Spirituality

Moraya Gosavi: Sage behind the Chant Ganpati Bappa Moraya.

Ganpati Bappa Moraya, Mangal Murti Moraya. 

 As the Ganesh festival approaches, Indian streets start echoing this chanting, filling villages, towns, and cities with purity, piousness, joy, warmth, and optimism. This chant announces that the beloved Bappa is on His way from the heavens to spend ten days with His devotees.

No Ganesh festival is complete without the chant. Do you know that the chant Ganpati Bappa Moraya is part of the tradition followed for more than 500 years? Ganpati and Bappa are the names of Lord Ganesha. But what is the meaning behind Moraya? This blog will tell you about the great sage Moraya Gosavi, who was the reason behind the chant Ganpati Bappa Moraya.

Life of a great Saint

 A couple named Vamanbhat and Parvati Shaligram lived in the small village of Shali, Karnataka, in the 14th century. Both were very well learned in Vedas, and staunch followers of Grihastha-Ashrama, carrying their household duties. Even after many years of marriage, they were waiting patiently for God’s blessings in the form of a child.   

For this, they used to go on long pilgrimages regularly. While on one such expedition, they reached Morgaon near Pune, a spiritual place known for the location where Lord Ganesha killed a demon named Sindhu. Being there, the pious couple felt that their wish could be fulfilled here. And they started their arduous penance for a child. 

A few years later, Moraya (lord Ganesha) blessed the couple with a child. Vamanbhat and Parvati named the child Moraya after their beloved Bappa.

After the birth, the couple decided to stay there, spending their remaining years serving in the company of Lord Ganesh of Morgaon. After eight years, Upanayana Sanskara was performed, and then, Moraya met his Guru Narayan Bharati Gosavi. Under his guidance, Moraya started learning Vedas, Yoga, and his penance in the forest of ‘Theur’ to please Lord Chintamani. After meditating for 42 days, Lord Chintamani appeared in front of Moraya and blessed him. Henceforth, the little kid was known as Moraya Gosavi.  

Gosavi means the one who has complete control over all of the senses. Under the guidance of his Guru, Moraya Gosavi became master of Ashta Siddhis like Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Isitva, and Vasitva. With these supernatural powers, he started helping the needy and poor. Seeing this, the people of Chinchwad (located near Pune) surrendered to him and requested him to come to their town. Accepting the request, Gosavi Ji started living in Chinchwad in a hut. Even today, you can visit his home, which has been converted into a Vada (manor).

On the first day of every month, he used to walk to Morgaon to pray to his beloved Moreshwar Ganesh. He stayed there for three days and returned to Chinchwad on the fifth day. No matter the situation, Lord Ganesh used to meet him every time. Once, during the monsoon season, he couldn’t cross the river to reach Morgaon. Taking the form of a fisherman’s boy, Lord Ganesh came to aid him, taking him to His abode. Once, Moraya Gosavi arrived at the temple very late, and the temple was closed. Despite requesting, again and again, the temple priest denied opening the temple doors. Lord Himself came out of the temple to meet His beloved devotee outside the temple. Many such astonishing stories began to spread in Maharashtra and beyond.

But his greatness does not stop there. Moraya Gosavi Ji gave great importance to Anna Chhatra (food donation). Even five hundred years later, to this date, fresh and healthy food is served daily to the needy and poor beside his home in Chinchwad. Due to his religious and social activities, Chinchwad became a buzzing town packed with pilgrims.

Ganapatya Sampradaya

In Sanatana, Brahman is considered the ultimate reality, the supreme divinity that lies in each of us. When it is worshipped as a formless entity, it’s called Nirgun Brahman, and when worshipped in a form Like God, or Divine Mother, it becomes the ultimate reality with a specific form or Saguna Brahma. Ganapatya is a sect in Sanatana Dharma, which considers Lord Ganesh the ultimate reality.

Originating from Shaivism and Tantra sects, the Ganapatya sect flourished in the first millennium. But later on, during the second millennium, the importance of the Ganapatya sect was reduced due to the emergence of other Deities. Saint Moraya Gosavi revived and popularised this sect in the fifteenth century, bringing it to the mainstream again. Even today, we can see its effects. Whenever we start something new, we seek the blessings of Lord Ganesh to remove the obstacles, which is the effect of this Ganapatya sect.    

Samadhi

Within a few decades, the name of great Moraya Gosavi, the reviver of the Ganapatya sect, spread across south India. People started coming in flocks to seek an audience with this great soul. Gosavi Ji took great joy in serving these people, but eventually, he realised that people started to come in between him and his Lord. This was the time he started thinking about going into the Sanjivan Samadhi. Sanjivan Samadhi is getting into the highest transcendent state of consciousness, merging yourself entirely with the divine, and leaving the mortal world behind. Invoking Lord Ganesh, he shared his wish with the Lord. “As you wish, my child,” assured Lord Ganesh.

For the next few months, Moraya Gosaviji went into deep meditation, in the state of trance, enjoying Atmananda (rejoicing the oneness with the divine from the bottom of the soul). And finally, in 1561, he began his journey toward Samadhi. Upon his orders, his son Chintamani built a cave on the serene bank of the Pavana river. On the 6th day of Margashirsha month, Gosavi Ji woke up early and performed worship in the temple. Villagers and his disciples followed him while he got out of the temple and started walking towards the cave. Chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya were heard everywhere. It meant Moraya was becoming one with the Ganpati Bappa.

 Cave was built underground. Stone stairs went deep into the ground, into a circular place, with a bench and a stool in front of it. A handwritten copy of Ganesh Purana and two oil lamps were lit on it. Moraya Gosavi sat on the bench, concentrating all of his consciousness on the third eye chakra. Soon, his Prana accumulated in his Brahmarandhra, and his mind got absorbed in Atmananda, attaining the state of Samadhi.

Upstairs, with the help of villagers, his son Chintamani closed the cave by putting a heavy rock over the entrance. From this day onwards, people would chant Ganpati Bappa Moraya because Moraya became one with the Bappa. Onwards, whenever people chant Ganpati Bappa Morya, it would mean, ‘as Moraya merged himself with the Ganesha by his devotion, I shall do the same with Bappa’. Morya Gosavi Ji became the beacon of devotion, the highest example of what it means to be surrendering to God. 

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