Mantra: Om Gam

Namaste friends. We have been doing this interesting progression into the world of sounds where we started off with simple vowel sounds where sound directly corresponded to an experience. Then we went into certain words, combinations of sounds which meant something a little more. And now we are into another dimension of not just the sound and its meaning but also its relationship with larger cosmic forces that underlie them and trying to make an alignment between all these different dimensions of vibrations. So in our previous episode we looked at Om Namah Shivaya Om.

In this episode we are going to look at the mantra Om Gung Ganapataye Namah. Ganapati is another name of Ganesha who is the younger son of Shiva in the Hindu pantheon of Gods. And Ganapati again is not just this Godhead whom we perceive with a trunk, with an elephant head, etc. In terms of the relationship of this Godhead with a universal force, Ganesha or Ganapati represents the force that can enable us to break through all obstacles. When there is a certain clarity within us, we also impact our surroundings.

The more harmonious structures we have within ourselves, those in turn emanate into vibrations that create that kind of harmony in our environment. And therefore, using sounds, using conscious sounds that are mantras, we can help to bring about this order within ourselves which in turn will start bringing order outside of ourselves. Ganapati or Ganesha is that force which automatically brings in a greater order in things around us and therefore the removal of obstacles which are nothing more but a confusion of different vibrations when you look at it from another perspective. Ganapati is also another symbol of wisdom and skill. So if you can make that association now, the more we invoke wisdom and skill and apply it in our lives, the more spontaneously we are freed of obstacles that are often the result of different levels of ignorance.

So wisdom and skill result in the clearing of obstacles within and without. So bearing these thoughts in mind, we will invoke now Ganapati but with the mantra, Om Ganapataye Namah, would you like to repeat that after me, Om Ganapataye Namah, wonderful. But I'd just like to draw your attention again on the precision of certain sounds and if you hold that in your awareness, it can alter that experience to that little extent that can make all the difference. So the word Gum or sometimes Gung, Gum, they are the same but pronounced differently depending on what follows. So Gum Ganapataye, so the N in that is an N where you place your tongue at the, you place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your palate.

Try that once, put your tongue on the roof of your palate and do the sound N, nah, lovely, nah. So Ganapataye, you're with me, Pataye, again it's not Pataye, it's not the English tea. You have to soften the sound by putting the front part of your tongue lightly behind the teeth and allowing the tongue to stick out a little bit. So Ganapataye and the tendency in the English world is Ganapataye, okay, it makes a difference. So our focus on the subtlety of these sounds is really to experience how it influences the spaces within in a different way and so play with it.

Try the Pataye, try the Pataye and see if you feel different, okay. So Om Gung Ganapataye Namah, lovely, can we say it together? Let's start, Om Gung Ganapataye Namah. I'm doing the Namah in this case but when we chant it you will hear me doing Namah, that Namah is just in order to stay with the melody and to lay an emphasis on the aspirate sound. All right, so I'll do it with a particular melody and you repeat after me.

Om Gung Ganapataye Namah, okay, I'll do the whole thing for you and you repeat after. Om Gung Ganapataye Namah, fantastic. Can we now just sit comfortably, close our eyes and at least say three times. In the first case, think of removing all the obstacles at the physical level. When we do it at the second time, remove all the obstacles in the subtle world and when we do it a third time, remove any possible ignorance and obstacle in the spiritual world.

Ready, sit comfortably, take a deep breath and let's start. Om Gung Ganapataye Namah, Om Gung Ganapataye Namah, Om Gung Ganapataye Namah, Om Gung Ganapataye Namah. You can practice the sound aloud initially but the more you familiarize yourself with it, you can do this mantra anytime, anywhere, whenever you want it. So stay with the mantra and I wish you a happy, obstacle free, wise life ahead.