Significance of Ganesha's form & Legends

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Philosophical Significance of Ganesha's form

Ganesha's elephantine head and human body are explained as follows in the Mudgala Purana:

Ganesha's human body representing 'tvam', His elephantine countenance

representing 'tat' and their joining together signifies the nondifference of

'tvam' (You) and 'tat' (Brahman). Thus, the body of Ganesha is the visible

representation of the highest reality, Brahman, realised from 'tat tvam asi'.

Another explanation has it that Ganesha's head signifies Atman the Highest

Reality, while the body below the neck represents mAyA, the principle of

phenomenal existence. The Atman's involvement with the world is characterised

by the assumption of mind and speech.

Ganesha's ears, which appear like large winnowing baskets, have a philosophical

significance too. Just as one uses a winnowing basket to separate grains from

dirt, one must use discrimination (viveka) to separate the real (Brahman) from

the unreal (mAyA) in life. Here the grains stand for Brahman and the dirt

signifies mAyA. Or, Ganesha's ears indicate that such discrimination between

Brahman and mAyA is to be gained by taking recourse to SravaNa or hearing.

Listening to the scriptures from a Guru will lead to proper discrimination and

Brahman realisation.

Ganesha Legends

Perhaps the most popular story regarding Ganesha's origin is the one derived

from the Shiva Purana. Mother Parvati once wanted to take a bath and created a

boy from the dirt of Her own body, asking him to stand as a guard outside while

She bathed. In the meantime Lord Shiva returned home to find a stranger at His

door, preventing Him from entering. In anger, Shiva cut off the boy's head,

upon which Parvati was stricken with great grief. In order to console Her,

Shiva sent out His troops (gaNa) to fetch the head of anyone found sleeping

with his head pointing to the north. They found an elephant sleeping thus and

brought back its head.

Shiva then attached the elephantine head to the body of the boy and revived him.

He named the boy Ganapati or commander of His troops, and granted Him a boon

that anyone would have to worship Him (Ganesha) before beginning any

undertaking.

The Brahma vaivarta Purana narrates a different story regarding the origin of

Ganapati. Shiva instructed Parvati, who wanted to have a son, to observe the

puNyaka vrata for a year to propitiate Vishnu.

O Beautiful Goddess! Perform the worship of Hari by observing the punyaka vrata

for a year. The Lord of Gopikas, the Lord of all creatures, Krishna Himself

will be born as your son, as a result of the vrata.

On completion of the vrata by Parvati, it was announced that Krishna would

incarnate Himself as Her son in every kalpa. Accordingly, Krishna was born as a

charming infant, delighting Parvati who celebrated the event with great

enthusiasm.

All the Gods arrived to have a look at the baby. But Shani, the son of Surya,

did not look at him and stared at the ground instead. Upon Parvati's

questioning regarding his behaviour, Shani said that his look would harm the

baby. Parvati, however, insisted that he should look at the baby. In deference

to Her wish Shani cast his eyes on the baby. Due to his malevolent glance, the

baby's head was severed and flew to Goloka, the abode of Krishna. Parvati and

all the Gods assembled there, including Shiva, were grief-stricken.

Thereupon, Vishnu mounted Garuda and rushed to the banks of the Pushpa-bhadra

river and brought back the head of a young elephant. The head of the elephant

was joined with the headless body of Parvati's son, reviving him. All the Gods

blessed Ganesha and wished Him power and prosperity. Vishnu blessed Ganesha

thus:

O Excellent God! O dear one! May Your pUjA be performed before that of any other

God. May You be situated in all venerable beings and may You be the best among

Yogis. This is My boon to You.

Shiva made Ganesha the leader of his troops (gaNa), and also gave Him the following boon:

All obstacles, whatever they may be, will be rooted out by worshipping Ganesha,

even as diseases are cured by the worship of Surya and purity results when

Vishnu is worshiped.

Excerpted from an article by Anand Hudli (ahudli (AT) silver (DOT) ucs.indiana.edu).

The syamantaka jewel

It is said that anyone who looks at the moon on the night of the Ganesh

Chaturthi will be falsely charged with theft or a similar crime. If someone

inadvertently sees the moon on this night, he/she may remedy the situation by

listening to (or reciting) the story of the syamantaka jewel. This story may be

found in the Puranas such as the Bhagavata and the Vishnu. Briefly, Satrajit,

who secured a jewel syamantaka from Surya, did not part with it even when

Krishna the Lord of Dvaraka, asked for it saying it would be safe with Him.

Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was

killed by a lion. Jambavan of Ramayana fame killed the lion and gave it to his

son to play with. When Prasena did not return, Satrajit falsely accused Krishna

of killing Prasena for the sake of the jewel.

Krishna, in order to remove the stain on His reputation, set out in search of

the jewel and found it in Jambavan's cave, with his child. Jambavan attacked

Krishna thinking Him to be an intruder who had come to take away the jewel.

They fought each other for 28 days, when Jambavan, his whole body terribly

weakened from the hammering of Krishna's fists, finally recognised Him as Rama.

 

I now know You. You are the life in all creatures, virility, grit and strength.

You are Vishnu, the Primeval Lord, All-prevailing, the Supreme Lord (of the

worlds). (Bhagavata 10.56.26)

He Who built a bridge (across the ocean) that is a standing monument to His

fame, set Lanka ablaze, and with His arrows severed the heads of Rakshasas,

which fell to the ground.

As repentance for his having fought Krishna, Jambavan gave Krishna the jewel and

also his daughter Jambavati in marriage. Krishna returned to Dvaraka with

Jambavati and the jewel, and returned it Satrajit, who in turn repented for his

false accusation. He promptly offered to give Krishna the jewel and his daughter

Satyabhama in marriage. Krishna accepted Satyabhama as His wife but did not

accept the jewel.

In the event one is not even able to listen to or read the story, the following

mantra may be recited holding some water in the palm of the right hand. The

water is then to be sipped.

A lion killed Prasena; the lion was killed by Jambavan. Don't cry, O dear child!

This syamantaka jewel is yours.

Excerpted from an article by Anand Hudli (ahudli (AT) silver (DOT) ucs.indiana.edu).

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http://www.cix.co.uk/~ganesh/#Form

 

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