that He is the God of humanity and all living and mythical beings.

Ganesha symbolizes the union of Shiva and Shakti – the supreme Male and Female energies of cosmic creation – and being their Son is born with Shiva’s knowledge, and Shakti’s strength

The elephant head symbolizes many things per different texts, one of which is STRENGTH, to crush obstacles and barriers, therefore HE is also called “Vighna-Harta” which means Remover of Obstacles.

According to the 1400 AD Mudgala Purana, Ganesha’s 8 avatars (incarnations) are:

1. Vakratunda (“twisting trunk”), overcomes the demon Matsaryāsura (envy,  jealousy)
2. Ekadanta (“single tusk”) conquers the demon Madāsura (arrogance, conceit)
3. Mahodara (“big belly”) vanquishes the demon Mohāsura (delusion, confusion)
4. Gajavaktra (“elephant face”) tames the demon Lobhāsura (greed)
5. Lambodara (“pendulous belly”) controls the demon Krodhāsura (anger)
6. Vikata (“unusual form”) destroys the demon Kāmāsura (lust)
7. Vighnaraja (“king of obstacles”), eliminates the demon Mamāsura (possessiveness, attachment)
8. Dhumravarna (“grey color”) subdues the demon Abhimanāsura (pride)

The Mugdala intrinsically links Him with Buddhi, Riddhi and Siddhi meaning He grants Wisdom, Affluence and Spiritual Power to those who subdue their baser self.

Adi Shankara’s Maha Ganesha Pancharatanam is a powerful prayer said to grant wishes,  Siddhi Vinayak Mandir in Mumbai is one of His famous Temples, and one of His mantras is:

Om Gan Ganpataye Namah

(*GAN is prounounced with a soft N)

 

Ganesha helps because His Nature is to help – it’s just a matter of asking  Ganpati Bappa Moreya

Calling Krishna

Krishna, like Meera and Chaitanya, I too long for you to fill my spaces with your radiance and peace and dispel all the hurt that I brought into my life by forging relationships of pain. You are all I want so let me deserve you:

Mahishasura Mardini

Mahishasura Mardini is about Durga slaying the demon Mahishasura and a form of Chandi paath:

An Old New Bhajan

Gobind bolo, Harigopal bolo, Radha Raman, Harigopal bolo – a modern treatment of a tradition bhajan – no matter the clothes or the looks God is fine if approached with love:

A Krishna Bhajan

Krishna – The Supreme One, some say the Ultimate Hindu God – is fun, joyful, playful, happy and this bhajan is about his childhood:

Happy Independence Day India

Wishing India the best with wishes that it finds its idealist roots again, those of Gandhi and Nehru, of bringing progress to villages and not villagers into urban slums, of tolerance not destroying temples and mosques.

On the midnight of August 14, 1947 Nehru said:

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance” Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru

That India of freedom, aspirations, ideals Rabindranath Tagore best describes in India’s National Anthem:

Aarti is offered as a token of highest love for God at the conclusion of most pujas.

According to some “Aa” means “towards or to”, and “rati” means “right or virtue”, and Om Jai Jagdish is one of the most popular Aartis in North India:

On Wisdom

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something” – Plato

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest” – Confucius

“It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things” – Henry David Thoreau

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom” – Bertrand Russell

“Wisdom outweighs any wealth” – Sophocles

“Patience is the companion of wisdom” – Saint Augustine

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer” – Albert Einstein

Universally and across ages; patience, perseverance, discretion, courage; are held as building blocks and evidence of wisdom. The road map is obvious and obviously tough to follow going by the evidence of strife in life in general. So to get ahead a door needs to open to let out the self, and let sense in – the self that gets in the way of you and you, you and them.

On Anger

“Anger is a short madness” – Horace

“If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size” – Sydney J. Harris

“Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame” – Benjamin Franklin

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret” – Ambrose Bierce

“Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools” – Albert Enstein

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured” – Mark Twain

“Fair peace becomes men; ferocious anger belongs to beasts” – Ovid

“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it” – Marcus Aurelius

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned” – Buddha

Need any more convincing that anger kills the angry? It’s not that its new news, its our recurringly amazing propensity to ignore it that makes us perfectly and hurtfully foolish.

America read this

SarvaShiva is patriotic, socially responsible, more than religious. We are about intelligent life solutions while keeping our faith in God. Faith in God should add to our resolve to do the right thing, and the right thing at this time is to equip ourselves with knowledge and education that will help us become competitive with foreign workers, and to fight hard to keep and grow American jobs since our security is directly tied to the strength of our economy.

So if you must read 1 story, and subscribe to 1 blog then this is the one:

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-american-people-dont-need-more-handouts-what-they-need-are-good-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-7746

It may sound obsessive, but with 10 million Americans out of work, a huge trade imbalance that no one is addressing, and no clear solution in sight to stem job erosion its time to get obsessive, so get obsessed about saving our country by fighting to save our jobs, and this type of obsession will be pleasing to God because its for a cause that benefits not just our own, but many. It is like believing in conserving energy, a Green planet.

God is not isolated to matter of the spirit but is Part and Guide of our lives including economics.