Lord Ganesha (Ganesh) – Introduction, History

Lord Ganesha is deity of beginnings and the remover of obstacles. His own popularity combines with the fact that he is the son of Shiva and Parvati to make him one of the most popular divinities in the Hindu way of life.

Ganesha is an elephant-headed god with a human body and a large pot-belly – a sign of his sweet tooth and fondness for sweets. In India, almost every new endeavor begins with a pooja or offering to Ganesha, an appeal to him to clear the path forward of obstacles. The Ganesha Purana lists the many mantras and rituals associated with his worship. Ganesha is also an integral part of temples. The figure of Lord Ganesha seated on his minuscule vehicle, the rat or mooshika, can be found near the entrances of many temples. In tantra, Ganesha or the elephant is seen as the symbolic gatekeeper of the muladhara chakra, which marks the entrance way to the kundalini coiled at the base of the spine.

Ganesha in Mythology

There are several stories that center around Ganesha in Hindu lore. Ganesha’s birth itself is the subject of many stories, and each offers a different account of his origin. In some stories, Ganesha is created as a little boy by Parvati, while Shiva is away on his many wanderings. Parvati creates a human form out of some sacred ash mixed with her skin, and breathes life into it using her tantric powers. One day, Ganesha is asked to guard the entrance to the house as Parvati bathes within. Shive turns up at just that moment, and Ganesha having no idea who the intruder is, blocks his entry. Shiva in a fit of rage lops of the little boy’s head, much to Parvati’s grief. When Shiva comes to learn of his mistake, he takes off the head of one his ganas and replaces it on the boy’s neck. In later myths such as the Puranas, the replacement head is that of an elephant rather than of a gana.

Other stories of his birth place the blame of decapitation on Shani or Saturn, who turns his malevolent gaze upon Ganesha in a fit of jealousy, and the boy’s head bursts asunder.

Ganesha is also said to have been the original scribe who wrote down the epic Mahabharat, as sage Vyasa recited it. To do this, Ganesha broke off one of his tusks and used it as a stylus.

Ganesha’s Names and Form

Ganesha is known by many names, the primary ones being Ganesha or Ganapathi (lord of ganas), Vighneshvara (lord of obstacles) and Vinayaka (great leader). His wisdom is also well-known and he is sometimes called Jyeshtaraja (lord of the elders). Students are often asked to invoke his name before they begin their studies to ensure success in such endeavors.

Ganesha is frequently depicted in many poses and forms, but is most often depicted in a steaed position. Usually, he is accompanied by his vehicle, the rat. One of his tusks is broken. He is sometimes depicted with two arms, but frequently with four. His hands usually hold sweets, his tusk, an axe, a noose and an elephant goad. A snake girds his belly to keep it from bursting when he eats too much! He is also popular in Southeast Asian, Tibetan, Japanese and Chinese art, where he is seen as an important part of Buddhist tantric traditions, as the guardian of the gate.

Ganesha’s marital status also varies in different parts of India. Sometimes he is worshiped as a bachelor, while at other times he is said to have two wives – Siddhi and Riddhi, meaning success and prosperity.

The Ganesha Upanishad describes his form:
He has one tusk and four arms.
Two of his hands hold a noose and a hook, while two other hands
show the gestures of removing fear and granting boons.
A mouse is seen on his flag.
Red, obese, he has ears like winnowing baskets;
he is dressed in red; his limbs are painted with red sandal paste.
He is worshiped with red flowers.
Unfailing, merciful, the origin of the worlds,
he appears at the beginning of creation,
alone, beyond Nature, beyond the Cosmic Person.
He who meditates on his form becomes great among the reintegrated.

Ganesha in the Scriptures

Ganesha is referred to, though not directly named, in the Taittiriya Aranyaka, as well as in a passage of the Maitreya Samhita. Ganesha makes his debut in the form we are familiar with today, in the Mahabharata. The Agni Purana and the Yagnavalkya Smrti briefly describe a ritual for him. The Prapancashara Tantra describes him in great detail. In samarta worship, Ganesha is held as the supreme deity. He is also placed above the trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in some puranas.

The Worship of Ganesha

Indians have worshipped Ganesha for several millennia. He has been a part of Shiva worship in his role as the leader of the ganas, and has also been a part of tantric rituals since before historical record. In his current form as an elephant-headed god, Ganesha worship probably merged and subsumed the worship of the elephant. This form of worship dates back at least 1600 years. Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is one of India’s most popular festivals. The 11-day festival culminates on the last day with jubilant processions where idols of Ganesha are taken and immersed in the nearest water body.

Ganesha is represented through various symbols during worship. There is also a mantra and a yantra – the Ganesha yantra – associated with him. The swastika is another symbol associated with him, which is made of cross representing the emergence of the “many” from the basic unity. The swastika’s ends are bent and turned away from the center to indicate that one can attain to basic oneness with the universe through the physical or outer manifestations of creation. The seeker must turn inwards instead.

Courtesy-www.allaboutbharat.org