Explaining the origin and evolution of Ganesha, Dr. Robert Svoboda dissects numerous ancient stories about the remover of obstacles.
“Ganesh is continuing to evolve. The goddess is continuing to evolve. All these Devatas and Devis are continuing to evolve. It seems very interesting to me to see how this evolution takes place. We haven’t come to the end of the stories of Ganapati yet. Time will tell what happens next.” – Dr. Robert Svoboda
This episodes contains a discussion with Dr. Svoboda on:
- Maharashtra as the hub of Ganesha worship
- Ganesh Chaturthi, the annual festival of Ganesh
- The Eight Temples of Ashta Nayika
- How we can seek wisdom and cleverness through Ganapati
- Ganesh as the remover of obstacles
- Recognizing Ganesha through the popular Elephant Head image
- Shiva, Parvati, and the many tales of Ganapati’s birth
- The verses of the Mahabharata and how Ganesh became a scribe
- The competition between Ganesh and his brother Kartikeya
- Santoshi Maa and the modernist story of Ganesha’s daughter
- The myth of Ganapati cursing the moon to wax and wane
Dr. Robert Svoboda mentions Shri Moraya Gosavi, a prominent Hindu saint. Learn more HERE about Gosavi and his influence in spreading the worship of Ganapati.
“Who is Ganesh? He is, of course, probably one of the easiest (if not the easiest) Indian deity to identify because he has the head of an elephant. He is well known to pretty much everyone because he is always worshiped first whenever you’re going to do anything auspicious because he can either create obstacles for you or he can remove obstacles, depending on how you respond to him.” – Dr. Robert Svoboda
About Dr. Robert Svoboda:
Dr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of twelve books including Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution and the Aghora series, which discusses his experiences with his mentor during the years 1975 – 1983.
In the years since 1986, Dr. Svoboda has traveled extensively, spending three months per year on average in India. He often speaks on Ayurveda, Jyotish, Tantra and allied subjects in locales across the world.
Join Dr. Svoboda’s courses, watch the latest video in Dr. Svoboda’s 5 Minutes series on Youtube and follow Dr. Svoboda on Facebook and Instagram for updates, events, and new content. You can also check out www.drsvoboda.com
About Paula Crossfield:
Paula Crossfield is Vedic astrologer and Business Coach dedicated to helping a million spirit-led entrepreneurs make more money and impact so they can bankroll the change they want to see in the world. Her insights on astrology and business strategy have helped her clients build sustainable five figure+ per month incomes while still embodying their values.