Vakratunda Mahakaya

This is a very popular prayer to Lord Ganesha, typically chanted at the beginning of any new undertaking or even any activity, where we seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings to pave the way for our desired undertaking to happen. This prayer can be chanted upon waking as well. The time or activity is less important. The sincerity with which we pray is what matters.

Invocation of Ganesha:
This verse invokes Ganesha, who is traditionally worshipped at the beginning of any task, as he is known as Vighnaharta (the remover of obstacles).

Symbolism of Vakratuṇḍa and Mahākāya:
Vakratuṇḍa (the curved trunk) and mahākāya (massive body) signify the immense power and wisdom of Ganesha to remove hurdles, no matter how big they seem.

Sūryakoṭi Samaprabha:
The reference to Ganesha’s radiance being equal to ten million suns reflects his divine brilliance, which dispels ignorance and illuminates the path of success and wisdom.

Seeking Blessings for Success:
This śloka is a prayer for nirvighnaṃ (a smooth path free from obstacles) in all kāryas (activities), emphasizing the significance of beginning any venture with Ganesha’s blessings.

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Ganapati means “Lord of the people” (gana-“Host, group of people”, pati-“father, Lord”) and is also known as
Ganesha Gana-Esha, again referring to a Lord (Isha) of the Host/People.
Lord Ganesha, who is known as the Lord of New Beginnings, is also worshipped as the Remover of Obstacles.

Sri Swami Chinmayananda describes the symbolism of Lord Ganesha as follows:

The Lord of Obstacles, Sri Vighneswara has four arms representing the four inner equipments, the Anthahakarana(Mind, Intellect, Memory and Ego).
In one hand He has the ROPE and in the other He has an AXE. On the spiritual pilgrimage, all obstacles are created by the very subjective and objective worlds in the seeker himself. Sri
Vighneswara chops them off with the AXE. He cuts off the attachments of His devotees to the world of plurality and thus ends all the consequent sorrows. He holds the attention of the seeker constantly towards the Higher, and pulls us nearer and nearer to the Truth and ultimately ties him down to the Highest Goal with the ROPE. With one hand, He blesses all His devotees and protects (ABHAYA) them from all obstacles on their spiritual path of seeking the Supreme, and with the other hand He feeds the seeker with MODAKA, representing the reward of the joys of sadhana — the “Joy of Experiencing the Reality”.

Sri Sai Baba on Significance of Vinayaka Worship
By Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The following are a few more salient features of Ganesha’s symbolism that we ought to know

1. He is the first God to awaken in our consciousness and the first God to preside over our inner transformation.

2. As Vighneswara, the remover of obstacles, he removes ignorance, the biggest obstacle in our spiritual transformation.

3. Seated in the Muladhara chakra, he opens the blockages of inertia (tamas) present in the body and facilitates the passage of Kundalini and the free flow of spiritual energy.

4. As the harbinger of good, messenger of God and lord of the divinities, he fulfills the desires of his devotees and opens to them the doors of prosperity and abundance.

5. He is not only the son of Siva but also of Parvathi (nature). Since he is born out of their union, he personifies life, duality and manifestation in its diverse aspects.

5. His vehicle is the lowly mouse. His association with it symbolizes his lordship or control over fear, hesitation, weakness, doubt and nervousness, which the mouse symbolizes. He removes these obstacles to facilitate success and achievement for those who pray to him.

6. Lord Ganesha is the enjoyer of food. As the eater of various forms of food, he symbolizes Brahman, the ultimate recipient of all sacrificial offerings, In the body he symbolizes the individual Self, which is described in the Vedas as the enjoyer and the witness consciousness.

7. Lord Ganesha is the lord of Siva ganas. In the body, the ganas symbolize desires, thoughts and impulses. They are responsible for the instability and the modifications of the mind. They are also responsible for our distractions and failures in life. As their lord, Ganesha helps us in stabilizing our minds and experiencing peace and sameness.

Lord Ganesha is our friend and benefactor in the fulfillment of the four aims of human life, namely duty (dharma), wealth (artha), enjoyment (kama) and liberation (moksha). He helps both the householders as well as the ascetics in realizing their goals. He is also described as a galactic god, who keeps balance among various worlds. He is the true son of God, Isvara, the Lord of the Universe.