Mantra for removing obstacles
The birth of a mantra or Mantra for removing obstacles
On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivaratri, March 1, 2022, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama observed a series of chantings, yajnas, pujas, and prayers. Swami Ritavan Bharati, the ashram pramukh (chief) and the successor of Swami Veda Bharati, introduced a new sangha (community) mantra, Ganesh Gayatri Mantra, to the collective family. It is
“Tat- purushaye vidmahe
Vakratundaye yadimahi
Tano danti prachodayat”
In the morning, a havan (fire ritual) was performed, where this mantra was recited collectively by everyone present and by those joining the proceedings online. This new Ganesh Gayatri Mantra chanting is going to be a year-long practice until the next Shivaratri. So, practising the mantra every day can hugely benefit an individual because of the high vibrations it carries.
Explaining this mantra, Swami Ritavan says, “This mantra is the mantra of stability and of removing obstacles from a person’s path. If one is planning to do a long undertaking, e.g., a long observance of a mantra like the Gayatri Mantra, sometimes, one is faced with karmic obstacles. Ganesh Gayatri Mantra will prepare your karmic field so that some of those obstacles coming in the way of your spiritual progress will not hinder you excessively. Ganesha is the divine force that operates in the Muladhara Chakra to stabilise a person, not just by helping him sit in a stable way but also by giving him stability in life.”
Tat-puruṣāya vidmahe (We seek to know that supreme divine person).
Vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi (We meditate upon the one with a curved trunk). The curved trunk represents the base of consciousness as seen in the depiction of the symbol ‘Om.’
Tanno dantī pracodayāt (May the one with one tooth inspire us). The one tooth of Ganesha on one side of his trunk represents the principle whereby dualities are merged into oneness.
Lord Ganesha, the lord of ‘adhara,’ which means ‘foundation,’ provides physical and emotional stability, which we aspire for by removing obstacles, resistances, and conflicts from our life. Ganesha represents firm determination. When our mind is resolute, it is also fearless, and all our obstacles are automatically overcome.