Vyasa Muni sat on the banks of the Ganga, blissful and completely at peace. His eyes moved around him and took in the beauty of the surroundings. Mother Ganga flowed by with musical lapping sounds and slowly, the sun came up over the horizon. Vyasa Muni stood up and waded into the river. He scooped up some water in his hands and offered prayers to the rising sun. Then he came back to the bank of the river. He bent down and picked up a handful of the wet earth.
It seemed as though his entire body thrilled with a divine sensation. His fingers moved with involuntary movements and fashioned a Ganesh vigraha (idol) from the mud. All the while, there were deep OM reverberations filling the atmosphere. Then rose the powerful mantra, “Om Gan Ganapataye Namah!” A divine halo formed around the Ganapati idol.
Vyasa Muni then placed the idol on the ground and did namaskar to it. This then was the Vyasa Ganapati. This was a salute to the Eternal, Immortal Spirit. For mud is there, always. From this mud Ganapati takes shape, again and again. The form changes but the spirit remains. This was Vyasa’s teaching to mankind.
Perhaps this is the reason why the shastras say, “Vayam amritasya putrah” – we are the children of Immortality.