As the festival of Ganpati begins, I am drawn to my childhood days in Mumbai where it is celebrated with noise and grandeur. It is one the most important festivals of the Maharashtrian community and we too had started celebrating it at home by bring Bappa home. The entire process right from preparation to immersion of Bappa is done with great enthusiasm by each member of the family. It is a festival where everyone forgets their woes and come together to celebrate.
I thought since I am a strong believer of Bappa, I should dedicate this post to him and share some lessons we can learn from ” Vignahartha”.
Respect for all: The mouse is a rodent and feeds on leftover food. Yet it is the vahana/vehicle for the Lord. This shows respect for every living being irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
Integrity: Legend says that since Goddess Parvati had appointed him to guard the door. He was focused on performing his duty. Even when Lord Shiva came he kept upto his commitment he had made to Goddess Parvati. This clearly shows that integrity and commitment are essential for us in the long run.
Gratitude: There’ a story which says that once Lord Shiva set a competition for both his sons on who could complete three circles of the entire universe the fastest. Ganpati Bappa just took three circles around his parents to express his utmost gratitude to his parents. This clearly shows that his respect for his parents and expressing gratitude is key.
Positivity: Bappa is known as destroyer of evil and a strong believer of happiness. Thus before we start anything new we seek his blessings and pray for goodness to prevail. We can also corelate this aspect to the importance of spreading positivity and happiness to all.
Contentment: Bappa was happy with the elephant head that was given to him. He never complained but made the most of everything he had. It is a good lesson for life we can all learn that we need to be contented with what we have.
Dedication : Legend says that while the Sage Vyas was reciting The Mahabharata, Ganesha’s pen broke but to avoid any disruption he broke his tusk and continued writing. This is an excellent example of dedication to whatever you are doing and giving it your 100% be it personal or professional work.
I hope all of you imbibe all these values we can learn from Ganpati Bappa and share them with our family and friends.
Ganpati Bappa Morya!
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