Gaṇeśa Gītā Upākhyāna
The Gaṇeśa Gītā is the teaching that Gajānana gave to King Varṇya of Māhishmatī. It fills Chapters 138 to 148 of the Krīḍā Khaṇḍa of the Gaṇeśa Purāṇa. It follows the same order of topics as the Bhagavad Gītā. It speaks of karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, the practice of yoga, the ātmā, the viśvarūpa (universal form), the worship of the form and of the formless, varṇa dharma, the three kinds of tapas, dāna and karma, and moksha. It ends with a phalaśruti (a statement of the fruit of study). Varṇya gave up his kingdom and reached moksha by living the teaching.
Setting
Gajānana had defeated Sindūra, and Varṇya had known him for who he was. Gajānana lived in Varṇya’s rāja-sadana (royal palace) in Māhishmatī. Devas, ṛshis and kings came there for darśana. In this setting Varṇya came to Gajānana and asked to be taught the highest knowledge: the nature of yoga, the ātmā, dharma and the path to moksha.
The line of those who passed on the teaching is stated plainly. Gajānana taught Varṇya. Brahmā told it to Vyāsa. Vyāsa told it to Sūta. Sūta told it to Śaunaka and the gathered ṛshis at Naimishāraṇya. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 138–139)
The teaching, part by part
Karma-yoga (Chapters 138–140)
Gajānana begins by defining yoga and teaching karma-yoga. This is action without desire for its fruit (nishkāma-karma). Giving up action is not better than doing action without desire. A person who acts without the thought “I am the doer” (kartā-ahaṃkāra) is a true renouncer even while acting. All karma should be given up as an offering to Gajānana.
The order of topics follows the Bhagavad Gītā closely, and several verses match verses of that text. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 138–140)
Jñāna-yoga and the practice of yoga (Chapters 140–142)
The teaching goes on to jñāna-yoga. The ātmā is eternal, unborn and cannot be destroyed. Only the body dies. Gajānana is the source of all creation and the last refuge of all. Then the whole practice of yoga is taught.
- Āsana: the steady seated posture
- Prāṇāyāma: control of the breath
- Pratyāhāra: drawing the senses back
- Dhāraṇā: fixing the mind
- Dhyāna: meditation on the form of Gajānana
- Samādhi: full absorption
The mind is compared to unruly horses. The one who meditates must hold it as a driver holds the reins. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 140–142)
Gajānana as creator, and the unity of the five (Chapters 142–143)
Gajānana says that he is the creator, keeper and destroyer of all worlds. He names his vibhūtis (divine glories). He is the light in fire, sun and moon. He is Vishṇu, Śiva, Brahmā and Pārvatī. Indra and all the Dikpālas are born from a part (aṃśa) of him.
The key declaration is this: “I am Vishṇu, I am Śiva, I am Brahmā, I am Pārvatī, and I am the Gaṇeśa-Gajānana. All five are one.” (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 142)
Two paths are described. The śuklā gati (bright path) goes through fire, day and uttarāyaṇa, and leads to Brahman. The kṛshṇā gati (dark path) goes through smoke, night and dakshiṇāyana, and leads to rebirth. Only those who reach Gajānana do not return. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 143–144)
The universal form (Chapter 145)
Varṇya asks to see the universal form of Gajānana. Gajānana gives him divya-cakshus (divine sight) and shows the viśvarūpa. It has countless mouths, eyes, feet and arms. The whole cosmos is held in one body. All three worlds, the seven oceans, the seven dvīpas, and all the devas, ṛshis and pitṛs can be seen within it. It blazes with the light of a koṭi (ten million) suns. It has endless arms and endless heads.
Varṇya is filled with wonder and with fear at the same time. He asks Gajānana to come back to his gentle (saumya) form.
Gajānana says: “I cannot be seen except through bhakti. Yoga-practitioners, Sanaka and the ṛshis see this form only through my grace. Not through the four Vedas, not through yajñas, not through tapas, only through bhakti is this form seen.” (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 145)
Upāsanā of the form and of the formless (Chapter 146)
Varṇya asks which is better: the upāsanā of the saguṇa (with form) Gajānana, or meditation on his nirguṇa (without form) nature.
Gajānana says that both lead to the same moksha. But the path of the formless is harder, because a being with a body cannot easily hold the formless as the object of meditation. The path with form is easier to follow and gives the same full fruit. Bhakti (devotion) is declared the highest means. A devotee who knows nothing but is full of pure bhakti is greater than a learned scholar without bhakti. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 146)
Gajānana also teaches about the kshetra and the kshetrajña. The body and all its parts form the kshetra (the field). These parts are the five bhūtas (elements), the tanmātras (subtle elements), the indriyas (senses), manas (mind), buddhi (understanding), ahaṃkāra (sense of “I”), icchā (desire), sukha (pleasure) and duḥkha (pain). Gajānana, the inner witness, is the kshetrajña (knower of the field). This part follows the order of Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 13.
Three kinds of everything (Chapters 147–148)
There are three kinds of prakṛti (nature). The daivī leads to moksha. The āsurī leads to bondage. The rākshasī leads to the nether regions.
There are three kinds of bhakti. The sāttvika is towards the devas. The rājasika is towards yakshas and rākshasas. The tāmasika is towards bhūtas and pretas.
There are three kinds of tapas: of the body (kāyika), of speech (vācika) and of the mind (mānasa). Each of these is again divided into sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika. There are also three kinds of dāna, and three kinds of jñāna, karma and kartā (doer).
There are three kinds of sukha. The sāttvika is poison at the start and nectar at the end. The rājasika is nectar at the start and poison at the end. The tāmasika is delusion from start to end. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 147–148)
The teaching ends with varṇa dharma.
- Brāhmaṇa: śama (calm), dama (self-control), tapas, śauca (purity), ārjava (honesty), jñāna
- Kshatriya: śaurya (courage), dṛḍhatā (firmness), dāna, loka-rakshaṇa (protection of the people)
- Vaiśya: farming, trade, protection of cows
- Śūdra: service to brāhmaṇas, pūjā of Śiva
Each varṇa, doing its own svabhāvaja karma (work that suits its nature) and giving all its fruits to Gajānana, reaches moksha. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 148)
Varṇya gives up his kingdom
At the end of the teaching, Gajānana told Varṇya to keep this yoga secret (deva-rahasya) and to practise it. Brahmā tells Vyāsa: “That great-souled king at once gave up his kingdom and his family, went to the forest, and, practising yoga exactly as taught, reached moksha.” (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 148)
Phalaśruti
The phalaśruti of the Gaṇeśa Gītā is one of the longest in the Purāṇas.
- One who studies it every day becomes equal to a yogī and reaches moksha.
- One who reads it seven times before the mūrti on Gaṇeśa Caturthi receives all material plenty.
- Even the mahāpātakins (those who have done the gravest pāpa: killers of brāhmaṇas, drinkers of liquor, thieves, and those who wronged the guru’s bed) are made pure by reading it (pāṭha).
- One who reads it on the Caturthi tithi reaches moksha.
- Paramabrahma-prāpti (reaching the Supreme Brahman) is declared higher when gained through the Gaṇeśa Gītā than through yajñas, dāna, the four Vedas studied with all six aṅgas, or hearing all the other Purāṇas.
(Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 148)
Sources
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 138–148
- Chapters 138–139: setting and line of transmission
- Chapters 138–140: karma-yoga
- Chapters 140–142: jñāna-yoga and yoga practice
- Chapters 142–144: Gajānana as creator, the unity of the five, the two paths
- Chapter 145: the universal form
- Chapter 146: upāsanā of the form and the formless, kshetra and kshetrajña
- Chapters 147–148: three kinds of everything, varṇa dharma
- Chapter 148: Varṇya’s renunciation and the phalaśruti
- Bhagavad Gītā (the order of topics and several verses match; Chapter 13 for kshetra and kshetrajña)