Everywhere in the world — before a wedding, a journey, a new venture, or the first page of a ledger — one face of the divine is honored before all others: the elephant-faced Lord of beginnings, Ganesha.

Why does an entire tradition pause, at the threshold of nearly everything it does, to remember him first? Ganesha: The Lord of Beginnings is a warm, clear, and faithful answer — the opening book of the Meeting the Divine series, and a doorway into one of the best-loved figures in all of Sanatan Dharma.

Written for the complete newcomer and the lifelong devotee alike, it meets Ganesha from every side: his beloved birth stories and the wisdom of his broken tusk; the meaning hidden in every curve of his form — the great ears, the discerning trunk, the ample belly, the four hands, and the small mouse at his feet; the profound teaching of the remover — and placer — of obstacles; his thousand names and his sacred temples; the joy of Ganesha Chaturthi; and simple, practical ways to invoke him in daily life.

Every mantra is given in Sanskrit (Devanagari), transliteration, and clear English, with a pronunciation guide and a glossary, so no prior knowledge — and not a word of Sanskrit — is required.

Inside this book:
• The birth stories, the wisdom race, and the broken tusk that wrote an epic
• Ganesha’s form read as a scripture, feature by feature
• Obstacles as teachers — the deep meaning of Vighnaharta
• The festival of arrival and farewell, and what immersion teaches • Mantras, meditation, and a simple daily practice

The Sanatan Dharma Wisdom Series — timeless teachings, warmly and clearly retold.