19810720 Gītāñjali Singers Mr.Rao Glorifying Gaṇeśa

The following is a South Indian Bhajana performance with the explanations given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 20, 1981 in Madras, India.

♫ ~bhajana~♫

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaṇeśa was invoked to destroy all the obstacles on the path of progress in the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His expansions. This is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (Bs. 5.50):

yat-pāda-pallava-yugaṁ vinidhāya kumbha-
dvandve praṇāma-samaye sa gaṇādhirājaḥ 
vighnān vihantum alam asya jagat-trayasya
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Translation: I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, whose lotus feet are always held by Gaṇeśa upon the pair of tumuli protruding from his elephant head in order to obtain power for his function of destroying all the obstacles on the path of progress of the three worlds.

In this regard our parama-gurudeva, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has explained that Lord Gaṇeśa is uncharged of destroying all of the obstacles in one’s worship to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, and to get the power for worshiping the Personality of Godhead, Saguṇa-Brahma, therefore he is himself worshiping and always keeping the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa - Govinda on his elephant head. It also mentions that of the five devatās recommended to be worshiped, because of this special mercy of Govinda, Gaṇeśa is worshiped in the beginning of every activity, this is especially auspicious.