Lord Ganesh

[Guest guest]

I liked the story about Ganesh and Kartikeya trying to prepare for

marriage. It was neat how Ganesh made up his mind here. Also, I never

knew that Janus had an elephant's head. I always had thought Janus to

be just the doorkeeper or gatekeeper, a god pictured with two faces

looking in opposite directions. hmmmm....... interesting.

 

later, bill

 

 

*************************

 

 

, "AnandaYogi" <oz_yogi> wrote:

> From same source... and for more please go to:

>

> http://www.mantraonnet.com/ganesh.html#textimages

>

>

> As the legend goes, Parvati was rather disappointed that none of

the

> guards she appointed out of Lord Shiva's army failed to stop him

from

> barging into her private chambers. She decided to have someone who

> would be entirely her own and place no one above her. Hence, she

> created Lord Ganesh from her own soil and water from the Ganges.

>

> This makes Parvati and Ganga his mothers and he sometimes also

known

> as Dwimatri Having created the figure, Parvati infused life into

him

> and told him to ensure that nobody, but nobody entered her rooms

> while she bathed. Lord Shiva soon came in and was stopped by Lord

> Ganesh. This enraged Lord Shiva and beheaded the boy. This enraged

> Parvati to such an extent that she asked Goddess Durga & Goddess

Kali

> to destroy everything and everyone.

>

> To appease her, Lord Shiva beheaded an elephant and attached the

head

> to Lord Ganesh's slain torso. Lord Brahma brought the boy back to

> life and they took him to Parvati.

>

> Parvati still had a few conditions to be fulfilled by the Gods for

> her son before she agreed to cease the havoc created by the

Shaktis.

> She asked that he should be invincible, the giver of victory and

God

> of wisdom. The person who worships him should gain success and

> property. She also wanted that nobody should be permitted to heaven

> before pleasing him and it should be compulsory to first invoke him

> before any other deity. These were all granted to Lord Ganesh, by

the

> triumvirate of Gods, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva

>

> Lord Shiva appointed Lord Ganesh as the leader of his gana (public)

> and called him Ganapati, literally meaning, leader of people.

>

> Ganapati represents all the qualities that a leader should have.

> A leader should listen to everybody, therefore the large ears. He

> should have nose to scent out the smallest problem, which a large

> trunk does with sensitivity. A large forehead is an indicator of a

> brilliant mind. It is important for the leader not to let out all

> that he knows or all that he has been told, that is why Lord

Ganapati

> has large stomach.

>

> Once Lord Shiva was resting, Parshuram came to meet him. Being

rather

> a favourite of Lord Shiva, Parshuram did not expect to be stopped

by

> Lord Ganpati and was offended when he was. In anger, he raised his

> axe to attack Lord Ganpati. This put the latter in a quandary,

since

> the axe was boon from Lord Shiva which could not go in vain. As a

> compromise, he took the blow on one of his tusks losing it for

ever.

> Hence, he is also called Ekdanti.

>

> On reaching marriageable age, Lord Ganesh and his brother Kartikeya

> went to their parents and said that they wanted to get married.

They

> were told that whoever amongst them first circumnavigates the world

> thrice would be married first. Kartikeya took off on his peacock,

but

> Lord Ganesh knew that he had no hope to match that speed on his

> mouse. Using his wisdom, he calmly took seven circles around his

> parents and said that according to the Vedas circumnavigation of

> one's parents is as sacred as going around the world. He has two

> wives : Riddhi (prosperity) and Siddi (success)

>

>

> It was during the British rule, In India, that the first Public

> Ganapati first made its appearance. Dissent was fast spreading and

> the British were wary of any congregation. They passed a blanket

rule

> that no large group of people would be allowed to meet together in

> any public place. All Public meetings were banned. One of the

> greatest freedom fighters of India, Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak, did

not

> take this kindly. He made up his mind to break this illogical rule

> and established the first ever Sarvajanik Ganapati. Since this was

> about the religion, the British could not find political offence.

> They had learned the lesson during the great freedom war of 1857.

> Thus the British threat to a public meeting was diffused by Tilak

and

> the gaiety of a people's festival established for all time to come.

> In modern times, this festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm,

> in the western part of the country. The idol, of Lord Ganesh is

> worshiped for days and then immersed on a auspicious day.

>

> Lord Ganpati the World over

>

> Lord Ganpati has a widespread presence, not just India. The Greek

> good of wisdom is known as Janus, is pictured with the head of an

> elephant. As with Ganapati, Janus too is the first God to be

invoked

> at the start of any prayer or auspicious occasion.

>

> In Mexico there is a elephant headed, human torso God worshiped.

> There is Lord Ganpati temple in Sri Lanka, about 200 KM from

Colombo.

> King Ashoka's daughter Charumati established a Ganpati temple in

> Nepal and there he is known as Suryaganpati.

>

> Combodia has idols dating back to the 13th century and here the

name

> is Prahaganpati.

>

> In Japan, he is known as Vinayakshra, in Java He is known as

Kalantak