Why Yogis Invoke Ganesh first
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha!
Om I bow down to Ganapataye.
I’m so delighted to share about Ganesh in our first ever newsletter. As a kid growing up, every new beginning always starts with a prayer to Ganesh. Whether it was someone's wedding, a housewarming, a new car, a new job, a new baby, you name it, we always started with bathing Ganesh, offering tika (red vermillion) and white rice to invoke his presence and offering him our prayer. I always wondered, why Ganesh? He looks cool and all, but why is Ganesh’s presence so special?
There are two ways to understand it, one is through Hindu mythology, and the other through Yogic principles. My favourite place to start is in mythology, because stories are so delightful, and this one is linked to the birth of Ganesh 💛!
The story of how Ganesh was born
One day, up on Mount Kailash, Goddess Parvati was about to bathe. Not just a quick rinse, but a proper divine self-care session. Oils, turmeric, flower petals, the whole deal. And she was not in the mood to be interrupted (Goddesses want privacy too!). So she looked around for someone she could trust to keep the door closed while she was in the tub.
Now technically, her husband Lord Shiva had a bunch of fierce and loyal followers, Nandi the bull, Bhṛngi, and all the Gaṇas. But the thing is… they were all really loyal to him. Not her. And when push came to shove, they’d let Shiva walk in, even if Parvati had soap in her eyes!
Like any Goddess, Parvati had two close girlfriends Jaya & Vijaya who she explained her predicament to, and like besties do, they shared their thoughts on how to help their frustrated friend. “Sister! I know Shiva says that all his attendants are yours too, but it looks like they respond to him over you. What you need is someone who is just yours, for whom you're their first priority.”
So Parvati scraped the dirt and sandalwood paste from her body, and molded it into clay with her hands into the shape of a beautiful boy. Then, like only a Goddess can, she breathed Prāṇa (her life force) into him. And like that, her son was born.
She dressed him in fine clothes, gave him a solid stick for guarding, and said, “You are my son. You are my own. Don’t let anyone through that door, no matter what they say.”
And so the boy took his job very seriously. He stood tall and proud outside the bathing chamber, fully committed to the role.
Right then, of course, Shiva came home. In his usual style, he strolled right up to the door, expecting to walk in. But this new kid wasn’t having it. He blocked Shiva and said, “Sorry sir, my mother is bathing. No entry.”
Shiva blinked. “I’m Shiva. This is my house.”
But the boy stood firm. “Not without the Goddess's permission.”
Now, Shiva may be the Destroyer of Ego, but at this moment… his own got the best of him. He was furious. “Who does this kid think he is?” And then, because divine tempers are a thing, Shiva called his attendants, the Gaṇas, and told them to remove the boy.
But the boy defeated them all, not just the Ganas, but Shiva's armies of Goblins, Ghosts and Gods with the likes of Indra and Lord Visnu . One by one, he sent Shiva’s entire army packing.
This was no ordinary kid. His strength, his fire, was divine. And he was being supported by the power of the Goddess herself.
Eventually, Shiva had enough. In a rage, he picked up his trident and, in a single stroke, severed the boy’s head.
The Ganas, Goblins, Ghosts and Gods were all jubilant and celebrated, but then…
Parvati emerged and saw what had happened, her beloved son lying lifeless. She lost it.
Her grief became fury. Her fury became power. The skies darkened. The earth shook. She created armies of Shaktis, Goddesses of unimaginable force, and sent them everywhere, devouring all who had attacked her son. The gods panicked. No one could stand against her. Even Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu knew: the universe was hanging by a thread.
They begged her to stop. She made one thing clear: “Bring him back. And not just that, he must be honored as the chief of all Gods.”
Shiva, now fully sobered, agreed. He sent out his Gaṇas with the instruction: “Bring me the head of the first living being you find facing north.”
They returned with the head of a wise, peaceful elephant.
Shiva gently placed it on the boy’s body and breathed life into him. The boy stirred. His eyes opened.
Parvati rushed forward and embraced him. “You are my son. You always were. You always will be.”
Shiva joined her, saying, “You are mine too. From now on, you will be known as Ganapati—the Lord of the Gaṇas. And you will be honored first, before any other deity, whenever a prayer or ritual is performed.”
And so, the boy born of sandalwood became Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, the God of new beginnings, and the most beloved elephant-headed god in the world.
Unpacking the story as a Yogic Parable
The story of Ganesh reminds us that when we set a clear, heartfelt intention, like Parvati did, the universe responds with great power. Ganesh was born not randomly, but from her devotion and clarity. This is the yogic principle of Sankalpa, intention rooted in a higher truth.
But even with strong intention, we often face resistance. Shiva, not recognizing Ganesh, becomes the obstacle. In yoga, these blocks are often our own doubts, fears, or limiting beliefs. They challenge us to stay committed towards our goal.
Ganesh holds his ground, not out of ego, but out of devotion to his dharma. That is his power: he removes obstacles because he refuses to abandon what he’s been entrusted with. Yogically, this teaches us that the obstacles fall away when we stay steady in our purpose.
That’s why we invoke Ganesh at the beginning of any important undertaking, so that we are guided by Dharma, and all obstacles that hold us back from that Dharma are cleared away.
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha!