From a satsang with Paramacharya of SWAHA, H.H. Pt. Hardeo Persad
During this auspicious season of Ganesh Utsav, culminating in Ganesh Visarjan (August 26 to September 6), we are reminded of the profound symbolism represented by Shree Ganesh. Ganeshji represents all the tattwas: the fundamental elements of existence. In His own words, “I am the internal consciousness in each person.” This is the revelation that He is the soul that dwells within us all.
The immersion of the murti at Visarjan is not merely a ritual; it is a spiritual allegory. It signifies the merging of the individual soul into the vast ocean of universal consciousness. The realization dawns that, “I am but a point of consciousness,” destined to dissolve in oneness with the Divine. The finite self transcends duality and identifies with the Infinite. Thus, Visarjan becomes not only the immersion of clay into water, but also an invitation to immerse ourselves in the glories of the Lord, glorifying Gajanand at every opportunity in our daily lives.
The Ganesh Atharvashirsha offers us a luminous vision of Maha Ganapati’s nature. The scripture’s invocation reflects upon our two most vital senses, hearing and sight, and reminds us that in all perception there is both the gross and the subtle. Thus, we pray for the clarity of intellect to discern truth, and the courage of heart to follow it. For indeed, we elevate or diminish ourselves by our own efforts.
Ganeshji is the visible expression of the eternal Vedic truth, Tat Tvam Asi: “Thou Art That.” He is the infinite substratum, yet within all forms, the unchanging essence that is beyond definition or division. The Vedas proclaim: He is the Creator, Sustainer and Dissolver; He is Brahman Himself. Every atom of creation is but a differentiated expression of that one indivisible Divine.
The sages declare: Aham Brahmasmi: “I am Brahman.” In truth, we are part and parcel of Him, reflections of His brilliance and effulgence. Yet as humans living amidst materialism, we must strive to recognize our true nature. Religious practices exist to guide us back to the awareness: that our essence is radiant and eternal because it is of the Infinite.
Maha Ganapati is Sat-Chit-Anand: Existence, Consciousness and Absolute Bliss. He is the unmanifest Infinite, and yet at the same time, Ganeshji is also Sagun Brahm, the Divine with form and qualities, so that we, limited beings, may relate to Him and draw closer to Him. He is the embodiment of knowledge, both spiritual and scriptural. Just as waves arise from the ocean, the cosmos arises from Him; the world is but a fraction of His infinite grandeur.
He is the five tattwas (elements): earth, water, fire, air and ether. He is the power of speech. He is beyond the three gunas (modes of existence): sattva (spiritual purity), rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia) and also beyond the three bodies (physical, astral and causal) as well as the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, deep sleep). He is turiya, the non-dual self, the fourth and supreme state. Time itself emanates from Him. He is said to reside in the muladhara chakra (the first, root energy vortex in the body), guarding the inner sanctum of the Divine Mother. All powers of creation, sustenance and dissolution flow from Him. Yogis meditate upon Him as the Infinite, the One who transcends all planes of existence: bhur, bhuvah, swah (physical, mental and spiritual).
Thus, He is both the Infinite and the intimate. In Him, the vast cosmos and the human heart find their meeting place. All forms, all powers, all truths converge in Him. And in the depth of realization, we can recognize: Aham Brahmasmi: I am one with Divinity.
As we celebrate Ganesh Utsav and Visarjan, let us see it as a remembrance that He is always within us, as part of our consciousness. May we immerse not only the murti in the waters, but also the individual ego in the eternal ocean of His grace.
