Introduction

After concluding the discussion of all eighteen major Vedic treatises, from the Agni, Bhagavat to the Visnu Purana, Srila Suta Gosvami was asked to speak before the assembly of sages at Naimasaranya. This request was due to his illustrious spiritual nature, being very advanced in knowledge of the Absolute. He felt that the stories of Lord Ganesha would be best to impart to his audience, so he recited the Ganesha Purana. We can get a hint of the importance of this information from such a great spiritual teacher.

Although the stories in the other Puranas, such as the Bhagavat, contain highly esoteric and practical spiritual knowledge, we shouldn’t consider the other Puranas as having less significance. While the Ganesha Purana ontologically belongs to a minor category of spiritual literatures, nevertheless it would imprudent to suggest it is inferior knowledge. It is interesting to note that the Narada and Nrsingha Puranas are classified as subordinate texts, considering that Narada Muni is deemed one of the greatest mahajans in the universe. In the Bhagavat Purana, Lord Nrsinghadev has also been described as the fourth principle avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Because we live in a world of duality, a tendency of the mind is to classify what is less and more, good and bad, or beginning and end, etc., etc. On the spiritual platform, ‘it’s all good,’ so to speak. Loving Ganesha in all His forms, and not discounting others, is the basis for understanding the true equality or non-dualistic nature of God. Unless one has truly realized their eternal relationship with the Absolute, duality may creep in, especially if we have put forth the assumption that our understanding of divinity is higher than others. At a time in the distant past, all followers of God, be they devotees of Shiva, Ganesha, Vishnu or Krishna , etc., lived in harmony with one another, although this concept may seem quite idealistic by today’s sectarian standards. In any case, in order to understand Sri Ganesha, it may be better to consider all aspiring transcendentalists (whatever their faith) as belonging to one family; the eternal family of the Absolute One.

‘God is One, Paths are Many’. In the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, Krishna says, “Everyone follows My path in all respects”. In his commentary, Swami Prabhupada says, ‘All kinds of spiritual processes are but different degrees of success on the same path’. As far as this these statements are concerned though, discernment is necessary to determine if our spiritual path is descending through suitable channels. In this regard, Suta Gosvami is an adept guru who has been endorsed by his peers to pass this pure knowledge on to others.

TOPICS COVERED: Karma, Conduct, All Life is Sacred, Detachment, The Guru, Service, God, Health, Kali Yuga, The Secret, Evolution, Self Realization, Suffering, Separation & Heaven

VAYAM BHRAMITAS SARVATHA JNANA-YOGAT
ALABDHASTAVANGHRIM BAHUN VARSHA PUGAN
EDANEEMAVAPTAHA TAVAIVA PRASADAT
PRAPANAN SADA PAHI VISHWAMBHARADYA

“Deluded by ignorance, not being able to see thy lotus feet for thousands of celestial years, we have been in grief, but by your grace we now have your darshan, and are truly blessed. O Lord Ganesha, support of the universe, bless us, bless all, and protect every one!  All glories unto you!”