Abundance of Lord Ganesha

The elephant-headed God with 108 names and a penchant for modaks is back again for his annual visit! The much-loved Lord Ganesha lives in our hearts as we pray to him during the ten days of Ganeshotsav and learn from him to elevate our minds and our lives. The guardian of wealth, Lambodhara protects all wealth and prosperity and keeps obstacles out of one’s path. Ganeshotsav serves as not just a time to celebrate, pray and indulge on sweets but also an opportunity to ruminate upon the teachings of Lord Ganesha.

• Pratham Pujaya

Vakratunda Mahakaya Surya Koti Samaprabha |
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Dev Sarv-Kaaryeshu Sarvadaa ||

“We salute you O mighty Lord Ganesha, the one with a curved trunk and whose radiance is equal to a million suns. May you bless all our endeavors and remove all obstacles from our path.”

Lord Ganesha has the unique distinction of being the first Lord to be worshipped. Whatever the occasion or ceremony or project, Lord Ganesha is the first to be invoked. It is with him that we welcome new beginnings. During this Ganeshostsav, we must make a commitment to begin again. To implement the projects or habits that we have been procrastinating. If you want to lead a healthier life, then lay down the plan. If you want to start practicing yoga, then contact a yoga instructor. If you want to pursue a skill enhancement course, then it is time to find the right course and register for it. If you want to better manage your wealth, then it is time to take the Lord’s name and reach out to the right wealth advisor.

• Ganapati – Master of Knowledge & Wisdom

The Lord’s name itself teaches us the importance of knowledge and constant learning. Ga means buddhi or intelligence, Na means vignaana or wisdom, and pati means master. This signifies that the Lord himself is the master of all knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. Lord Ganesha urges us to strive to gather as much knowledge as possible and learn from our experiences in life. Especially today in the age of information, ignorance is a choice. For every important decision in life it is essential that we rely on our knowledge and on the knowledge and experience of our advisors and well-wishers to guide us.

• Vakratundaya

Lord Ganesha is also known as Vakratundaya or the one with a curved mouth, ie. a curved trunk. The flexibility of Ganesha’s trunk is symbolic of both, his strength and his adaptable nature. The only way we can move forward is by being agile and flexible. As humans, it is inevitable that we make mistakes. Further, it is also always possible that as we gather more knowledge and learn new things, we understand that there are better ways of achieving our goals. Thus, it is important that we are agile enough to course-correct and change our path in response to new learnings. Wisdom lies in the ability to recognise our mistakes and adapt to new developments. The year 2020 has already tested all of us in this respect. Those who adapted quickly to the new normal managed to turn adversity into opportunity. This was also reflected in the case of investment planning. The investment landscape is constantly changing. Along with that, so are our circumstances and needs. The only way we can meet our goals is if our investment portfolio has the ability to adapt to the changes around us, from time to time.

Above all, we must choose humility to guide us just the way the mighty Ganesha chose the humble Mooshak mouse as his vehicle. No amount of knowledge or intelligence can benefit us if we do not have the humility to accept our limitations and the will to conquer them. The mouse is also said to symbolise the restless human mind and ego that can often cause more harm than good unless reigned in by an elephant sized intellect.

During this year’s Ganesh Festival, let us make new beginnings on a positive note, commit to broadening our knowledge, acknowledging the contribution of others in our journey and adopting a flexible approach to confronting all situations in life.