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| GANESH IS COMING ON THE SEP 19 |
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JAY JAY JAY BOLL O GANA PATHY
PAPA MAMORE YA
Large ears signify listening to Gods katha with great zeal.
Small eyes to do the Lord’s darshan minutely.
Large forehead to develop great intellect to realise God.
Large stomach depicts his great capacity to empathise with the woes of devotees.
Short legs depicts patience.
Long trunk symbolic of his deep scriptural wisdom.
Mouse as vehicle a hyperactive creature symbolic of our indriyas. Therefore Ganesh sitting on such a vehicle represents a deity of control over the indriyas.
Four arms which hold ankush symbol for control over the mind
Ladu for happiness
Pash axe to punish the indriyas and antahkaran
Ashirvad mudra blessings for the well being of humanity
Depending on the role of Ganapati the number of arms varies as do the type of objects.
Ganesh is a Hindu GoD here is the story of how he came to be and why he is know as the gate keeper.
Lord Shiva the Hindu God of death and destruction was away at a war. His wife Pavarti who was a goddess in her own right wished to bathe. Having no one to guard the door to her apartments she conceived of the idea of giving birth to a son who could provide this service for her. Thus Ganesh was created since goddesses have the power to do such things.
Pavarti gave Ganesh instructions that he was to stand guard at the entrance of her apartments and that he was to admit no one until she gave word that it was OK to do so. Ganesh took up his post and undertook his assignment enthusiastically.
In due course the Lord Shiva returned from his war and went to enter. Ganesh according to his instructions forbade him entry. Shiva was enraged by Ganesh s impudence and drew his sword and cut off Ganesh's head.
Pavarti emerged to find Ganesh decapitated and flew into a rage. Even though he was immensely powerful Shiva was upset with Pavarti s rage. He swore to make amends by taking the head of the first living thing he found to replace Ganesh s head. The first animal he came across was an elephant. Accordingly he took the head from the elephant an placed it on Ganesh s body.
Thus Ganesh is depicted with an elephant s head. Because of his role as protector of Parvarti s door he is associated in Hindu culture with protecting entrances.
