Fwd: The Symbolism of Ganesh -- Secrets of Ganesh -- Decoding Ganesh -- Ganesh Rahasya.
गिरिराज डागा
We are all familiar with the story of how Ganesh became the elephant-headed God.
Parvati became dirty when she was celebrating with Shiv. When she realized this, she removed the dirt from her body and created a boy out of it. She then asked him to keep guard while she bathed. When Shiv returned, the boy did not recognize him and obstructed his passage. So Shiv chopped off the boy's head and entered. Parvati was shocked when she saw this. She explained to Shiv that the boy was their son and pleaded with Shiv to save him at all costs. Shiv then instructed his helpers to go and get the head of someone who was sleeping with their head pointing to the north. The helpers then got the head of an elephant, which Shiv affixed to the boy's torso and Ganesh was born!
Does
this story sound strange?
Why should Parvati have dirt on her body?
Didn't the all-knowing Shiv recognize His own son?
Was Shiv, the epitome of peace, so short-tempered that he cut off the
head of his own son?
And why an elephant head on Ganesh?
There is a deeper meaning to all this.
So what is the significance of Ganesh?
Parvati represents power had been celebrating with
great enthusiasm and Parvati had become dirty – signifying that celebration can
easily become Rajasic or feverish and take you away from your centre, so she
removed all the dirt (symbolic of ignorance) from her body and created a boy –
doll from this. She gave the doll life and asked him to keep guard at the door
while she bathed. When Shiv (representative of Supreme Innocence, Peace and
Knowledge) returned to Kailash the boy could not recognize him and so
obstructed his passage preventing him from entering.
This signifies that Ignorance (dirt) does not recognize wisdom or innocence, however, truth can be stopped by ignorance and so Shiv chopped off the boy’s head – the head of ignorance and entered. But when Parvati realized what had happened she explained to Shiv that the boy was their son and Shiv had to save him. So he instructed his helpers to go and find someone with his head pointing to the North, someone in tune with the natural flow of energy and to bring back his head. They searched far and wide and were only able to find an elephant in such a state. So they brought back the head of the elephant and this became Ganesh.
And why the elephant head?
Science
has discovered that within a single human DNA strand there can also be found
the DNA of every other species on the planet. Therefore, we also carry the
quality of every animal in us, in fact this has been known since the ancient
days.
Elephant represents both gyan shakti and karm shakti. The elephant used its trunk for dual functions – it smells and acts through its trunk. Likewise in wisdom we smell and then act. With the merest hint of something (like smelling smoke, of course!), a wise person will take immediate action, that is the wise act as soon as they smell something.
The
elephant has special qualities.The principle qualities of the elephant are wisdom and effortlessness.
The enormous head of the elephant signifies Wisdom and Knowledge.
Elephants don’t walk around obstacles, neither do they stop at them – they just remove them and keep walking straight on.For instance, if there are trees in their path, they will just uproot those trees and proceed.
So, when we worship God Ganesh, these elephant qualities within us, are kindled and we take on those qualities.
The reason being that whatever you keep your attention on, you take on those qualities.
So if you meditate on Ganesh, who has the head of an elephant, you will get the qualities of an elephant.
You will overcome all obstacles.
It has large ears that fan, small eyes which convey that it is wiser to follow that which you hear and understand rather than to follow appearances. So what you see must be co-related with what you hear.
The elephant also possesses tusks that are visible for all to see while its teeth for grinding purposes are not as they are in its mouth.
Now
Ganesh is always depicted with a big stomach, his big belly represents
generosity and total acceptance.
The story goes that one day Ganesha drank so
much milk that his belly burst, so he grabbed a Cobra and tied it around his
stomach.
This signifies that the acceptance of people and situations (big
belly) without deep awareness is of no great value (akin to accepting people
when we are sleeping! That is easy!)
However, when there is awareness – the
Cobra is symbolic of great alertness, and then there is …or that is true
acceptance and love.
Ganesh’s
upraised hand (in ‘Abhaya’ mudra, depicting protection) means ‘fear not – I am
with you’ and his lowered hand, palm facing outwards (in ‘Varada’ mudra,
symbolic of giving boons) means – unending giving as well as an invitation to
bow down.
Bowing down signifies merging with the earth again, recognising the
truth that we will return to the earth.
In the womb our position is one where our heads are bowed, our body is in a circle. Even at birth we come into the world head down. It is our nature to bow down).
Ganesh also has a single tusk which signifies one-pointedness.
Even the implements Ganesh wields are symbolic.
He carries in his hands, the 'Ankusa' (signifying awakening) and the 'Paasa'
(signifying control).
With awakening, a lot of energy is released, which without proper control, can go haywire.
Ganesh
is mostly seen sitting on a lotus, now an elephant supporting on a lotus is
kind of odd!
This signifies that he is very sensitive.
Ganesh is always
seen riding on a mouse. This is the most unexpected mode of travel, imaginable
–an elephant on a mouse!
However, the significance runs deeper, the mouse snips
nibbling away at ropes that bind.
The mouse who gradually nibbles through
things is like mantra which can cut through sheets and sheets of ignorance and
carry even an elephant.
There can be nothing but absolute darkness and all that is required is a single tiny ray of ray that can illuminate us – free us from our ignorance. Not much is required at all – just this tiny persistent awareness.
Our ancient Rishis were so deeply intelligent that they chose to express Divinity in terms of symbols rather than words, since words change over time, but symbols remain unchanged.
Let us keep the deep symbolism in mind as we experience the omnipresent in the form of the elephant God, yet be fully aware that Ganesh is very much within us. This is the wisdom we should carry as we celebrate Ganesh Chaturti 17 September 2015.
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