Ganesh for Success

Brandy Stark, PhDJan. 24, 2013Stuart Society, Museum of Fine Arts

Introduction

Features: Elephant-headed god; HinduismName: gana (followers of Shiva) isha (lord); Shiva appoints him Lord of his ganas (followers).Religious meaning: Remover of obstacles; physical embodiment of the AUM (OM); Wisdom; start of new ventures (marriage, building a house, etc.) and thus the first to receive prayersUnique: Universal across India

Mantra of Ganesh…

Bestows wisdom, courage, and confidence to start a new enterprise:

Om Shri Ganeshaya Nama

(Om SHREE GANESH AI-YA- NAM-AH)

Birth Story Wishing for an undisturbed bath, Paravati posted Shiva’s bull,

Nandi , as her guard. When Shiva came home and wished to enter, Nandi, loyal to his master, simply stepped aside. Paravati was angry that she had no one as loyal to her as Nandi to Shiva. She scraped some of the tumeric paste (some say dirt) from her own body and from it sculpted a boy. She gave him the gift of life through her breath and declared him her son.

For the next bath Ganesha was posted to guard the home. Shiva came home and discovered a strange boy guarding the house. When the boy would not let him pass Shiva sent first his army against him, then battled the boy himself. In his divine fury, Shiva severed Ganesha’s head killing him. Paravati came out and discovering his death was both angry and devastated. The only things that would placate here (and stop her from destroying creation) were that Ganesha be brought back to life, and that he be forever worshipped before all the other gods.

Remorseful, Shiva agreed to these conditions. Brahman (or, in some stories, the followers of Shiva) was sent out with orders to bring back the head of the first creature he came across, which turned out to be the elephant. Shiva placed the new head on the body, breathed new life to the child, and Shiva declared Ganesha to be his own son with Paravati.

Milk Miracles

Several events reported of the Ganesha statue drinking milk offerings. Sept. 21, 1995: Starting in New

Delhi; spread through India, to Europe, Canada and the US.

August 20 – 21, 2006: Temple in Uttar Pradesh; spread throughout India. Happened after reports of sea water turning sweet in Mumbai (hysteria).

Sept. 22, 2010: Trinidad Express reported a Genesh statue drink milk at a Princes Town, Trinidad, temple during the festival for Ganesh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qn-vtROySo

Physical attributes

Body of a man and the head of an elephant

One tusk (other broken) Large belly On his chest/across his

left shoulder: sacred thread (often in the form of a snake)

4 – 14 hands (divinity) His vehicle/companion

is the rat (mouse or shrew)

Symbolism Head: Elephant head:

auspiciousness, strength and intellectual prowess.

Contrast: Elephant largest and strongest animal, yet vegetarian, affectionate, loyal; is swayed if love and kindness are extended to him. --Ganesha, by extension, is loving, forgiving, moved by the affection of his devotees.

Elephant can destroy a whole forest and is a one-man army when provoked -- Ganesha can be ruthless when fighting evil

Note: Small mouth (talk less); small eyes (concentration)

Symbolism Ears: Like a winnowing fan, sift

the bad from the good Hear everything, retain only that

which is good Ganesh listens to all requests made

by the devotees, be they humble or powerful

Trunk: symbol of his  discrimination; moves everything from uprooting a tree to plucking blades of grass. The biggest and smallest of tasks

are within the range of this trunk  which is symbolic of Ganesha's intellect and his powers of discrimination; flexibility

Symbolism

Tusks: Broken tusk: Keep the good, discard the bad; multiple legends

While gaurding Shiva’s quarters, a favorite disciple of Shiva’s, Parashurama, wished to see the god. Misunderstanding led to battle. Parashurama threw an ax, given to him by Shiva, at Ganesh who recognized it as his fathers. In a symbol of humility; Ganesh accepted the blow and lost the tusk.

Ganesha was asked to write down Mahabharata, dictated to him by the sage Vyasa. As this was an immense undertaking, Ganesha knew no normal writing instrument would work. He broke off one of his own tusks and made a pen out of it. No sacrifice is too big for the pursuit of knowledge and religious truth.

Symbolism

Hands: First: abhaya pose of protection

and refuge Second holds sweet food:

sweetness of the realized inner self

Third: Holds an elephant goad: prod man to path of righteousness and truth; strikes and repels obstacles

Forth: Holds a noose: Conveys that worldly attachments and desires are an unhealthy bond

(Also: Ax: cutting unhealthy desires or bonds; lotus: reaching spiritual clarity)

Symbolism

Belly: Bounty of nature Ganesha

swallows the sorrows of the Universe and protects the world

Prosperity

Symbolism

Rat (Mouse): Vehicle (transports the god) Seems impossible, but nothing is

impossible for god; Symbol for intellect, goes into places

we would not have thought possible Wandering mind, able to be led to

undesirable things and to corruption The rat/mouse paying subservience to Lord

Ganesha: intellect (or desire) has been tamed and appropriately focused

Size difference: God is big, rat/mouse is small; even the smallest things have a larger impact, everything starts small and becomes big

Consorts

In South India Ganesha is represented as single and celibate

Devoted to Paravati, his mother --the most beautiful and perfect woman in the universe

When asked about marriage, he challenged them to find a woman as beautiful as her

None could find an equal and so the legend goes, the search is still on...

Consorts

North India: Shown married to the two

daughters of Brahma (the Lord of Creation), Buddhi (wisdom) and Siddhi (achievement). Sometimes linked to Riddhi (prosperity).

Yoga paths (religious philosophies): Buddhi and Siddhi represent the female and male currents in the human body.

Female Associates

Ganesh may also be connected to Sarasvati (goddess of culture/arts/knowledge) and Lakshmi (goddess of luck and prosperity).

Postures: Sitting

“Ease posture" (most common): Ganesh is sitting on a throne, left leg is bent back, while the right leg remains hanging or resting on the ground (reverse posture is also known). Sometimes shown in slightly augmented “royal ease posture” (sitting on lotus with mouse, arm resting on throne) The leg on the ground represents concerned

by the worldly affairs Bent back leg alludes to meditation, reminds

the perfect concentration on the Supreme Reality. Although living in the world, He is totally concentrated on the Atman present within Him.

Postures: Standing

Depending on the stance, it can represent a rigid attitude (called the “no-bent body”)

Some show more movements (double or triple bends); inspired by the dancing art (also a form of devotion) Dance puts body in odd contortions;

pleasure and pain Can also connect consorts to the gods

When He is standing, Ganesh may also have only one foot on the ground, the second one being laid on His mount, the rat, often very big

Postures: Dancing After his creation, Ganesh is reported to

immediately dance in front of the gods. Shiva’s gana enjoy dance and music; he

does the same; he copies his father as Shiva Nataraja. Comparison to Shiva as producing

movement in the universe (the aspect of the world’s existence and non-existence)

Interrupted dance (common): Right leg raised, the left leg, laid on the ground, is bent (reverse of legs possible).

Angry: Crowned with a halo of flames, one leg stretched out

Tantric: left foot on the mouse and the right foot on the lion; dual male and female energies

Summary of Symbols

Photo from: http://www.johnlund.com/Artcl8-Ganesha.htm

Your Turn

Your Turn

GANESHA, THE ELEPHANT-HEADED GOD

Chola period, 9th c.

Dakoehler Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts

Features?Symbolism?Interpretation?