Ganapati bappa Moraya

    It is traditional, rather, customary to say Ganapati bappa Moraya while bringing Ganapati to our homes and add come again next year (in Marathi) while sending Him off. Many wonder why Moraya is used here along with Ganapati bappa. Gana mean elements that include us, pati means the Lord and Moraya by Ganapati is the name of Moraya Gosvami of Chinchwad near Pune. He was n ardent devotee of the Lord. He prayed  that his name be eternal and the Lord blessed him! Hence, his name is used here along with that of the Lord.

    Ganapati is the Vedic God. As the scriptures explain the creation, the first creation is the Deity of the elements. Ganapati is the first manifest aspect of Chaturmukha Brahma. His first brain-child is Atharvan, Ganapati. The other manifest aspects are Sanaka, Skanda, Sanatkumara, Sanatsujata, and Narada.All these are the pure sattva aspects, unblemished with Gunas (qualities). All these are names are associated with the scriptures (Samhita) named after them! They are embodiment of knowledge, jnyan and, as such, there was no creation further! Brahma was perplexed since his function stopped and there was nofurther creation. He looked to the supreme Lord for guidance and he was directed to create using the three gunas, sattva, rajas, and tamas. Thus appeared the great Sages or Rishivaryas,  Devi-Devata, and the animals including humans! Ganapati is the Lord of all these creation!

    However, one curious aspect of the face of many of the Devata, including the elephant face remain unanswered! For sure, we do not know. We have the Varaha (Boar), Gajanana (elephant), Hayavadana (Horse), Narasimha (Lion), Matsya (Fish), etc. In one sense, it may be presumed that each and every level of creation ends with a deification indicating that every creature can attain the highest state of pure consciousness Brahmn, and thus deified! But why half man and half animal face remains a question? The Sphinx statue in Egypt has the body of lion and the face is here in our Narasimha deva! Who transfixed this is a mystery! As reagards, Ganapati, the story goes that Shiva cut the original head and repented and soon ordered any face of the one sleeping with head northward? How far this story is authentic is not known!

     The scriptures state that Devi Parvati created Ganesh from Her body indicating that the child is creted from the Mother! Here, Mother Parvati is the daughter of the Himavan, the King of the Himalaya Region! Shiva was the King of Kailas who married the daughter of this King Himavanta! In the strict sense of the terms we are all creatures of the earth. symbolically represented by Himavanta, Shiva, and Parvati. In this sense of the term, we are all Ganapati in one way or the other. This is based on the principle of 'tattvamasi', (Thou art That) 

   Ganapati is the Lord of Basal plexus, muladhara prajnya. It is the basic level of existence governed by air, water, soil (food), fire and space. This is the 'Gravitation force' in the scientific form of explanation! This is the first to operate in the universe and everything is moving and working around this force!