Ganesh ji is shown to have four shoulders/arms. Each of them has beautiful objects of significance.
The knowledge we get from God is the axe of wisdom. Using that axe we need to cut and finish our vices, negativity and most importantly, slash past wrong Karmic accounts. Even if consequences of a past Karmic account comes to the forefront, by using knowledge, our present thoughts and behaviors will settle past karmic accounts and finish them.
- A rope in the second hand
Having taken in knowledge and meditated the inculcation happens only when there is discipline in life. Without discipline and self-control, it is not possible to inculcate wisdom in daily life.
We need to tie our life with the rope of discipline. Eat anything, drink anything, sleep any time, wake up any time, speak what comes to mind, and use fair or foul means of earning money. Such an undisciplined soul cannot become wise.
We need to tie our life to the rope of discipline. Right thoughts, right words, right actions, right diet, fair means of earning money; these are disciplines we need to be tied to, with a rope.
- The third hand – giving blessings
The third hand is shown giving blessings. If we look at our life today, throughout the day we want something or the other from people. If not anything else, we want love, respect, trust, acknowledgement, appreciation. So we stand like this. But Shri Ganesh’s hand is not shown like that. He doesn’t want anything, but he is ready to give to everyone. Most importantly, it means we need to keep giving blessings to everyone.
Which means, whoever we meet, however his Sanskars are, however, his behavior is, each person will exhibit his Sanskar, he will do his Karma. But from our side he should receive only pure thoughts, pure words and blessings.
- The 4th hand – holding Modak (a sweet dish)
This implies that applying spirituality in life is simple, but we cannot afford to become careless about it. Constant attention is required. It takes a lot of effort to prepare Modak.
Similarly, this signifies that it takes constant attention and a certain amount of effort, to inculcate complete spirituality in life. But once we put in that effort, then the modak is extremely sweet. Which means the result of hard work is eventually going to be sweet.
Once spirituality is inculcated in life, inevitably appreciation, success and praise are bound to follow. At such moments we need to ensure not to become egoistic, about our wisdom. Let us never become egoistic about our virtues. It is God, getting work done through us, let us not be egoistic about it.
The Modak is ready, it is very sweet, but Ganesh ji does not eat it. He only keeps it in his hand. This means when we get success we should not accept appreciation as ours. We should just hold it, not be consumed by it. No picture or idol of Ganesh ji shows him eating the modak, he is only shown carefully holding it in his hand. This is a reminder, that as we progress along the path of self-transformation, invariably, people will have a lot of nice things to say about us. Be mindful not to become egoistic. The biggest of egos is the ego of wisdom. It is so subtle that one may not even realize it is ego. So the Modak is to be held and not consumed.