Ganesha: Elephant-Headed Deity of Wisdom, Success, and Remover of Obstacles

Most often Ganesha is depicted as a small, red, obese man, or as a child with a large, thick elephant head that has only one tusk, often sitting on a lotus flower. His ears are depicted as oversized, his eyes small, and his gaze piercing and penetrating. His tubby, fat belly represents wealth and the ability to absorb all experiences. With him is always his mount (vahana), a mouse or rat, which is also a symbol of intelligence and strength, among other things, and is considered to overcome obstacles. Philosophically interpreted he embodies the control over the human ego or the ability that even the smallest being can carry the divine.

He has two or more arms, which in Hindu cosmology represent, among other things, a sign of virtuosity, of superior (divine) power.

In traditional depictions they carry a weapon, among other things, as a sign of protection and his fight against all evil, a lotus flower, among other things, a sign of spiritual rebirth, wisdom and purity, reincarnation (rebirth). On other depictions he carries a book as well as a mala, a prayer chain. According to legend, he lost his second tusk in the fight against Parashurama ("Rama-with-the-axe"), Vishnu's sixth incarnation. His other two hands signal to the devotee through hand signs (mudras): Fear not! (comforting mudra) and promise his grace in the giving gesture. Usually a bowl of laddus is placed in front of him or he holds modaka in one of his hands, Indian sweets which, besides having complex spiritual meanings, represent Ganesha's love and weakness for food and the reward of spiritual search for meaning. He is also frequently depicted in dancing form or seated on a throne, legs crossed. Other attributes of the god include elephant prodding stick, rope with which he pulls the faithful out of their worldly problems, and axe with which he can cut the rope of wants, needs, and attachments. He is often depicted with a snake tied around his belly.

Ganesha's hybrid form of human and elephant appears enigmatic. It is best understood through the elephant, an important symbolic animal, guardian and bearer of the universe in mythology. Throughout Hindu symbolism, elephants and Ganesha appear alternately, e.g. as a sign of good fortune and guardian on dwellings as well as temples. The explanation of the head as a sign for the macrocosm and the human body as a microcosm is also widespread.

Ganesha's Birth

Countless legends in the Puranas offer different versions as an explanation for the creation of Ganesha, who is said to have originally had a human head rather than an elephant's head. Thus, a popular story in the Shiva Purana reports that Parvati, Shiva's wife, created Ganesha in Shiva's absence: according to this, she formed a small boy from the clay with which she had rubbed her body, doused him with Ganges water and thus brought him to life. She named him Ganesha and placed him as a guard in front of her house. When Shiva came, Ganesha blocked his way. Shiva cut off his head and thus got into the house. When Shiva realized that he had just killed Parvati's son, he ordered his servants to bring the head of a living being that directs its sleep to the north. This living being was an elephant, and its head Shiva placed on Ganesha's torso to bring him back to life. Thus Ganesha, who before was only Parvati's son, became also Shiva's son.

A similar narrative, slightly modified, is as follows: Parvati was alone for a long time because her husband Shiva had retired into meditation, so she decided to make a son for herself and, before taking her daily bath, formed him from the scabs of her body with ointments, oils and Ganges water, and placed him as a door guard outside the bathing room. At that time, Ganesha had a normal human head. Ganesha came to have an elephant's head through the wrath of Shiva. When Ganesha's son blocked Shiva's way to his wife because she was taking a bath, Shiva, who did not know about Ganesha's existence, got so angry that he cut off Ganesha's head with his sword. Parvati was beside herself and begged Shiva to bring her son Ganesha back to life. Shiva then promised to exchange him with the head of the first passing creature to bring him back into existence. The first creature was an elephant. Through the revival, Ganesha also became Shiva's son and is recognized by him. He not only appointed him supreme commander of his ganas (Sanskrit गण gaṇa host, array (of living and inanimate), retinue, appendage, host deities, divine armies), but also told all the gods present that Ganesha would always be worshipped first, the other gods only after him.

In other stories, Shiva creates Ganesha without the intervention of a woman, and in the tales of Vishnu mythology, the elephant-headed man is considered the son of Vishnu.

Ganesha and the wisdom

Many myths are about Ganesha's infinite wisdom and great resourcefulness.

They tell, for example, how Shiva and Parvati challenged their children Ganesha and Karttikeya to a contest in which the winner would be the first to be married or, according to other accounts, receive a fruit as a reward. The task was to be the first to circumnavigate the world. Kartikeya took his peacock and did it within a day. The clever Ganesha simply circumnavigated his parents, who represented the universe to him, three times. Impressed by his cleverness, his parents then declared Ganesha the winner.

Ganesha and the tusk

Many myths are about how Ganesha lost his tusk. One day Ganesha was full of food and tripped over a snake with his rat. His stomach burst and his food fell out, so Ganesha had to tie it up again with a snake. The moon god Chandra (Soma) then made fun of him. Thereupon Ganesha became enraged and tore out his tusk and threw it at the moon, which thereupon immediately darkened. Since there was now no moonlight, the gods asked Ganesha to take back his curse, whereupon Ganesha changed it to a sporadic slimming. This myth provides an explanation for the origin of the different phases of the moon.

According to another version, sage Vyasa asked him to record the Mahabharata. Ganesha agreed, but only on condition that Vyasa quote without pause, while Vyasa demanded that Ganesha write down only what he really understood. On this occasion Ganesha tore out a tusk which he used as a stylus for writing.

In another way it is said that Parushurama wanted to visit Shiva in his palace on Kailash, in front of whose entrance door Ganesha was posted as a guard. Parushurama demanded entry, which Ganesha denied him. Parushurama got angry and threw his axe, which he received from Shiva, at the god. In the process, the latter lost his tusk. Parvati and Shiva reprimanded him. Parushurama then became a great devotee of Ganesha and was forgiven.

Or else Ganesha tore out his tusk to subdue a demon who had become invincible through asceticism and who was subsequently transformed into a rat.

According to another legend, Shiva went to meditate on Mount Kailash and left his wife Parvati alone at home. She was then harassed by numerous devotees. After he did not return for years, the devotees said "He will never come back". Parvati then created Ganesh from her earwax (another variant: skin flakes scraped off after bathing), which she formed into a ball, breathing life into it. She instructed him not to let a single man approach her, and gave him supremacy over the heavenly hosts. Shiva remembered after years that he had forgotten all about his wife over meditating, and returned to his house. Ganesh stood there and refused him entry. Shiva did not accept this, a fight ensued and Shiva cut off Ganesh's head. At this Parvati was extremely enraged, "You have killed my son, see that you get back to your mountain! I never want to see you again!" Then Shiva came to his senses and promised Parvati that he would get the head of the next living creature that came along. This was an elephant that had lost a tusk in battle.

Ganesha and the pranks

A popular mythological theme are also the numerous pranks that Ganesha plays on his parents. One day, as a child, Ganesha teased a small cat, pulling it by the tail and tossing it back and forth rudely. Later he met his mother Parvati, whom he found scratched on the Himalayas and asked what had happened to her. She replied that she had been the cat.

Other stories tell of how Ganesha stole his moon from his father Shiva's hair as he slept, played with it, and his hosts tried to recapture it.

Ganesha and the rat

One day a demon transformed into a rat by the gods as a punishment for his disrespect devastated an ashram of Parashurama and ate up all the food there. The inhabitants appealed to Ganesha, the destroyer of obstacles. The latter appeared in the ashram and caught the rat with his rope. He thereby tamed it, so that henceforth it became his mount.

Ganesha and Kubera

Also well known are the myths of Ganesha's sweet tooth and greed. One day Kubera, the god of wealth, invited the god to eat in his palace, but Ganesha was simply not satisfied and kept eating. By now the whole palace was eaten out and Kubera had nothing left to offer Ganesha. Now the god was eating the host's crockery too, eventually all his furnishings, almost the entire palace and almost all of Alakapuri, the god's magnificent royal city. When there was nothing left for Kubera to offer, Ganesha finally threatened to eat him too. Filled with fear, Kubera turned to Ganesha's father Shiva, whose friend he was, and excitedly told him about it. He had Ganesha sent to him and instructed him to go to his mother Parvati. This he did, and she gave him a rice dumpling, which was one of his favourite foods. After that the god was satiated and satisfied, and the god Kubera was thus saved.

Ganesha as the conqueror of Ravana

He is also known as the conqueror of Ravana. The latter practised asceticism for a long time. He declared to Shiva, the friend of the Asuras, the wish that no harm should befall him or his kingdom. Shiva gave him a linga and told him to take it to his kingdom. There he would have to take it in his shrine and worship it properly. Only then would he and his kingdom become invincible. However, Shiva attached a condition to his special journey. Under no circumstances should it be placed on the ground during his journey. Then he would not be able to move it. Ravana was pleased with the gift and immediately set out on his journey home. However, on the way back, Varuna, the god of the oceans, entered Ravana's body from behind and forced him to stop. Ravana felt the sensation (need) to relieve himself. In his distress he summoned a young lad and asked him to hold the linga as long as he did his need, as it was not to be put down under any circumstances. No sooner had Ravana disappeared than the boy called him three times, but received no answer from him, so he set down the linga. When Ravana returned and saw what had happened, he became very angry. He scolded the boy and threatened to kill him. At that moment, the boy took his true form as Ganesha. He overcame Ravana and rolled him into a ball. This he threw up to heaven.