Ganesha (Gaṇeśa)

Ganesha (Gaṇeśa)

Gaṇeśa is one of the most popular and well-known of all the Hindu gods and is always worshipped first. He is the god of Wisdom and the patron of learning.

Everything that we perceive in the universe must be grasped and expressed by the mind through the means of categories, therefore "category" is a fundamental principle of existence.

The 'principle' by which all classifications, and the relationship of one thing to another in the universe can be understood is called Gana-esha — "The-Lord-of-Categories".

Gaṇeśa — the Lord-of-categories has two wives Siddhi — Success, and Buddhi — Intelligence sometime his second wife is said to be Riddhi — Prosperity.

Gaṇeśa represents one of the basic concepts of Hindu Philosophy — the identity between the macrocosm and the microcosm. In religious terms this is the identity between the individual and the universe (humankind made in the image of God).

This idea of the potential divinity of the person and the immanence of God should be presented before the mind before beginning any undertaking.

This is the reason that Gaṇeśa is worshiped at the beginning of every enterprise. Not only this but his icon is seen at the entrance to almost every Hindu home and on every altar.

In iconography Gaṇeśa is represented as an Elephant-headed man:

The man part of Gaṇeśa represents the manifest Principle which is subordinate to the unmanifest Principle which is represented by the elephant's head.

The elephant head also represents certain qualities to which a sincere spiritual seeker is encouraged to aspire — strength, intelligence, endurance and gracefulness. The elephant is the only animal which has all its 5 organs in the head.

Thus we are taught that exerting control over the five senses is an essential pre-requisite to achieving knowledge and wisdom.

Symbols

The noose [pāśa] — 

represents the three things which are the cause of our bondage to the material world which necessitate continued rebirth:

• Ignorance of our true nature [avidya] as eternal modes of consciousness and an erroneous identification with the material body and mind.,

• Our actions done in conformity with the false identification with the material vehicle and their inevitable reactions [karma].

• The habitual pattern formations which we create [vāsanā].

Many of these are useful such as performing acts of daily living, and also special skills needed for our convenience such as driving, working computers and other forms of machinery and mechanical tasks needed for earning a living.

But there are more subtle and invidious pattern formation which cause suffering to ourselves and to others. These need to be uprooted — de-conditioned — in order to progress towards enlightenment.

In the hands of a free and enlightened being these three become a mere ornament!

The axe [paraśu] — 

represents non-attachment. In order to progress on the spiritual path the essential virtue to cultivate is that of non-attachment to the sense-object and their means of gratification — the noose held in the one hand needs to be cut with the axe of non-attachment in the other.

The Elephant Goad [ankuśa] —

 represents perseverance on the path of spiritual practice. The spiritual path is very arduous and difficult but if we are committed then Gaṇeśa when propitiated will prod us by means of the Goad, and guide us to our supreme destination — union with the Divine. But that incentivization will require pain and suffering!!

The sweet [modaka] — 

represents the basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. One should never neglect one's physical well-being while one is practicing spiritual discipline. The spiritual life is to be followed in harmony with a material life — not in opposition to it.

The Mouse Vehicle [muṣika] — 

The mouse is the master of the inner part of every building, and as such it represents the Ātman or the Self. The Self lives in the innermost recesses of the intellect, within the heart of every being.

The mouse is called muṣika in Sanskrit. It is derived the word mush which means to steal.

The Inner Ruler (Ātman) steals everything that we enjoy, hidden from our view it enjoys all the pleasures and remains unaffected by virtue or vice. The inner ruler is the real enjoyer of everything yet the ego in ignorance thinks that it is the enjoyer!

The mouse also represents the uncontrolled and negative mind that lives in the dark hidden places and destroys for the sake of destroying. Gaṇeśa, representing wisdom can control the mind by riding on it but the mind can never be completely crushed.

One Tusk [eka-dantā] - 

Ganapati acted as the scribe for the Mahābhārata, on the condition that he would on no account interrupt the recitation by Vyāsa who was dictating the Mahābhārata for the welfare of the world.

When the pen broke, Ganapati broke off his own tusk in order not to interrupt the work. Thus out of great compassion for beings the Lord was prepared to mutilate himself! This is the symbolism contained in the iconographical representation.

Ganapati is always depicted as being obese because all the universe is contained in his belly, yet he himself is not contained in anyone.