Symbolism of Lord Ganesha

Symbolism of Lord Ganesha

Reigning in EMOTIONS

The instrument on his back left hand is the tool to reign in or control your emotions, just as a huge elephant can be controlled by a small string. When your emotions are not under your control, however intelligent or skilled you may be, you can be swayed to what charges you emotionally at any point of time. You can easily become an emotional wreck. One has to approach any task in a dispassionate manner. For achieving success consistently, it is essential to acquire the natural capacity for being emotionally balanced. 

CUTTING ATTACHMENTS

The axe on the back right hand is to cut all attachments. This may sound cruel but the moment one is attached to something, it is impossible to see beyond this attachment. Life has to be approached as a witness. Any incident or association has its value. This value can be enjoyed or shared but when attachment creeps in, we become slaves to it. Parents can value their children but when too much attachment happens, even the possibility of misguding them arises. The same is true for any relationship or association.

BROKEN TUSK-COMMITMENT & DEDICATION

The broken tusk on his right hand symbolizes unwavering commitment and dedication to the task at hand. The popular story of Vedha Vyasa narrating the Mahabaratha to Lord Ganesha conveys this. 

Vyasa decided to write the Mahabaratha, so that it is available for future generations in an easier form. He requested for help from Lord Ganesha to transcribe it because he felt that others may not be up to the task and he needed to narrate continuously. 

Lord Ganesha told him that he will transcribe it under one condition - Vyasa should narrate without hesitation or breaks. Vyasa told him that he will not hesitate or break because the Mahabaratha is very much alive within him. 

Vyasa also reminded Lord Ganesha that the deal between them is - he will narrate without hesitating but Ganesha must write without a break. 

Deep into the narration, the pen that Lord Ganesha was using, broke. Without any hesitation, Lord Ganesha broke his own tusk and used it continue writing. This is the unwavering commitment necessary to complete any task one takes up in life.

ATTENTIVENESS

The big ears symbolize attentiveness. Without being attentive, nothing can be achieved.

STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY

The trunk like an elephant's trunk symbolizes great strength, sensitivity as well as flexibility. Aparently elephants can detect water sources from up to 12 miles away.

BREATHING FROM THE BELLY

The big belly is symbolic of breathing from the navel centre that connects to your very source instead of the shallow breathing from the chest. When you breathe from the chest, you only function from the level of survial. When you enhance your breathing down to your belly, you can connect to your very source. Life starts from the navel.

Lord Ganesha is regarded as the remover of obstacles. In the Vedic faith, nothing is unscientific. The representations of the Gods are very symbolic. The conveying is also immediate through the symbolism.

We can see from the above information that before your start a task, if you possess the above virtues, you will automatically be successful.

• When you Reign in your Emotions, 
• Function without  unnecessary Attachments,
• Perform with Commitment & unwavering Dedication, 
• Be Attentive to all the factors related to the task, 
• Have both Strength and Flexibility wherever required, without being unnecessarily rigid about something, and 
• Develop a connection/gratitude to the very source that was responsible for your creation in the first place, 
• Not only SUCCESS but automatic Spiritual progress will be yours and this is symbolized by the Sweets Lord Ganesha holds in his left hand.

There are some stupid preachers of late who proclaim loudly - what sort of God is Shiva? He chops the head of children. In order to explain this the following has to be conveyed-

The Vedic faith has been around for several eons and things were very different in a different time frame. Our ancestors were expects in harnessing the energy of creation itself within them. They knew the ways to control, use and manifest various forms of energy for various purposes. 

When Godess Parvathi, consort of Lord Shiva was on her own at a certain time, she created a small boy for her company, by manifesting him from the elements that are the fundamental composition of all physical life. The boy thus born in a higher state of conception, who would go on to be known as Lord Ganesha, naturally possessed superior qualities right from the birth and was well known for his skilful and unbeatable ways. 

On a certain day, when Godess Parvathi went to bathe, the boy was assigned to guard the place. It turned out that Lord Shiva arrived on this day with his disciples who are known as Ganas because they were not of human form and possessed total flexibility of physical form. 

Lord Shiva and his associates were not allowed into the place where Goddess Parvathy resided by the young boy. It seemed impossible to pass this determined boy. Then, Lord Shiva knowing the situation, approached him as his father although the boy would not recognize him. 

Shiva could see that this boy who possessed enormous skills, courage and determination lacked the perception and flexibility that the situation demanded and as an instant way to teach him these, chopped his head off. 

Goddess Parvathy who now appeared, was distraught and urged Lord Shiva to rectify the situation immediately. In order to do so, Lord Shiva placed the head of one of his Ganas, who need not be confined in any particular form, on the boy; to replace the severed head. Thus happened Gana-pathy. 

So technically, Lord Ganesha does not have the head of an elephant but of one of Shiva's Ganas who had the appearance of an elephant's head. He now possessed all the qualities he already had and now also acquired the wisdom of spontaneous awareness , adaptability and flexibility that removed his blind rigidity. In time, he became known as the Elephant head God.

It is symbolic of having transcended to superior intelligence of the unconditioned mind through the grace of Shiva. It represents the transition of the ego filled small head into one with exceptional awareness necessary to transcend the state of limited possibility.

We are of course talking of a different time when people lived in a High Energy space, when the technology of accessing higher energy planes was well known in this region.