Question: I want to ask about the meaning of the gods. What powers do they represent?

Sri Chinmoy: You have Ganesha, so I wish to speak only on Ganesha because there are so many gods that it would take a very long time. So I will speak only on the god Ganesha.

Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva had two sons and Ganesha is the elder. The younger one is Kartikeya. Ganesha destroys all human darkness and he is worshipped or invoked by all Indians without exception. At the time of ceremonies, before we perform any rituals, we have to pronounce the name of Ganesha or offer obeisance to him. Ganesha is also called Siddhidada, one who gives siddhi, spiritual powers and realisation, one who fulfils our aspiration. So no matter what we aspire for, we have to please Ganesha first. When he is pleased, we can rest assured that we can have victory in our inner life as well as in our outer life.

One thing I would like to say is that the functioning of Ganesha is slow and steady. Slow and steady wins the race. Some gods, like the cosmic gods, work very fast through their aspirants, through their disciples and devotees, whereas Ganesha works slowly, steadily, and at the same time most confidently. When Ganesha achieves success in and through a devotee, this success remains. This success lasts forever. This is all I can say about Ganesha right now.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Earth’s Cry Meets Heaven’s Smile, part 3, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1978
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ech_3