Ganapathi Homam musings

I still remember the first occasion when I performed Ganapathi Homam.. The occasion was nothing special.. It was fifity five years ago.. My father was very sincere in performing Ganapathi Homam at home every Friday Morning. Actually it was almost an unbearable burden on our very frugal family budget. But he never allowed that ritual to lapse.

I was just thirteen or fourteen and was just initiated to brahminhood. The details of pooja or mantrams were not known to me. I cannot say I was a keen student or devotee too.

On a thursday night my father had very heavy fever.. He could hardly wake up on friday morning.. He could not take bath.. no, he could not even sit up.. He was shivering with fever.

But he was not prepared to give up Ganapathi Homam. He asked me to take bath and perform the ritual.. He was just crouching nearby and murmuring the mantrams etc and guiding me on the procedures.

For Ganapathi Homam, initiatiation into Ganapathi Moola mantram is a compulsory requirement. Father did not have the occasion to initiate me into that holy mantram.

He asked me to light the fire.. He asked me to chant the mantrams for aavaahanam etc.. And then he asked me to recite the moola mantram as advised by him and offer the Homadravyam etc into the holy fire.

Of course that was a very unconventional initiation.. But of all the gurus father is the greatest guru and there is no son without a father. So that initiation was final

I have tried to understand, chant, digest and conduct many poojas etc.. But still the most revered ritual for me is Ganapathi Homam.

I never tried to get initiated into the moola mantram again at any stage because I knew Lord Ganapathi has already blessed that one-off emergency homam

Today I am slightly off with fever and could not perform the daily pooja. Someone at home would do it . But I am not satisfied unless I do it myself.

Pooja or worship is not a show off..
Not an ostentatious business.
Maybe singing dancing and revelry might be part of worship.
But the worship is far more deeper than that
One just offers oneself to the Lord, one just places oneself at the pleasure of the Divine being during pooja..
The nivedanam is offering oneself..
May be we offer eulogy, edibles, incense, camphor, sandal and so many other nice things.
But the nicest thing, the sweetest thing is to offer oneself to God.

AAtma nivedanam.....