| Lord Ganesha, has been prayed to, worshipped and adored in one
form or another since time began; and time itself began with his
creation. Ganesha is a word derived from the sanskrit roots gana,
meaning 'multitude', Isha means Lord, Ruler, Supreme God, or Sovereign.
Ganesha therefore literally means the 'Lord of all beings'. This
is virtually synonymous with the word "Ganapati".
Ganesha is known by many other names such as Gajanana, Vinayaka,
Vighneswara etc. Vighneswara is the Lord of all Obstacles, worshipped
in the beginning of Hindu rituals and ceremonies. Gajanana means
one with an elephant face. Vinayaka means the supreme leader,
literally one who has no leader but himself. As his name suggests
Vighneswara removes all obstacles and helps us meet all challenges
of life.
As Siddhidata, Lord Ganesha is the Giver of Success and is associated
with bountiful harvests and general abundance in life. Lord Ganesha
is the material manifestation of the 'manas", or mind, of
his father Lord Shiva. He embodies the five elements- earth, fire,
air, ether and water- and guides the elemental forces which produce
and maintain order in the universe. Sometimes Lord Ganesha is
depicted with two women Riddhi and Siddhi. Riddhi is prosperity
and Siddhi is success. Ganesha is a celibate.
The symbols of Lord Ganesha have special significance. An elephant's
head on a human body is meant to represent supreme wisdom. The
combination and animal in one body signifies divinity in all the
beings. The trunk which springs from his head represents the intellect.
His four arms stand for the four inner equipments of the subtle
body, namely mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), ego (ahankar) and
conditioned consciousness (chitta). Ganesha represents the pure
consciousness, the Atanian (self). In one hand he holds an axe
and in another a rope. The axe symbolizes the destruction of all
desires and attachments. The rope is meant to pull the seeker
out of his worldly entanglements. In the third hand he holds a
rice ball (modak or laddoo). Modaka represents the joyous rewards
of spiritual seeking. In the fourth hand he holds a lotus (Padma).
The lotus represents the supreme goal of human evolution. His
huge belly is indicative of contentment and inspires his devotees
to develop contentment. It signifies that all things, the entire
universe, are contained in him. Lord Ganesha occupies a unique
place in the Hindu pantheon of Gods.
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