Ganesha is a famous and one of the most important gods in Hindu pantheon. He is worshipped through Nepal, India, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali (Indonesia), Mauritius, as well as Bangladesh. Ganesha’s head of an elephant makes him really unique and easily identified. Lord Ganesha is generally worshipped as the terminator of barriers, the supporter of sciences and arts, as well as the symbol of wisdom and intellect. As the deity of beginnings, Lord Ganesha is considered to be the patron of students, travelers, new projects, festivals. He is known to remove any difficulty from one’s path and he is someone who likes sweets so much. Continue reading and find out who is this elephant headed fellow, how come that he is so popular and what lessons he gives us.
The Names of Lord Ganesha
Ganesha has been credited with many different epithets and titles, such as Vighneshvara as well as Ganpati (Ganapati). The Hindu name of regard Shri is frequently the first name called before his name. According to the Sanskrit language, Ganesha is combined from two words, Gana meaning a gathering, huge number, or absolute framework and isha (īśa), meaning master or lord. Gaṇa, when related to Ganesha is regularly taken to designate the gaṇas, a group of semi-divine creatures that form some portion of the entourage of Shiva, the father of Ganesha. Ganapati, Ganesha’s synonym, is a compound made out of gaṇa, meaning group, and pati, meaning lord or ruler. The Amarakosha, a past Sanskrit dictionary, depicts eight equivalent words of Ganesha: Vighnarāja (proportional to Vighnesha), Vinayaka, Dvaimātura (one with two mothers), Ekadanta (one with a tusk), Gaṇādhipa (synonym to Ganesha and Ganapati), Lambodara (one with a pot tummy, or, actually, one with a hanging stomach), Gajanana (gajānana); having an elephant face, and Heramba. Lord Ganesha Names also include Vinayaka (vināyaka;), a normal name for Ganesha, which shows up during the Purāṇas as well as in the Tantras of Buddhist. When the eight popular Ganesha temples were named in Maharashtra, this name Vinayaka reflected – Ashtavinayak. The names Vighnesha and Vighneshvara (Lord of barriers) alludes to his essential role in Hinduism as the lord and terminator of barriers (vighna). Thus Ganesha could be also referred to as Lord Vinayaka, Vighnesha, or Vighneshvara.
The Story of Lord Vinayaka
In spite of the fact that Ganesha is prevalently considered Shiva and Parvati’s son, the Puranic legends give different stories concerning his birth. In one Ganesha Story, Parvati created him, in another, Parvati and Shiva formed him and named him Ganpati, another says he showed up strangely and was found by Parvati and Shiva or conceived from Malini, the goddess with an elephant head after she gulped Parvati’s shower water that had been disposed into the river. A Ganpati story says Ganesh family is made up of his brother, Kartikeya, the war god, who’s also known as Murugan and Skanda. Some regions have different believes about their order of birth. When it comes to northern India, the elder one is Skanda, while within the south, the firstborn is said to be Ganesha. Northern India believes that Skanda was a significant military lord from nearly 500 BCE to nearly 600 CE, after which adoration of him declined drastically. They believe that Ganesha rose, after the decline in the worship of Skanda.
The Marital Status of Lord Ganesha
The marital status of Ganesha, the theme of the major academic survey, differs generally within the legendary stories. One disagreeable example of the fantasies states that Ganesha was a Brahmachari who had no wife. This viewpoint is widespread within southern India and some sections of northern India. Another story that is prominently acknowledged partners him with Buddhi ideas (astuteness), Siddhi concepts (extraordinary power), as well as Riddhi’s viewpoint (flourishing); these characteristics are depicted as goddesses, regarded as Ganesh Wife. He might also be depicted with a sole associate or an anonymous servant. Another pattern links Ganesha with Śarda or Sarasvati, the art and culture goddess. Also, he is linked with Lakshmi, the prosperity and luck goddess. Another example, mainly pervasive within the Bengal locale, connects Lord Vinayaka with Kala Bo, the banana tree. According to Shiva Purana, Ganesha had become the father of two sons: Lābha (profit) and Kşema (prosperity). Within the northern Indian variations of the story, the children are frequently regarded as Lābha and Śubha (favorability). On the other hand, Hindi film titled Jai Santoshi Maa, as of 1975, depicts Ganesha wedded to Siddhi and Riddhi, having Santoshi Ma, their daughter, the goddess of fulfillment. Ganesh story possesses no Puranic foundation, however, Raina Thapan Anita and Cohen Lawrence refer to the cult of Santoshi Ma as proof of Ganesha proceeding with evolution as a well-known god.
Lord Ganesha Teachings
The life lessons of Ganesha depicts that he was never discouraged because of his form. However, he attached meaning to every part of his body that looked deformed. His big head means ‘think big’. His elephant-shaped head depicted extraordinary brainpower and intelligence. His big elephant-shaped ear means ‘listen more’. Ganesha’s ear depicted the significance of listening, since those that listen more learn more and develop themselves more than the rest who only speak. Ganesha’s tiny eye signified the significance of concentration – looking within to discover life’s highest possibilities. The Urdha mark on his forehead depicts Time (future, present, and past). For it to be on Ganesha’s forehead, it means he’s mastery in terms of time. The urdha mark inspires the Indians to work on their energies via yoga and obtain mastery over their energies of life. Ganesha had a small mouth, which he depicted as ‘Talk less’. Anyone with mastery over the words he utters can overcome anything and all things in the world; including battle. Valuing your words, listening, thinking, doing and then talking are included in Lord Ganesha Teachings. So this means, Ganesha represents the very incarnation of spirituality, making a route for Buddhists and Hindus to opt for greater life dimensions.
