Ganesha Temple, Nanganallur, Chennai: 11th January, 2004 8.40 p.m to 8.55 p.m. Excerpts from His Holiness Sri Muralidhara Swamiji's Upanyãs Sri Swamiji has been rendering ‘Upanyãs’ (discourses), in Tamizh. This is being brought to you here. There may appear to be variations in the ‘tense’ of the language. This is due to the fact that great effort has been taken to maintain the original style of the ‘Upanyãs’. Therefore, we request you to keep this in mind while reading the translated ‘words’ of Sri Swamiji.

Sri Swamiji,

"HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE"

“ It is only in our Religion that we have various Gods and various paths.
It is pointed out to be a defect to have innumerable gods and goddesses. Why?
A poor man looks at a huge mansion with many rooms and criticizes the owner. He questions, ‘does a man need so many rooms?’ What is the reason for this? Only jealousy! So, too, do people of other faiths criticize our Sanatana Dharma out of jealousy.

Why do we have so many gods? People are not made with same likes and dislikes.
‘Loko binna ruchi’ - world is made of people with different tastes. Not all dress alike; eat alike. Each one has a different taste. Each one’s preference is different . While it is so with worldly things how then can a person follow one God? If people are forced to worship one God it will be akin to goading all sheep into one shelter (‘ãttu mandai’)!

Our Sanatana Dharma caters to varied bhãvãs. One who desires to stand in dharma and practise Truthfulness has Rama to worship. One who desires to be brave, humble and devoted has Hanuman to worship. One who likes Lila has Krishna to worship. The same Sanantana Dharma also says, ‘all these gods are but the different forms of the same ‘jyoti’ (Light/Consciousness).’

It is said, ‘kuzhandaiyum deivamum onnu’ (a child and god are alike) How? A Jnãni is like a child. The child is innocent and has no hang-ups. It sees no difference - poor or rich; beautiful or ugly; good or bad. ‘Kuzhandaiyum deivamum kondãdum idathhile!’
(God and the child go where one fondles them) Anyone who fondles it with love/affection, the child goes to him/her. Such a god is Ganesha. He is called ‘bãla vinãyaka’. You can never find a grown up/adult Ganesha. He is always seen as a child. A child picks up anything found on the ground and puts it in its mouth. This is the reason that ‘pori’(puffed rice) is scattered on the floor and the child picks it up and eats. Ganesha, being a child-god likes to eat. So, he likes to be fed with something always. Unless you offer him 108 ‘kozhukattai’ (a sweet dish) your prayers do not come through! This is the reason that Arunagirinãthar also, while doing stotra on Ganesha, begins with, ‘Kai thala nirai kani, appa mudaval pori(puffed rice)..’
It says -‘Nirai Kani’ not ‘kanigal’ (fruits). So he refers to a single fruit which when held in palm fills the palm. Jackfruit is big and is a favourite of the elephant. Ganesha is elephant god and Jackfruit is offered to him.

Unlike man, God loves only frank praises (‘nija stuti’). That is the reason that Arunagirinãthar sings, ‘mathalla vayiranai’ (tummy like the drum!).

Any Temple has five ‘prãhãrãs’ or seven ‘prãhãrãs’; a ‘dwajastamba’; big ‘gopurãs’, etc. But, Ganesha needs no such big Temples! He is found even at bus stops! At auto stands! Ganesha sits at the bus stop so that he can bless the people who have no time to come to him, as they have to rush for work. Ganesha used to occupy a place below the Peepul tree on any pond bank in villages. But, in this age when people have moved over to cities for their living, Ganesha has also moved to cities and occupies a small place in bus stops so that he can bless them! He knows that people come to the bus stop! He sits amidst smoke and dust. He does not care for his surroundings at all! He blesses even those who rush past him and bow down to him for a moment even without removing their foot wear! Such compassionate and easily available a god is Ganesha!” "

GOPIKA JEEVANASMARANAM!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA!”

NOTE: Any discrepancy/lapse in the translated version of the Upanyasam is the sole responsibility of the person/s who translated the work from Tamizh into English.

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