Ganesha Gita on Karma Yoga

The Rig Veda Hymn in Book 10, Hymn 146 presents a very poetic description of the Goddess Aranyani in the forest setting. Atharva Veda 14-1-6 4 postulated Aranyani as the Goddess of the Hunt. Devi Mahatyam 90:43:44 describes Aranyani as the sacred tree which serves as an image of the cosmos and a symbol of the inexhaustible source of cosmic fertility. In the Hindu pantheon, forests worshipped Goddess Aranyani as Vana Durga, the Goddess of the Forests and Animals that dwell within them. Forests are the primary source of life and fertility. The forest as a community viewed Aranyani as a model for societal and civilization evolution. As a source of life, nature venerated as sacred and human evolution measured in terms of man’s capacity to merge with her rhythms and patterns intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. The forest thus nurtured an ecological civilization in the most fundamental sense of harmony with nature. Such knowledge that came from participation in the life of the forest was the substance not just of Aranyakas or forest texts, but also the everyday beliefs of tribal and peasant society. The forest as the highest expression of the earth’s fertility and productivity is symbolised in yet another form as Tree Goddess Aranyani.

The Kingdom of Shiva brings forth the story of Aranyani. Sindhura, a supernaturally beautiful son of Lord Brahma glowing with red complexion like Vermilion was divinely empowered with invincibility and the ability to travel wherever he pleased in an instant. Lord Brahma wanted him to be qualified as Saguna to be eternal. Sindhura fell in love with Aranyani. She desired him to reach the stage of Saguna Brahman and learn from Ganesha Geeta in Virat Rupa of Lord Ganesha.

Sindhura saw that the golden complexioned, four-armed Ganesha was riding on MuSika, a mouse divine. He recalled that he gave word to Aranyani to receive the teachings from the Ganesha and to seek his blessings for rendering devotional services to reach the stage of Saguna Brahman.

Sindhura looked at Ganesha and politely inquired, “Are you the son of Goddess Parvati?”

Ganesha replied, “Yes, I am but I am born out of her dirt. Do you have any problems with this?”

Sindhura devotionally answered, “No. Oh, Lord! I have come here to seek your blessings and learn the methods of worship, key beliefs, and philosophical positions.”

Ganesha asserted, “What is that you can learn from this elephant headed who was beheaded by Lord ?hiva and got switched out of mercy?”

Sindhura acclaimed, “Oh Lord! Your fixed head is of Gajasura that is full of wisdom.”

Ganesha responded, “Well, does it not demonstrate wisdom lost when beheaded? In addition, this wide mouth one only knows how to eat and enjoy! This large stomach only digests all that is eaten. This curved trunk is useful only to uproot a tree and even cannot lift a needle off the ground. These large ears cannot assimilate ideas and chanting a mantra of peace. These eyes are full of natural deceptiveness that will not allow perceiving objects to be bigger than what they really are. I have no chariot but travel on something as small as a mouse. I have only Pasa rope and Ankusa as weapons. Then, how can I face the mighty one who has unmatchable power equivalent to the forces of the Trinity? How can such a person teach the methods of worship, key beliefs, and philosophical positions?”

Sindhura implored with Ganesha, “Oh Lord! Tough, you are testing my understanding of Thine philosophical positions. Thou art Nirguna. Thou art the formless Divinity. The universe is a group of atoms and different energies. This universe would be in chaos if there were no supreme law governing these diverse groups of entities. Thou are the Lord of all these groups of atoms and energies. All things manifest and dissolve into it from energy. The pure form of energy, the living, and conscious power is at work in the Universe. Thou art Gajananeti! The elephant faced Lord! The principle qualities of the elephant are wisdom and effortlessness, symbolizing strength, stability, and protection. The enormous head of the elephant signifies great wisdom and creatively thinks to solve problems. Thou art Gajakarna! One whose eyes are like an elephant ~ Small eyes suggest concentration of mind on the issues on hand. Thou art Gajavaktra! One whose mouth is like an elephant ~ Mouth represents to talk less, value words, listen, think, and then talk. Thou are Gajavakra! One whose large ears listen more attentively. Thou art Gajavakra! Thine trunk represents discrimination between good and evil. Thou art Lambodara! Thine large stomach peacefully digests all good and bad in life and is the attainment of virtues. Thou art Buddhipriya! Thou art the bestower of knowledge. Thou are GaNapati, Lord of all Ganas! Thou art Vigneshwara, Lord of all obstacles! Thine Pasa and Ankusa signify control and awakening! With awakening, abundance of energy is released which without proper control can go haywire. Thine MuSika Vahana signifies that which can cut through sheaths and sheaths of ignorance, leading to the ultimate knowledge represented by Ganesha! Oh, Lord! I am eager to learn in a nutshell the essentials of Yoga Sadhana, the fundamentals of spiritual life, the very cream of the scriptures which teaches what ought to know and what ought to practice.”

Pleased with Sindhura, Lord Ganesha manifested in the universal form of Virat Rupa. His Vishvarupa Darshan had innumerable forms, eyes, faces, mouths, and arms. All creatures of the universe were part of him. He was big as Mahamaya. He was the infinite universe, without a beginning or an end. He contained peaceful as well as wrathful forms. The god had one thousand eyes, one hundred heads, one thousand feet, one thousand bellies, one thousand arms, and several mouths. He held multiple weapons whilst assuming attributes of an ascetic like sacrificial fire, a staff, a Pasa, and an Ankusa. His head covered the sky. His two feet covered all earth’s ground. His two arms encompassed horizontal space. His belly occupied entire space in the universe. Unable to bear the scale of the sight and gripped with fear, Sindhura beseechingly implored Lord Ganesha to return to his normal form.

Lord Ganesha affectionately emphasized, “Oh Sindhura! As a son of Divine Creator Lord Brahma, you tasted the supreme nectar of His boons! However, the path you follow is to lose the very strength of the supreme nectar! Your intention has been well determined to be Saguna as promised to my sister Aranyani, your loved one. I am going to sing and recite that Gita which consists of the pure essence of Yoga! This is Ganesha Gita that focusing on Dasa Yoga. The knowledge these Yogas invoke are Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Japa Yoga, Nada Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Janna Yoga, Adhyatma Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Mantra Yoga.”

Lord Ganesha explained, “Oh, dear Sindhura! Please listen. Karma Yoga is the Yoga of selfless action, without attachment and expectation of fruits. It removes the impurities of the mind. It is a potent purifier of the heart. It prepares the mind for the reception of Divine Light, Divine Grace, and Divine Knowledge. See God in every face. Behold the Lord in all creatures. Share what you have with others. Serve saints and sages. Serve the sick and the poor. Serve your parents. Serve your motherland. Serve humanity in general. Scrutinise always your inner motives. Destroy selfish motives. Work without ego. Cultivate Nimitta-Bhava. Feel you are an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Surrender always your actions and their fruits to the Lord. Have equal vision and balanced mind in pleasure and pain, gain and loss, success and failure. Develop nice adaptability. Serve always with Atma-Bhava and Narayana-Bhava. Do actions as your duty, duty for duty’s sake. Cultivate amiable, loving, social nature, generosity, dedicated, and faithful nature. Kill selfishness. Control the senses, practice self-restraint, tolerance, sympathy, compassion, and mercy.

Karma Yoga is the "discipline of action” and is a form of selfless (altruistic) service. It is the process of achieving perfection in action. Karma simply means action, and yoga translates to union. Thus, karma yoga literally translates to the path of union through action. It is through union experienced in meditation, action then integrates the pure consciousness gained by experiencing Samadhi. Karma means both action and the effects of such action. Karma yoga is a way of acting, thinking, and willing by which one orients oneself towards realization by acting in accordance with one's duty (dharma) without consideration of personal self-cantered desires, likes or dislikes. Karma is doing work with cleverness and as a science. By knowing how to work, one can obtain the greatest results. You must remember that all work is simply to bring out the power of the mind that is already there, to wake up one’s soul. The power is inside every man, so is knowing proper techniques as blows to bring them out, to cause these giants awaken.

Man works with various motives. There cannot be work without motive. Some people want to get fame, and they work only for fame. Others want money, and they work only for money. Others want to have power, and they work only for power. Others want to reach heaven, and they work for the same. Others want to leave a name when they die. Others work as a penance ~ do all sorts of wicked things, then erect a temple or give presents or wealth to priests bribing them in hopes to obtain a passport to heaven. They think that this kind of superficial benevolence will clear them and they will escape karma free in spite of their sins. Such are some of the various motives for work.

Karma’s effect on character is the most tremendous power that man has to deal with. All the actions that we see in the world, all the movements in human society, all the works that we have around us, are simply the display of thought the manifestation of the will of man. Machines, instruments, cities, ships, men-of-war ~all these are simply the manifestation of the will of man. This will is influenced by character and character is manufactured by Karma. As is Karma, so is the manifestation of the will. The men of mighty will the world has produced have all been tremendous workers ~gigantic souls, with wills powerful enough to overturn worlds, wills they built by persistent work through ages and ages.

The only path is to give up all the fruits of work and be unattached to them. Concentrate on the actions or Karma and do not worry about the results. The results will follow.

Karma-Yoga, therefore, is a system of ethics and religion intended to attain freedom through unselfishness, and by good works.

There are three kinds of Karma ~Sanchita, Prarabdha and Agami or Kriyamana.

Sanchita is the accumulated storehouse of actions of previous incarnations. Prarabdha is that part of Karma which has given rise to your present birth. Agami is current action. Sanchita destroyed by Brahma-J?ana. You will have to enjoy the Prarabdha. Agami has no binding force, as there is no agency or egoism in the sage.

Do not be attached to work it. You must be able to give it up at any moment. As you sow, so you reap. Virtue gives you happiness. Vice gives, you pain. You are the master of your destiny. You sow an action and reap a habit. You sow a habit, reap a character ~you sow your character and reap a destiny. Destiny is your own making. Abandon desires and change your mode of thinking. You can conquer destiny.

Hatha means any tenacious practice until the object or result achieved. “Ha ~tha” means the union of the Sun and the Moon ~the union of Prana and Apana Vayus. The practice of Hatha Yoga awakens the Kundalini Shakti that lies dormant in the Muladhara Chakra. Sushumna rises through all the Chakras.

?“Kundalini passes through the Chakras and joins with Lord Siva in the Sahasrara”?Ganesha sang melodiously.

Therefore, the goal of humankind is knowledge. Pleasure is not the goal of man ~knowledge is.

Read more and learn more on Hatha Yoga, Japa Yoga, Nada Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Janna Yoga, Adhyatma Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Mantra Yoga. From the Kingdom of Shiva~~Kishenji

Special thanks to my dearest friend Jocelyn Lee?LION? for bring out the best...Kishenji (LION), Author, Kingdom of Shiva