KarmaVaani
Smarta tradition
गणेशGanesha
Ganapati · Vinayaka · Vighnaharta
The elephant-headed lord of beginnings and remover of obstacles.
- Abode
- Mount Kailasa
- Consort
- Riddhi and Siddhi (in some traditions)
- Vahana
- Mushika (the mouse)
- Colour
- Red or saffron-gold
- Arms
- 4
Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is the lord of beginnings and the remover of obstacles, invoked before any undertaking. He is the patron of wisdom, letters, and learning, said to have written down the Mahabharata as Vyasa recited it. His large form and small mount, the mouse, teach that the great and the humble are one.
Mantra
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha
Salutations to Ganapati, with his seed syllable Gam: said before any beginning.
How Ganesha is shown
An elephant-headed god with a round belly, seated, one tusk broken, a bowl of modaks at his side.
- Ankusha (goad)
- Driving the soul forward on the path.
- Pasha (noose)
- Drawing devotees close and binding obstacles.
- Broken tusk
- Sacrifice: he broke it to write the Mahabharata without pause.
- Modaka (sweet)
- The sweetness of realisation.
- Large ears and small eyes
- Listen much, focus closely.
Stories
The elephant head
Parvati shaped a boy from turmeric paste and set him to guard her door. Shiva, not knowing him, struck off his head when refused entry. To console Parvati he gave the boy the head of the first creature found, an elephant, and made him first among the ganas.
Round the world
Asked to race around the world, Kartikeya flew off on his peacock. Ganesha simply walked around his parents, saying they were his whole world, and won the prize.
