श्री गणपती अथर्वशीर्ष has a part in which one asks Lord Ganesh to protect us from various directions. It seems ritualistic at first glance, but like most Sanskrit Upanishads, there are layers and layers that can be uncovered and the details within nuances are rich and carry a lot of encoding.
अव पश्चात्तात्। (Protect me from the back)
अव पुरस्तात्। (Protect me from the front)
अवोत्तरात्तात्। (Protect me from the north)
अव दक्षिणात्तात्। (Protect me from the south)
अव चोर्ध्वात्तात्। (Protect me from above)
अवाधरात्तात्। (Protect me from below)
सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात्| (Protect me from all sides)
Let us uncover the layers one by one and try to unearth the meanings hidden in the lines and between them.
Layer 1 – Since Ganapati is the god of wisdom and intellect, it is weird to assume that he is at our beck and call to do the above job of protection demanded by us to him. We are asking him to be our full-time bodyguard. Why will the god of wisdom and intellect condescend to be our full-time bodyguard at all?
Layer 2 – The concept of god in the Sanatana Dharma is actually the journey from without to within. The god of wisdom and knowledge embodies qualities and therefore processes that enable him to become the best in that field. Hence Ganapati embodies the pinnacle of all those who wish to become wise and intelligent. We meditate upon him so that we absorb what it is that makes him. We create habits that take us in the direction of wisdom and intellect. We remove anything in our behaviour that creates an obstacle in this direction. Slowly slowly. And one day we become him!
Layer 3 – Hence, since one is finaly going to become a Ganapati, the job which we have assigned to Ganapati is in fact our own job the entire time. We ourselves are the protector, Ganapati is within!
Now let us look at the directions.
अव पश्चात्तात्। (Protect me from the back)
अव पुरस्तात्। (Protect me from the front)
अवोत्तरात्तात्। (Protect me from the north)
अव दक्षिणात्तात्। (Protect me from the south)
अव चोर्ध्वात्तात्। (Protect me from above)
अवाधरात्तात्। (Protect me from below)