Ganesh Chaturthi 2017: Ganesha & Symbolism

Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed God is one of the most popular Gods in Hinduism and is very unique in form when compared to the other Gods and Goddesses worshiped by Hindus. Lord Ganesha picture is represented with elephant head, human-shaped body, one tusk, big trunk, large stomach, and four arms – two arms are carrying his weapons, one carrying modaka and the other showering blessings to his devotees. Many Hindus have an image of Lord Ganesha in their shrines and pray to him before they begin their worship of other deities. He is also worshipped at the beginning of any new venture such as a wedding or the building of a new house. Lord Ganesha is often shown with an open hand, palms upturned, sometimes holding a gift to show him granting favors to his devotees.

As God of wisdom, he is invoked at the beginning of books and may be shown holding a tusk as a pen since he is regarded as the writer of the scriptures and hence the patron of Knowledge and of the written word.

On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, lets us try and find answers to questions that we keep asking ourselves every time we see the image of Lord Ganesha. Questions like: Why Lord Ganesha and OM are same? Why Lord Ganesha has the head of an elephant and the body of a human? How Goddess Parvati created a son from dough? However, none of this is without reason provided one could be able to understand the thoughts behind it and the symbolic meaning behind it, then it is very easy to get the answers of all the questions. One will get a clear idea from the following information about the external appearance of Lord Ganesha and the meaning behind it.

Indeed Lord Ganesha is a symbol of so many different things; every element associated with him is symbolic of the Powers of Lord Ganesha.

The elephant head: indicates fidelity, intelligence and discriminative power.

The wide ears denote wisdom, ability to listen to people who seek help and to reflect on spiritual truths. They signify the importance of listening in order to assimilate ideas. Ears are used to gain knowledge and his large ears indicate that when God is known, all knowledge is known.

The curved trunk indicates the intellectual potentialities which manifest themselves in the faculty of discrimination between real and unreal.

The single tusk (the other being broken off) indicates Ganesha’s ability to overcome all forms of dualism.

On the forehead, the Trishul (weapon of Shiva, similar to Trident) is depicted, symbolising time (past, present and future) and Ganesha's mastery over it.

Ganesha’s potbelly contains infinite universes. It signifies the bounty of nature and equanimity, the ability of Ganesha to swallow the sorrows of the universe and protect the world;

The position of his legs (one resting on the ground and one raised) indicate the importance of living and participating in the material world as well as in the spiritual world, the ability to live in the world without being of the world.

The four arms of Ganesha represent the four inner attributes of the subtle body, that is: mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi), ego (Ahamkara), and conditioned conscience (Chitta). Lord Ganesha represents the pure consciousness - the atman - which enables these four attributes to function in us.

The hand waving an axe is a symbol of the retrenchment of all desires, bearers of pain and suffering. With this axe Ganesha can both strike and repel obstacles. The axe is also to prod man to the path of righteousness and truth.

The second hand holds a whip, symbol of the force that ties the devout person to the eternal beatitude of God. The whip conveys that worldly attachments and desires should be overcome.

The third hand, turned towards the devotee, is in a pose of blessing, refuge and protection (abhaya);

The fourth hand holds a lotus flower (padma), and it symbolizes the highest goal of human evolution, the sweetness of the realised inner self.

Shankha, Conch Ganesha listens to the puja conch's loud sound, reminding Him of elephants' trumpeting happily in the jungle. He summons, "Come one and all to me and pray."

Ankusha, Goad Loving Ganesha's deliberate mind prods dullards on in their birth karmas whenever they tarry. With His ankusha He goads forward all souls that are moving too slowly.

Pasha, Noose Pasha, Noose Lord Ganesha's provident mind, like the noose, draws close. He loves most dearly and reaches out to encircle and save strayed ones in extraordinary ways.

Vajra Trishula, Lightning Bolt : Lord Ganesha, like His brother Murugan, wields a sure weapon, the lightning bolt, spirit over mind, mind over matter, ruling both the higher and lower chakras.

Chakra, Discus : Lord Ganesha holds the discus, symbol of the sun and of the mind, as the moon symbolizes the emotions. Employed as a weapon, it is the intellect divinely empowered.

Modakapatra Bowl of Sweets, Lord Ganesha is said to have a sweet tooth, or tusk. But the modaka ball is a symbol of what he loves most, moksha, liberation, and the sweetest of all things sweet.

Gada, Mace Lord Ganesha is decisive and commanding, as symbolized by gada, his mace. He casts karmas back on devotees for resolution, never letting up until completion.

Chhuri, Dagger Lord Ganesha sometimes holds the dagger, keenly sharp, likened to the "razor's edge," the narrow and sometimes difficult path the spiritual aspirant must walk.

Rudraksha Mala, Prayer Beads Lord Ganesha sits at Lord Siva's holy feet with japa mala, His prayer beads, in hand, waiting for instruction from the Supreme Lord of all the Gods, His father.

Danda, Stick Lord Ganesha carries a short stick, a sign of authority, warning all not to impede the noble ways of dharma and restraining those who have as much as the thought to do so.

Chamara, Fly-Whisk Fan :Lord Ganesha sits, as he always does, whisking away the past within the minds of devotees, young and old, rich and poor, educated and practical, because, he is so wise.

Kamandalu, Water Vessel: Lord Ganesha, dear to sannyasins, keeps their water vessel full. Symbol of fullness, meeting all needs, kamandalu eternally pours out, never needing to be filled.

Dhanush, Bow: Lord Ganesha is discreet as he draws his bow and bends thoughts into forms most helpful to his dear devotees. They cherish all attentions with great ecstasy.

Pushpashara, Flower Arrow: Lord Ganesha shoots flower-covered arrows from his sugar cane bow in guidance to devotees, so they will not wander too far from dharma's path of true fulfillment.

Amritakumbha, Pot of Nectar : Lord Ganesha receives a bath whenever a devotee knocks his temples with arms crossed. The amrita flows from the sahasrara down to his seat at the muladhara base.

Naga, Serpent: Lord Ganesha has a snake as his pet. Many are afraid of such creatures; but he tells us that it is the kundalini within all, and each one can rise above all adversity.

Shalipallava, Rice Sprig : Lord Ganesha knows rice is the life-sustainer of villagers and city folk alike. Holding a sprig of paddy, he assures rains will come and all will be well at harvest time.

Mudgara, Hammer: Loving Lord Ganesha wields a mallet, badge of his office as patron of Arts and Crafts, protector of all who build and shape, chisel and sculpt for the benefit of society.

Shastra, Scripture: Lord Ganesha studiously edits all the scriptures on this planet and on others, too. His ever-ready, potent pen writes and edits life's ordinances and comments on their meanings.

Kalpavriksha, Wish-Fulfilling Tree: Lord Ganesha holds a sprig of the wish-fulfilling tree to tell us that all our wishes will be gratified. We have but to tell him our need, that is all, just tell him.

Trishula, Trident: Lord Ganesha makes his way through the mind's vast complexities with his abilities represented by trishula, his three-fold power: Love, Wisdom and Action.

Dhvaja, Flag: Lord Ganesha is the spirit of mirth. On festival days, the saffron Hindu dhvaja flies proudly over his temples, bringing crowds from near and far.

Bhagnadanta, Broken Tusk: As the story goes; Lord Ganesha broke off his right tusk in a sacrificial act to use it as a stylus while taking Vyasa's dictation. Thus, he teaches us that we must finish whatever we have started.

Agni, Fire: Lord Ganesha activates his fiery powers, capable of consuming our dross, destroying our residual karmas, if we consign our misdeeds to the purifying flames.

Khadga, Sword: Lord Ganesha has a sword bejeweled with precious gems. It gives notice to those who respond only to fear of his enmity to crime and his abhorrence of hurting.

Mulaka, Radish: Lord Ganesha, by his partiality for the simple radish, makes us grow food that is good for us. He knows devotees may grow more than they need just to please Him.

Khetaka, Shield: Lord Ganesha holds the shield of divine security, symbol of his power to defend lands of the upright, to preserve traditions and to protect all souls on the spiritual path.

Amra, Mango: Lord Ganesha says about the mango: "It was given to me from Lord Shiva's own hand after performing my first wisdom act. It represents the highest spiritual fruition."

Phala, Fruits: Lord Ganesha, dweller in the forest, enjoys all the Earth's many life-sustaining fruits. He wants parents and children alike to stay healthy by eating lots of energy-giving fruit.

Pashanadarana, Pick Axe: Lord Ganesha is not naive by any means. He knows that trials await devotees, and that he must, in order to respond to prayers, pick, pick, and pick away their mental dross.

Narkil, coconut: Loving Lord Ganesha holds the coconut, symbol of the ego, soft and sweet inside, hard and rough outside. When we break a coconut to him, we break the ego's hold on us.

Tritiyakshi, Third Eye : Lord Ganesha, as do we all, has three eyes, not two, the third being the eye of the mind, of spiritual sight. With this eye, he sees the reality behind the world's seeming.

Ratnakumbha, Pot of Gems:Lord Ganesha knows the magical power resident in gems. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds are like human souls, each with a different color, faceting, loveliness and value.

Ikshukanda, Sugar Cane : Lord Ganesha is fond of sugar cane, in fact, of anything sweet. Being the Lord all children adore, it is his joy to see their happy eyes light up when offering sugar cane.

Madhukumbha, Pot of Honey:Lord Ganesha wears a wide smile across his face when offered a pot of sticky honey. It is, to him, like moksha itself, the sweetest of all things sweet, worth any effort.

Kadaliphala, Banana: Lord Ganesha has in his hand the banana, ripe and ready to eat. He looks at it longingly, yet would give it up in a moment should a devotee smell its fragrance.

Garitra, Grains : Lord Ganesha knows there are many kinds of people and they need variety in diet. He protects the cultivation of all kinds of grains that make their bodies strong.

Yogadanda, Meditation Staff: Lord Ganesha rests his arm upon a short staff when talking to devotees and when in deep samadhi. He finds it and help him meditate more effortlessly, more deeply.

Trina, Grasses: Lord Ganesha knows that there are many kinds of animals, little and big. Each needs a special environment and foods, so, he protects the grasses, little flowers and seeds.

Ananasa, Pineapple: Loving Lord Ganesha holds the pineapple and is ready to slice it to share with those in his aura. Giving and sharing is our lesson from the sweet pineapple that he gives us.

Mushika, Mouse

Lord Ganesha's companion, a mouse, attests to the all-pervasiveness of the elephant God. Mushika, the mount or vahana, carries him into the minds every nook and cranny.

Shuka, Parrot: Lord Ganesha delights when the parrot talks and shows he is happy. Perched in Lord Ganesha's hand, he greets all who come and go, giving his opinion when they are alone.

Tila Gola, Sesame Ball

Lord Ganesha teaches us that size may be immense but there is nothing too small to overlook. In his trunk, a sweet made of tiny sesame seeds, and he rides on a tiny mouse.

Lord Ganesha: sitting on the four petalled muladhara, rules memory and knowledge as the gatekeeper to the six chakras above and the guard of the seven below.

Vriksha, Trees: Lord Ganesha is the giver of gifts from healing trees, the practitioner of ayurveda, the great doctor who helps us gain the knowledge of health from medicinal plants.

Yajnopavita, Sacred Thread:Lord Ganesha wears across a massive shoulder the holy cord to remind us that we, too, can be twice born through his grace, that none is low and none is high.

Jambu, Rose Apple: Lord Ganesha loves the rose apple among many other wonderful fruits and vegetables. He shows us the path to good health, harmlessness to creatures and love.

Payasa, Pudding Lord Ganesha is seen from time to time enjoying sweet tapioca pudding, likened to the love and kindness that comes from caring for others as one's very own self.

Swastika, Mark of Auspiciousness: Lord Ganesha's good fortunes are represented by the swastika, a sign of luck and auspiciousness. Its crooked arms show how life is filled with change and indirection.

Jambira, Lime:Lord Ganesha is a practical God, and it is his wish that all who know him, drink the juice from one of his favorite fruits. He want them to be healthy and enjoy life.

Let’s celebrate this Ganesh Chaturthi , understanding what makes Lord Ganesha so powerful and so loved by people all over India. As individuals in quest for knowledge , let’s start by understanding him , and ask our Lord Ganesha to bless us with knowledge that brings true happiness.