[h=1]What is Ganapati Dyanam..?[/h]We do Ganapati Dyanam before beginning any vedic ritual. In fact Ganapati Dyanam could be done before we do any activity. It could be done before we start our work, before we begin exercises, before we go to sleep.
Ganapati Dyanam is interpreted as prayers to Lord Ganapati or Lord Vigneswara. While there is nothing wrong in viewing Ganapati Dyanam as a prayer, the real meaning of Ganapati Dyanam is NOT that.
In Ganapati Dyanam we stimulate our brain and invoke our concentration to perform our work. We invoke mental peace to perform our actions.
[h=1]Ganapati Dyanam - The Mantra part[/h]
Shuklam bhaRtram Vishnum Sasi Varnam ChathurBhujam,
Prasanna Vadanam Dyayeth Sarva Vigna Upa Santhaye.
Shuklam - Spotless, Pure
bhaRtram - Preserving, Protecting
Vishnum – Ever working
Sasi Varnam - Reflecting (Moon colored)
Chatur Bhujam - Four Lobed, Four sided
Prasanna Vadanam – Pleasantly Expressed
Dyayeth - Thoughts
Sarva Vigna – In all actions
Upa Santhaye – Invoke peace
The meaning of above is "With Pure, Conscience Carrying, Ever working, Reflecting, four lobes, pleasantly expressing thoughts, I Invoke peace in all my actions"
[h=1]Invoking peace in actions[/h]
We close the eyes and meditate on these thoughts to invoke peace or be at peace with our actions that we are going to perform. In any action that we do, it is important that it does not disturb our mental peace and instead adds to it. Hence with every action we invoke and wish that it adds to our mental peace.
"Sarva Vigna Upa Santhaye" is the purpose of Ganapati Dyanam.
[h=1]Pleasantly expressed thoughts[/h]How can we achieve that mental peace..?
We can achieve mental peace in our actions with pleasantly expressed thoughts. Prasanna Vadanam is pleasantly expressed. Dyayeth is thoughts or meditation. When we perform our actions we should perform with pleasantly expressed thoughts.
When our thoughts are pleasantly expressed, our actions result in mental peace in our actions.
We may be conveying the 'worst ' of a news. We may be extremely angry or jealous or saddened. We may be extremely happy, proud or in high spirits. But we would need to perform our actions or convey ourselves with pleasantly expressed thoughts.
[h=1]With four lobes[/h]Chatur-Bhujam is interpreted as ‘four-armed’. Literally Bhujam in sanskrit represent sides or lobes. (Arms are on the sides) Chatur Bhujam means four armed or four sided or four lobed. Our Brain is four lobed (Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Temporal Lobe). Chatur-Bhujam thus indicates with with all four lobes or fully focused.
We need to perform our actions fully focussed. Fully focussed meaning using all the four lobes. The Frontal lobe is responsible for 'motor' actions. The Parietal lobe is responsible for the 'senses of our body (pressure, touch, pain etc). The occipital lobe is responsible for audio processing. The temporal lobe is responsible for visual processing.
When we perform an action we need to integrate and focus our eyes, ears, senses and body movements in performing that action. When we perform with such focus and concentration we would be at mental peace with our actions. If any of the four is missing, it would be called 'half-hearted'.
[h=1]Reflecting[/h]
We would be at mental peace with our actions if they involve reflection. 'Sasi' means moon. 'Varnam' means colored/mask one wears. Moon-colored means reflecting, as moon color changes based on what it reflects.
Our actions has to reflect the 'Consciousness' in each of us. If we perform actions that do not reflect that consciousness, then we won't be at mental peace.
Our consciousness is in us as the representation of that Supreme Self, the Atman, the Supreme consciousness.
[h=1]Ever working[/h]Vishnu has several interpretations. One interpretation is 'worker'. Vishnu is ever-working. Our thoughts have to be ever-working when we perform an action. This is what is called as "Application of Mind".
When we perform an action without being alert, with our thoughts not continuously working, it becomes a task in which we do not apply our mind.
Hence those actions that we do where our thoughts are continuously working provide us mental peace.
[h=1]Protecting[/h]
'Bhartram' means carrying or maintaining or protecting. Our thoughts have to be protecting or preserving if we have to have mental peace in all our actions.
In other words our thoughts have to maintain, preserve and protect. They should not be destructive. Destructive thoughts will destroy our mental peace. When we perform an action, we should do it with positive, preserving and protecting thoughts. If we do it with vengeance and destruction in mind, then it would spoil our peace.
Even a simple act like cooking, we need to do with protecting thoughts. Let's say some one cooks with lot of anger, then that action would not give peace.
[h=1]Pure[/h]Our thoughts have to be pure. They have to spotless. They need to be pure of anger, jealousy, pride, ego and such things that would make them impure.
[h=1]How to get mental peace in our actions ..?[/h]
Ganapati Dyanam answers that very well.
If we perform an action with pure thoughts, protecting thoughts, continuously active/working thoughts, Reflecting thoughts, using all four lobes of brain (fully focused thoughts), then that action would lead to us peace.
[h=1]Ganapati Dyanam - The Tantra Part[/h]
We hit our temple on both sides with closed fists. This is done to stimulate our brain. That stimulation brings focus and concentration to our brain. And then we recite this mantra.
Brain is the controller of all our actions. Stimulating the brain and reciting this mantra we repeat to ourselves with what thoughts we need to perform our action.
'Vigna' means action. Easwara means the Lord. Vigneswara is the Lord of all our actions. Vigneswara is the 'Brain' of our Universe.
In fact by nature, when we do something wrong, across all cultures, we hit our head with our hand. This is done as a natural mechanism to stimulate our brain and make it focused. What we do as part of this procedure is an improvised and correct version of the same.
Whenever we start any action, doing this Ganapati Dyanam by stimulating the brain and invoking peace in our actions from the consciousness helps us to get peace in that action.
Simply put, we need to be at peace with what we are doing, before we start doing it. This is the principle of Ganapati Dyanam.
-TBT
Ganapati Dyanam is interpreted as prayers to Lord Ganapati or Lord Vigneswara. While there is nothing wrong in viewing Ganapati Dyanam as a prayer, the real meaning of Ganapati Dyanam is NOT that.
In Ganapati Dyanam we stimulate our brain and invoke our concentration to perform our work. We invoke mental peace to perform our actions.
[h=1]Ganapati Dyanam - The Mantra part[/h]
Shuklam bhaRtram Vishnum Sasi Varnam ChathurBhujam,
Prasanna Vadanam Dyayeth Sarva Vigna Upa Santhaye.
Shuklam - Spotless, Pure
bhaRtram - Preserving, Protecting
Vishnum – Ever working
Sasi Varnam - Reflecting (Moon colored)
Chatur Bhujam - Four Lobed, Four sided
Prasanna Vadanam – Pleasantly Expressed
Dyayeth - Thoughts
Sarva Vigna – In all actions
Upa Santhaye – Invoke peace
The meaning of above is "With Pure, Conscience Carrying, Ever working, Reflecting, four lobes, pleasantly expressing thoughts, I Invoke peace in all my actions"
[h=1]Invoking peace in actions[/h]
We close the eyes and meditate on these thoughts to invoke peace or be at peace with our actions that we are going to perform. In any action that we do, it is important that it does not disturb our mental peace and instead adds to it. Hence with every action we invoke and wish that it adds to our mental peace.
"Sarva Vigna Upa Santhaye" is the purpose of Ganapati Dyanam.
[h=1]Pleasantly expressed thoughts[/h]How can we achieve that mental peace..?
We can achieve mental peace in our actions with pleasantly expressed thoughts. Prasanna Vadanam is pleasantly expressed. Dyayeth is thoughts or meditation. When we perform our actions we should perform with pleasantly expressed thoughts.
When our thoughts are pleasantly expressed, our actions result in mental peace in our actions.
We may be conveying the 'worst ' of a news. We may be extremely angry or jealous or saddened. We may be extremely happy, proud or in high spirits. But we would need to perform our actions or convey ourselves with pleasantly expressed thoughts.
[h=1]With four lobes[/h]Chatur-Bhujam is interpreted as ‘four-armed’. Literally Bhujam in sanskrit represent sides or lobes. (Arms are on the sides) Chatur Bhujam means four armed or four sided or four lobed. Our Brain is four lobed (Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Temporal Lobe). Chatur-Bhujam thus indicates with with all four lobes or fully focused.
We need to perform our actions fully focussed. Fully focussed meaning using all the four lobes. The Frontal lobe is responsible for 'motor' actions. The Parietal lobe is responsible for the 'senses of our body (pressure, touch, pain etc). The occipital lobe is responsible for audio processing. The temporal lobe is responsible for visual processing.
When we perform an action we need to integrate and focus our eyes, ears, senses and body movements in performing that action. When we perform with such focus and concentration we would be at mental peace with our actions. If any of the four is missing, it would be called 'half-hearted'.
[h=1]Reflecting[/h]
We would be at mental peace with our actions if they involve reflection. 'Sasi' means moon. 'Varnam' means colored/mask one wears. Moon-colored means reflecting, as moon color changes based on what it reflects.
Our actions has to reflect the 'Consciousness' in each of us. If we perform actions that do not reflect that consciousness, then we won't be at mental peace.
Our consciousness is in us as the representation of that Supreme Self, the Atman, the Supreme consciousness.
[h=1]Ever working[/h]Vishnu has several interpretations. One interpretation is 'worker'. Vishnu is ever-working. Our thoughts have to be ever-working when we perform an action. This is what is called as "Application of Mind".
When we perform an action without being alert, with our thoughts not continuously working, it becomes a task in which we do not apply our mind.
Hence those actions that we do where our thoughts are continuously working provide us mental peace.
[h=1]Protecting[/h]
'Bhartram' means carrying or maintaining or protecting. Our thoughts have to be protecting or preserving if we have to have mental peace in all our actions.
In other words our thoughts have to maintain, preserve and protect. They should not be destructive. Destructive thoughts will destroy our mental peace. When we perform an action, we should do it with positive, preserving and protecting thoughts. If we do it with vengeance and destruction in mind, then it would spoil our peace.
Even a simple act like cooking, we need to do with protecting thoughts. Let's say some one cooks with lot of anger, then that action would not give peace.
[h=1]Pure[/h]Our thoughts have to be pure. They have to spotless. They need to be pure of anger, jealousy, pride, ego and such things that would make them impure.
[h=1]How to get mental peace in our actions ..?[/h]
Ganapati Dyanam answers that very well.
If we perform an action with pure thoughts, protecting thoughts, continuously active/working thoughts, Reflecting thoughts, using all four lobes of brain (fully focused thoughts), then that action would lead to us peace.
[h=1]Ganapati Dyanam - The Tantra Part[/h]
We hit our temple on both sides with closed fists. This is done to stimulate our brain. That stimulation brings focus and concentration to our brain. And then we recite this mantra.
Brain is the controller of all our actions. Stimulating the brain and reciting this mantra we repeat to ourselves with what thoughts we need to perform our action.
'Vigna' means action. Easwara means the Lord. Vigneswara is the Lord of all our actions. Vigneswara is the 'Brain' of our Universe.
In fact by nature, when we do something wrong, across all cultures, we hit our head with our hand. This is done as a natural mechanism to stimulate our brain and make it focused. What we do as part of this procedure is an improvised and correct version of the same.
Whenever we start any action, doing this Ganapati Dyanam by stimulating the brain and invoking peace in our actions from the consciousness helps us to get peace in that action.
Simply put, we need to be at peace with what we are doing, before we start doing it. This is the principle of Ganapati Dyanam.
-TBT
