Just Say, "Om"

The Causal Word, Aum, represents the divine thought, the source of existence. It corresponds to the power of will, known as Siva Intention, or icchha shakti. The power of knowledge known as Vishnu Formulation, or jnana shakti, and the power of action known as Brahma Expression, or kriya shakti, also express the Causal Word, Aum.

Omkara signifies the Supreme Siva, being both vyashti (individual) and samashti (cosmic). Thus, Ganesha Aum, the divine son of Siva, is the support of the whole universe. His sound-symbol Aum is indestructible in past, present and future. It is immortal and ageless. He is ever Pillaiyar, the cherished child of Uma-Parameshvara. By meditating on Him in the three aspects of A-U-M, devotees can realize the reality of the Godhead. The mahavakya Aum Tat Sat implies "That is what it is," and it is transmuted into the form of Ganesha. He embodies the Truth of Tat Tvam Asi, "Thou art That."

Everything that our mind can grasp can be expressed in terms of kind, or category. So, category is a fundamental element of existence. All that can be counted or comprehended is a category (gana). The principle of classifications through which the relations can be understood between different orders of things, between the macrocosm and the microcosm, is called the Lord of Categories. He is Ganapati.

Mahaganapati is the ruler of all the categories and can be identified with Divinity in its perceptible manifestation. He guards the first approach to life and all its manifold unfoldment. The principle of categories transcends intellect. As the Lord of categories, Ganapati rules over the universal intellect and the principles of the elements (tattvas) derived from it.

It is noteworthy that Ganapati is sometimes identified with Brihaspati, the patron of letters. Mythologically, He is the scribe who writes down the scriptures. He figures as the scribe of Sage Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata.

You, leader of categories,
are the writer of this Mahabharata.

Mahabharata 1.1.77

From: “Chapter 8: Ganesha as Primal Sound”. Loving Ganesha: Hinduism's Endearing Elephant-Faced God. Himalayan Academy: Kapaa, Hawaii, 2000. Web. 6 Apr. 2010.