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Tantric and spiritual worship in the Hindu tradition begins with the invocation
of Ganesha (or Ganesh), the elephant-headed god.
Ganesha became the Lord (Isha) of all existing beings (Gana) after
winning a contest from his brother Kartikay. When given
the task to race around the universe, Ganesha did not start the race like Kartikay
did, but simply walked around Shiva and Parvati, both
his father and mother as the source of all existence (more about this story here).
Many stories describe how Ganesha got the elepant
head. One tells how Parvati created Ganesha in absence of
Shiva to guard her quarters. When Shiva wanted to see her
Ganesha forbid it, at which point Shiva cut of his head. Later
Shiva restored Ganesha to life and provided him with the head
of an elephant, because no other was available. In another
story, Ganesha's head is burned to ashes when Saturn
is forced by Parvati to look at her child and bless him.
 Ganesha
rides a rat that represents the subjugated demon of vanity and impertinence. The
conch represents the sound that creates Akash. The laddu (sweet) represents Sattva.
The snakes represent control over the poisons of the passions and refer to Shiva,
father of Ganesha.The hatchet cuts away the bondage of desires. The
mudra grants fearlessness. The broken tusk
is the one with which Ganesha wrote
the Mahabaratha.
Acceptance of the somewhat funny looking elephant man Ganesha
as the divine force stills the rational mind and it's doubts, forcing one to look
beyond outer appearances. Thus Ganesha creates the faith to remove all obstacles.
Meditation on the Ganesha Yantra
creates internal balance.
Click here to hear the Ganesha
mantra online.
All
Ganesha pictures of paintings
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