Ganesha

The principle of Ganesha is extremely subtle. It is the subtlest of subtle. And it exists in everything. It exists in the matter in the form of vibrations.... Shri Ganesha is the first one who was established in the matter. As a result, we can see He exists in the sun. He exists on the moon. He exists in the whole universe, in the whole creation and He continues to exist in human beings also.... He can go on a little mouse so He must be very minute. He is as minute as He is great. He surpasses all the Deities because of His wisdom. He is the giver of wisdom. He gives us wisdom. He makes us learn. He is our guru in that respect, Mahaguru, because He teaches us how we should behave. If you try to surpass Him and try to misbehave, even the Mother won’t support because She knows that those who surpass Shri Ganesha are also the people who will never respect the Mother. So He is the epitome of respect for Mother – the epitome. He does not know any other Gods. He does not know Sadashiva. He does not know anybody else, but He only respects the Mother. So He is the one who is the power of devotion and complete surrender to Mother and that is why He is the most powerful Deity among all the Deities and nobody can surpass Him in His power.

Kartikeya was the son of Parvati Uma, who was just a mother of these two children, Ganesha and Kartikeya.... Kartikeya represents the great captain or the leader of all the ganas, like a commander-in-chief. Ganesha is the king, but He is the commander-in-chief.... To be in command is different from being a master. The master owns it. A commander does not own it. He does not own it. That is also lost, possession is also lost. We just command it. And that is the state we have to come to now, from Ganesha state to the state of Kartikeya – the other way around. Ganesha is nice. He is the king, very nicely sitting down with all the powers. In a sense He is there, but Kartikeya is the one who commands innocence, gives you a power of that commandment.... at commanding spirit comes in the men through their talking, through their dynamism, through their personal achievements; for the women through their loving power, through their forbearance, through their gracious behaviour, forgiveness, compassion. So let us develop that today, that we can command it. That means it is not that which we have, but in a position we are to command. I hope you understand what is Kartikeya. (Shri Ganesha Puja 1989)