Reference: Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Bapu’s editorial published in Dainik Pratyaksha dated 03-09-2008 

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah   

One day Parvatimata along with Balganesh arrived at the ashram of Atri-Anasuya. The moment Her eyes fell on Her grandson, Anasuyamata was overcome by tender affection, and She stopped at nothing to indulge Him; She satisfied His every fancy, every little wish. The little child only had to express His demand and Anasuyamata would go all out to fulfill it.

One day Parvatimata even said to Anasuyamata that if the little Ganesh gets used to this kind of pampering, it would be difficult to manage Him once they were back on the Kailash would it not? Anasuyamata smiled sweetly and said, “My dear, I was indulgent with Your husband too, yet He did live happily on the Kailash, did He not?” Anasuya’s words fully convinced Parvati and put Her mind at rest.  

Parvati noticed however, that despite all the love and pampering, Her baby never disobeyed Anasuya and more importantly for all the indulgence that came His way, He was not in the least a spoilt child. When they were on the Kailash however, She would have to chase after him and go on and on at Him. Parvati tired Herself wondering about it. She just could not get an answer. Finally She put the question to Anasuyamata one night after Balganesh had fallen asleep. Anasuyamata replied, “My dear, today I happen to be engaged in the recitation of a mantra. I have to chant the mantra a certain number of times in the next few days. We will talk about it when I am done.” 

The very next day Paramshiva Himself came down to meet His parents and to fetch His wife and son back home. Owing to the short-tempered nature of Paramshiva, the Parvati who had to be mindful of Her words and Her every step when on the Kailash, was very relaxed and free of care in the ashram of Anasuya. When She saw Paramshiva however, She automatically withdrew. 

The moment Anasuyamata saw Paramshiva at the entrance to the ashram, She came forward lovingly, blessed Him and led Him inside holding Him by the hand. Parvati saw that Paramashiva was as eager to rush into Anasuyamata’s arms as was the little Ganesh to rush into His own Mother Parvati’s arms. Naïve and ingenuous, Paramshiva would wander in and around the ashram throughout the day, share memories of His childhood and above all, indulge in child-like activities with His childhood friends. His friends were no more children though; they were mature, well-experienced Rishis.

Most importantly Paramshiva longed so much to be fed by Anasuyamata. One day it so happened that Balganesh and Paramshiva were very hungry at one and the same time and both of them wanted to be fed by Anasuyamata. They were both very insistent. Anasuyamata said to Paramshiva, “You are a grown adult, why don’t You wait a while? Have patience. Let Me first feed the baby Ganesh and I will come to You when I am done.” Though a little annoyed, Paramshiva replied, “I agree because this little one is My baby too. But then I keep feeling You love Him more than You love Me. Anyhow, what You say is true, I will wait.” 

Balganesh began His meal. Lambodar after all, (लंबोदर=the One with a huge belly), His appetite was really large and, on that day, He just would not feel full and so would not stop eating. Anasuyamata kept feeding Him. Paramshiva sat a little away, eyes closed apparently but actually impatiently and eagerly waiting for His turn. Now Parvatimata too was taken aback; just how much more was Her son going to eat? Besides, how much longer could the starving Paramshiva have held on? Just then Anasuyamata said to Shreebalganpati, “I have made a special sweet for You. Do eat it now.” Anasuyamata then fed Balganapati, a ‘modak’ (मोदक). That very moment Balganapati gave a cute burp and lo! Paramshiva too burped twenty-one times in the same manner, happy and completely satisfied. Balganapati and Paramshiva both said to Anasuyamata in one voice and at one and the same time, “What a wonderful sweet!”  

Parvati was really baffled. Once again that night She questioned Anasuyamata. How do You manage these miracles? You pamper the little Balganapati so much and yet He obediently listens to You! The otherwise short-tempered Paramshiva is ever so placid and calm the moment He steps in here! The way the appetite of Balganesh kept growing today! Innumerable, really numerous delicacies fail to satisfy His appetite but this new one, so tiny fills His stomach instantly and He even burps in contentment! The high point of it all was, Paramshiva who sat collected and patient despite His hunger pangs also feels full the moment Balganapati eats that one ‘modak’ (मोदक)! With one single burp on the part of Balganesh, Paramshiva gave twenty-one!  

All of these words were but an expression of amazement of the loving Parvati. However, the whole matter centered around merely one issue. What was the secret behind this phenomenon? And what indeed was this extra-ordinary delicacy called the ‘modak’ (मोदक)? 

Anasuyamata replied, “The reason behind Your amazement and Your bewilderment is exactly the reason behind all these phenomena. Your love for Your husband and Your son - intense, profound and selfless, pure, sheer love without any motive whatsoever – that is precisely it – the crux, the secret behind it all. As for the ‘modak’ (मोदक), it is this pure, sheer love without a motive; it is the gross or the physical (घन) form therefore of pure and sheer joy. The Balganapati is the Ghanapran (घनप्राण) of the universe. That was exactly why He, the Ghanapran was satisfied when fed with the physical or the gross form of sheer, wholesome joy, untainted by any selfish desire. Moreover, Paramshiva, the One who is responsible for blazing down all that is born of selfish motives, or all that is a result of the the six foes, too felt a sense of contentment when the Ghanapran ate that one single modak and that too, twenty-one times as much.”  

Bowing before Anasuyamata, Parvatimata said, “Please bless that all of this may actually realize, anchor firm and forever in the world of bhakti within.” At that Anasuyamata said, “Tathastu”. (तथाऽस्तु = So be it!)  

And then on began the celebration of the Ganapati festival from the fourth day of the Bhadrapada. Also, the naivedya of twenty-one modaks began to be offered to Ganapati and since it was observed that by offering Him once, Shiva would be satisfied twenty-one times over, the worship of Shree Ganapati thereafter came to be performed at the very beginning of the worship of any form of the Paramatma.

At the end of the editorial, Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Bapu writes—  

‘My beloved Shraddhavan friends, Modak signifies selfless, pure and sheer love without motive. And this Modak—do not offer it only on Ganesh Chaturthi, but keep offering it every single day, and partake of it as Prasad. Then tell me, how can any obstacle possibly remain?’