Consort Divine of Lord Shiva - Mother Parvati,
In Her private chambers required some privacy,
So the sacred texts do inform and agree,
Scraping the dust particles from Her Divine body,
Gave form to a valiant child through heavenly decree...
Courageous, focused, smiling and ever so cuddly,
Full of pranks, a wonderful appetite and chubby,
This extraordinary child was his Mother’s delight and pet,
His Mother’s portals he vowed to protect…
Feasting on modaks and riding a mouse,
Frolicking around Mount Kailash and guarding his Mother’s house,
Lord Shiva’s anger He did arouse,
When he stopped Him from meeting His spouse…
The situation grew immensely grim,
Gods and Devas tried to intervene and convince him,
But he wouldn’t budge and disobey his Mother,
Though Lord Shiva was his Father…
A fierce battle did ensue,
Quite a sight, quite a view,
A fearless child on whom Mother Shakti,
Had bestowed her grace,
Undauntedly did face,
With no sign of retreat,
His Father, Lord Shiva Whom no one could defeat…
After a lengthy battle,
This intrepid boy fell,
Slain by Lord Shiva,
Arousing the matchless fury of the Divine Mother…
She wanted her son back though his head had been severed,
A dutiful son she had reared,
Before She danced Her dance of destruction,
On the plea of the devas, Lord Shiva issued His instruction…
The Lord’s ganas searched with concern everywhere,
The orders had to be followed with utmost care,
To bring back the head of any sleeping being that faced north,
Finally a young elephant’s head is what they got,
Rushing back with it to the Lord’s abode,
A moment’s delay they couldn’t afford…
The young elephant’s head,
On the slain boy,
The Lord did place,
Pleasing Mother Parvati,
On the brave child, He bestowed many a grace,
Making him a leader of His ganas – Ganapati,
Always to be worshipped as the first deity,
Prathama Vandana was to be offered,
To Gauri Nandan,
Also referred to as Gajanan,
Removing obstacles he would set people free,
Vigneshvara, he would be known as popularly…
In the Mooladhar chakra of every being he does reside,
All other chakras he does hold, support and guide,
‘Tvam Mooladharasthitosi nityam’,
As mentioned in the Ganesh Atharva Shirsham…
Having no master - a ‘Vinayaka’,
Being worshipped on the fourth day,
Of the waxing moon,
In the month of Bhadrapada,
Bestowing spiritual powers – Siddhi,
And sharpening the intellect - Buddhi,
Uma-Mahesh nandan removes misery,
And grants prosperity…
Bequeathing success,
And protection against adversity,
A mouse was chosen as a mode of travel, you see,
By this fearless child of Mother Parvati,
The mouse is a symbol of desires,
Of attachments,
And darkness of ignorance akin to night,
Ganesha, the Master of intellect,
Wisdom and discrimination – Buddhi,
And bestower of fulfillment – Siddhi,
Leads all from darkness to light,
The mouse is also clever and lively,
Likewise in all our actions diligent is how we should be…
A choice so significant of an elephant head,
As elephants always make way for others and move ahead,
Elephants symbolise might and magnitude,
Fidelity, intelligence and gratitude,
All qualities of a true leader,
Complete within itself, beyond fear…
The Lord of ganas - Ganapati,
The five organs of action,
And five of perception,
Along with mind and intellect constitute ‘ganas’,
And so ‘Ganapati’,
Signifies over these complete mastery…
Omkar personified is he,
All that is auspicious he does represent entirely,
The brilliance and luster of a thousand suns,
Has this son of Gangadhara and Gauri,
Now he does reside in the hallowed precincts,
At the gates of Nilayam Prashanti,
In the south of India, in Puttaparthi,
For that’s where does dwell,
The present form of Shiva and Shakti,
He still guards the portals of his parents you see…
Hearing the plea,
Of many a devotee,
Conferring boons and blessings in plenty,
Showing a way how to live a life wisely,
Extending the values of Sathya Sai,
His Father and Mother,
None other,
Than the present incarnation of Shiva and Shakti…
Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa,
Will help all to come together in peace and harmony,
From the quicksand of ego and pride to break free,
From existing merely,
To living a life that’s worthy…
Showing that one can either run their life or ruin it,
The answer lies in removing the ‘I’,
When you live for ‘I’,
There is absence of Sai,
When you live for Sai,
There is no ‘I’,
And Sai lives and breathes in all of creation,
We must live in this state of realization,
For that is when we please Sai,
Beyond mere lip service, I, me and my,
So, let us come together and pray to dear Vakratunda,
Vignavinashak, Mangaldayak,
The remover of obstacles,
May he remove the obstacle, the feeling of ‘I’,
That separates us from Sai,
To help us live out the ideals of Sathya Sai,
The fulfillment of a hitherto ignored inner cry,
May the sweet Lord Ganesha,
Drive away darkness and usher in light,
Let us chant even as we do unite,
‘Samastha Lokaaha Sukhino Bhavantu’,
For that is what spells peace and harmony,
For the Universe, for Earth, the nation, for me and you…
II Samastha Lokaaha Sukhino Bhavanthu II
