Gouri and Ganesha

 It is very interesting to know that the public celebrating Ganesha festival is credited to Bal Gangadhar Tilak. It is Tilak who used this public celebration during the Pre-Independence days to unite people. It started from Pune and Mumbai and gradually it picked up all over Maharashtra and Karnataka. However, performing Gouri puja as  hatalika and svarna gouri is restricted. When Ganesha and Gouri are worshiped it is strange that Shiva is left out?

  It is Srikrishna dvaipayana who is called Vyasa Deva who scripted the eighteen epics, six of which pertain to Shiva. Besides this, we have a number of scriptures that depict Ganesha as the preeminent God, who is worshiped first to invoke His blessings before taking up any function. Even God worship Ganesh! Ganeshs gets the first place, prathama vandanam! There are always three versions of all scriptures. It all depends on the level of understanding of the people. First level is bhoutika (physical), the second level is manasika (mental) and the third one is spiritual (adhyatmika). The third level is almost beyond the ability of common people. 

  Physically, we have the Shiva lingam, the elephant-faced Gajanana, and Parvati Devi worshiped in temples and at home. Actually, Shiva represents the King of Kailasa parvata region, with Parvati, daughter of the Mountain (parvata putri) as his queen. Ganesha and Shanmukha are mentioned as thir children. This dates back to 500 000 years.  

 The second level is that of  manasika or mental images. Here, Shiva is Parameshvara, the supreme Lord of the universe. It is as good as the Sun for us. Parvati is the Earth. Ganesha or Ganapati and Shanmukha, the former made of clay and worshiped  is symbolic of all jiva rashi.

 At the adhyatmic level, it is stated that Shiva is the vital airs, pranashakti. Breathe in is 'Sa' and breathe out is 'ha' (sa ha eva shivah!), Parvati is the physical body. Ganapati is the muladhara prajnya (basal plexus). This is how the jivarashi are protected by water, food, and air!