Ganapati or Vinayaka is one who is over and above the sound (śabda), form and three attributes (trigunas). He is the Supreme Lord who is formless, without any attributes. He is all-pervading, omnipresent. He who inherently has no form can take on any form per His will! He who is beyond all attributes demonstrates any trait (guna) as He desires. This is the significance of Ganapati.
Amrita (nectar) is tasteless. But the best and tastiest food is compared to nectar. ‘It is nectarous’ we say! After enjoying many varieties and many tasty dishes, the value of nectar is known. The same logic should be applied to life. To reach the ultimate nectarous state i.e. the state where we transcend all emotions, forms and traits (guna), extensive spiritual practices with complete purity of the mind should be performed.
There are 3 attributes- sattva (traits of calmness, purity), rajas (vigorous action/ passion) and tamas (inactivity or inertia). Likewise, all of us have 3 bodies- gross body, the subtle body (sookshma) and the causal body (kārana sharira). There are also 3 types of sufferings- ādhyatmika (those caused by one’s own body), ādhi bhoutika (problems created by external sources) and adhi daivika (the unseen divine forces over which we have little or no control like earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions etc.)
Every living being should aspire to reach a state that is above these 3 traits, 3 bodies and the 3 sufferings. This is the real goal of the ever-precious human birth! Some people say, “There is no necessity for me to go through this process. I can start and directly reach the nirguna state.” These are all mere thoughts and are impossible to achieve.
Systematic and disciplined approach to reach the ultimate state involves necessarily engaging oneself in puja, japa, bhajan, homa, reading good books, recitation of hymns, meditation and so on. These will directly pay-off. This is the complete state. Ganapati is that compassionate Lord who blesses us and enables us to reach this state.
Was Ganapati really born? Should we necessarily celebrate His birthday? Ganapati is no doubt eternal and indestructible Supreme Lord. Even then, He periodically emerges in our heart to motivate, encourage and to guide us in the right direction. This emergence in our heart is celebrated as his birthday. In addition to this, to uplift his devotees, Ganapati periodically takes on many incarnations. This is the essence of his 32 names.
Since we are born on this earth, presently we have a form. We need to experience the happiness and sorrows that come with this form. Those who do not want to make any attempts to uplift themselves will remain as they are. In fact, there is a possibility that they could further deteriorate. Hence it is essential that every human being puts in adequate efforts in the right direction i.e. in the path of righteousness (dharma marga) to attain liberation. This also requires us to put in efforts towards purifying our mind also. All these are detailed in Ganapati’s Grantha “Mudgala Purana’.
Shankara bhagavadpādācharya did not refer to Ganapati as mere Ekadanta or Vakratunda. He declared that Ganapati was none other than the Supreme Lord!
‘Ekadanta’ or single tusk symbolizes that He has absolute mastery (victory) over desires. He is beyond desire. It also refers to the energy that controls the sense organs (indriyas) and destroys the ego in us. ‘Vakratunda’ is a great beejakshara (seed letter). It signifies that He has the form of Omkara. Omkara, which consists of A U M, is the very first sound in this creation. It is the basis for the entire Veda and Nada in this universe.
That is why our bhajan says:
Pahi pahi gajanana parvati-nanda Gajanana
Ekadanta gajanana aneka danta nityanana
This Lord has an elephant head i.e. Gajamukha- this signifies knowledge. His big ears symbolize that He is the root energy behind the creation (vishwa shakti) which implies that the five gross elements are under his control. He has tiny eyes (sookshma netra). By worshipping Him, our intellect (buddhi) purifies and begins to shine brightly. Every limb of Ganapati conveys deep hidden message. It is symbolic.
Before taking on the elephant head, he was so handsome that even Vishnu used to feel jealous of his beauty.
There is generally a misconception that Hindu religion is very strange. It is a peculiar religion wherein animals and birds are worshipped, where the Gods have 3 heads and 16 hands and where there are monkey Gods, elephant Gods etc. Why is it that our Gods are dressed so funnily? Why do they need this attire? To know the answer to this, try to deeply analyze the form of that deity. As you go deeper, it will be clear to you as to why that deity was given such a form. It is a Vedanta subject. It is very difficult to understand.
Source: Bhaktimala Sep 2001 & Dec 2002)