Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Here is the last segment of the site previously mentioned: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/ganesha/ Again, Ganesha's large head is symbolic of the wisdom of the elephant. His large ears, like the winnow, sift the bad from the good. Although they hear everything, they retain only that which is good; they are attentive to all requests made by the devotees, be they humble or powerful. Ganesha's trunk is a symbol of his discrimination (viveka), a most important quality necessary for spiritual progress. The elephant uses its trunk to push down a massive tree, carry huge logs to the river and for other heavy tasks. The same huge trunk is used to pick up a few blades of grass, to break a small coconut, remove the hard nut and eat the soft kernel inside. The biggest and minutest of tasks are within the range of this trunk which is symbolic of Ganesha's intellect and hiss powers of discrimination. An intriguing aspect of Ganesha's iconography is his broken tusk, leading to the appellation Ekdanta, Ek meaning one and danta meaning teeth. It carries an interesting legend behind it: When Parashurama one of Shiva's favorite disciples, came to visit him, he found Ganesha guarding Shiva's inner apartments. His father being asleep, Ganesha opposed Parshurama's entry. Parashurama nevertheless tried to urge his way, and the parties came to blows. Ganesha had at first the advantage, seizing Parashurama in his trunk, and giving him a twirl that left him sick and senseless; on recovering, Rama threw his axe at Ganesha, who recognizing it as his father's weapon (Shiva having given it to Parashurama) received it with all humility upon one of his tusks, which it immediately severed, and hence Ganesha has but one tusk. A different legend narrates that Ganesha was asked to scribe down the epic of Mahabharata, dictated to him by its author, sage Vyasa. Taking into note the enormity and significance of the task, Ganesha realized the inadequacy of any ordinary 'pen' to undertake the task. He thus broke one of his own tusks and made a pen out of it. The lesson offered here is that no sacrifice is big enough in the pursuit of knowledge. An ancient Sanskrit drama titled "Shishupalvadha", presents a different version. Here it is mentioned that Ganesha was deprived of his tusk by the arrogant Ravana (the villain of Ramayana), who removed it forcefully in order to make ivory earrings for the beauties of Lanka! The little mouse whom Ganesha is supposed to ride upon is another enigmatic feature in his iconography. At a first glance it seems strange that the lord of wisdom has been granted a humble obsequious mouse quite incapable of lifting the bulging belly and massive head that he possesses. But it implies that wisdom is an attribute of ugly conglomeration of factors and further that the wise do not find anything in the world disproportionate or ugly. The mouse is, in every respect, comparable to the intellect. It is able to slip unobserved or without our knowledge into places which we would have not thought it possible to penetrate. In doing this it is hardly concerned whether it is seeking virtue or vice. The mouse thus represents our wandering, wayward mind, lured to undesirable or corrupting grounds. By showing the mouse paying subservience to Lord Ganesha it is implied that the intellect has been tamed through Ganesha's power of discrimination. Any attempt to penetrate the depths of the Ganesha phenomenon must note that he is born from Goddess Parvati alone without the intervention of her husband Shiva, and as such he shares a very unique and special relationship with his mother. The sensitive nature of his relationship with Parvati is made amply clear in the following tale: As a child, Ganesha teased a cat by pulling its tail, rolling it over on the ground and causing it great pain, as naughty young boys are wont to do. After some time, tired of his game, he went to his mother Parvati. He found her in great pain and covered with scratches and dust all over. When he questioned her, she put the blame on him. She explained that she was the cat whom Ganesha had teased. His total devotion towards his mother is the reason why in the South Indian tradition Ganesha is represented as single and celibate. It is said that he felt that his mother, Parvati, was the most beautiful and perfect woman in the universe. Bring me a woman as beautiful as she is and I shall marry her, he said. None could find an equal to the beautiful Uma (Parvati), and so the legend goes, the search is still on... In variance with the South Indian tradition, in North India Ganesha is often shown married to the two daughters of Brahma (the Lord of Creation), namely Buddhi and Siddhi. Metaphorically Buddhi signifies wisdom and Siddhi achievement. In the sense of yoga, Buddhi and Siddhi represent the female and male currents in the human body. In visual arts this aspect of Ganesha is represented with grace and charm. In a different, slightly erotic version from Tantric thought, Ganesha is depicted in a form known as "Shakti Ganpati". Here he is depicted with four arms, two of them holding symbolic implements. With the other two arms he fondles his consort, who is comfortably balanced on his left thigh. The third eye in this representation, is of course the eye of wisdom, which sees above and beyond mere physical reality. No analysis of Lord Ganesha can be concluded without a mention of the mystical syllable AUM. The sacred AUM is the most powerful Universal symbol of the divine presence in Hindu thought. It is further said to be the sound which was generated when the world first came into being. The written manifestation of this divine symbol when inverted gives the perfect profile of the god with the elephant head. Ganesha is thus the ONLY god to be associated in a "physical" sense with the primordial sacred sound AUM, a telling reminder of his supreme position in the Hindu pantheon. We hope you have enjoyed reading the article. Any comments or feedback that you may have will be greatly appreciated. Please send your feedback to feedback (AT) exoticindiaart (DOT) com. This article by Nitin KumarEditorhttp://www.exoticindiaart.com Click HERE to Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter. OUR OTHER ARTICLESClick here for All our Articles Parvati the Love Goddess: Tales of Marriage and Devotion in Art and Mythology Ritual Implements in Tibetan Buddhism: A Symbolic Appraisal The Taj Mahal : Architecture of a Love Story Durga : Narrative Art of an 'Independent' Warrior Goddess The Indian Sari : Fashioning the Female Form Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and Mythology Shiva as Nataraja : Dance and Destruction In Indian Art Lakshmi and Saraswati - Tales in Mythology and Art Green Tara and White Tara - Feminist Ideals in Buddhist Art Ganesha : the Elephant Headed God, Art and Mythology The Buddhist Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art Mother Goddess as Kali - The Feminine Force in Indian Art ARTICLE REVIEWS Thank you for a great article on Lord Ganesha. It is not often that you find a site that explains all facets of Ganesha. I must say I learned something new.- Suren Naidoo (snaidoo (AT) galix (DOT) com) Click here to post a review of this article I know very little of India's traditions and mythology, but I have always been drawn to the figure of Ganesha. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Respectfully- Charlene Click here to post a review of this article What a wonderful essay on Ganesha! My husband and I have been studying hinduism for the last year and have a particular affinity to Ganesha. Your article gave significance to parts of his tale that I hadn't heard before. Thank You So Much- Allison Hancock Click here to post a review of this article I wanted to wrte to thank you for the article on the lord Ganesha. I loved reading the stories, and learning more about this wonderful being. Of late I, personally, have felt drawn to him, and feel that he has become a positive presence in my life. Again, thank you. Peace- Walter Click here to post a review of this article I wish to thank you for the enlightening stories about Ganesha.- Joe Click here to post a review of this article Thank you so very much for the facinating discourse on Lord Ganesha. I brought an image of Ganesha home with me from a trip to India and Nepal last year and small children are facinated by it..I now have a proper legend to tell that will intrigue and guide at the same time. Your site is wonderful. Thank you again.- Sandy Click here to post a review of this article Thanks for your comments on Ganeshain the Alchemy group. I live in MASS and a few years ago after a huge snow---we carved a giant ganesha in a mountain of snow without arms---just a giant head---it brought us great luck--but funny looks from the neighbors.- G. Morell Click here to post a review of this article http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/ganesha/Do You ? Send FREE video emails in Mail. 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Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 :)SY, WOW!!!!!!!!!! KUDOS nitin JAI AMBEY, rajat , SY Zenith <syzenith> wrote: > > Me again...., > > Here is the last segment of the site previously mentioned: > > http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/ganesha/ > > Again, Ganesha's large head is symbolic of the wisdom of the elephant. His large ears, like the winnow, sift the bad from the good. Although they hear everything, they retain only that which is good; they are attentive to all requests made by the devotees, be they humble or powerful. > > Ganesha's trunk is a symbol of his discrimination (viveka), a most important quality necessary for spiritual progress. The elephant uses its trunk to push down a massive tree, carry huge logs to the river and for other heavy tasks. The same huge trunk is used to pick up a few blades of grass, to break a small coconut, remove the hard nut and eat the soft kernel inside. The biggest and minutest of tasks are within the range of this trunk which is symbolic of Ganesha's intellect and hiss powers of discrimination. > > An intriguing aspect of Ganesha's iconography is his broken tusk, leading to the appellation Ekdanta, Ek meaning one and danta meaning teeth. It carries an interesting legend behind it: > > When Parashurama one of Shiva's favorite disciples, came to visit him, he found Ganesha guarding Shiva's inner apartments. His father being asleep, Ganesha opposed Parshurama's entry. Parashurama nevertheless tried to urge his way, and the parties came to blows. Ganesha had at first the advantage, seizing Parashurama in his trunk, and giving him a twirl that left him sick and senseless; on recovering, Rama threw his axe at Ganesha, who recognizing it as his father's weapon (Shiva having given it to Parashurama) received it with all humility upon one of his tusks, which it immediately severed, and hence Ganesha has but one tusk. > > A different legend narrates that Ganesha was asked to scribe down the epic of Mahabharata, dictated to him by its author, sage Vyasa. Taking into note the enormity and significance of the task, Ganesha realized the inadequacy of any ordinary 'pen' to undertake the task. He thus broke one of his own tusks and made a pen out of it. The lesson offered here is that no sacrifice is big enough in the pursuit of knowledge. > > An ancient Sanskrit drama titled "Shishupalvadha", presents a different version. Here it is mentioned that Ganesha was deprived of his tusk by the arrogant Ravana (the villain of Ramayana), who removed it forcefully in order to make ivory earrings for the beauties of Lanka! > > The little mouse whom Ganesha is supposed to ride upon is another enigmatic feature in his iconography. At a first glance it seems strange that the lord of wisdom has been granted a humble obsequious mouse quite incapable of lifting the bulging belly and massive head that he possesses. But it implies that wisdom is an attribute of ugly conglomeration of factors and further that the wise do not find anything in the world disproportionate or ugly. > > The mouse is, in every respect, comparable to the intellect. It is able to slip unobserved or without our knowledge into places which we would have not thought it possible to penetrate. In doing this it is hardly concerned whether it is seeking virtue or vice. The mouse thus represents our wandering, wayward mind, lured to undesirable or corrupting grounds. By showing the mouse paying subservience to Lord Ganesha it is implied that the intellect has been tamed through Ganesha's power of discrimination. > > Any attempt to penetrate the depths of the Ganesha phenomenon must note that he is born from Goddess Parvati alone without the intervention of her husband Shiva, and as such he shares a very unique and special relationship with his mother. The sensitive nature of his relationship with Parvati is made amply clear in the following tale: > > As a child, Ganesha teased a cat by pulling its tail, rolling it over on the ground and causing it great pain, as naughty young boys are wont to do. After some time, tired of his game, he went to his mother Parvati. He found her in great pain and covered with scratches and dust all over. When he questioned her, she put the blame on him. She explained that she was the cat whom Ganesha had teased. > > His total devotion towards his mother is the reason why in the South Indian tradition Ganesha is represented as single and celibate. It is said that he felt that his mother, Parvati, was the most beautiful and perfect woman in the universe. Bring me a woman as beautiful as she is and I shall marry her, he said. None could find an equal to the beautiful Uma (Parvati), and so the legend goes, the search is still on... > In variance with the South Indian tradition, in North India Ganesha is often shown married to the two daughters of Brahma (the Lord of Creation), namely Buddhi and Siddhi. Metaphorically Buddhi signifies wisdom and Siddhi achievement. In the sense of yoga, Buddhi and Siddhi represent the female and male currents in the human body. In visual arts this aspect of Ganesha is represented with grace and charm. > In a different, slightly erotic version from Tantric thought, Ganesha is depicted in a form known as "Shakti Ganpati". Here he is depicted with four arms, two of them holding symbolic implements. With the other two arms he fondles his consort, who is comfortably balanced on his left thigh. The third eye in this representation, is of course the eye of wisdom, which sees above and beyond mere physical reality. > > No analysis of Lord Ganesha can be concluded without a mention of the mystical syllable AUM. The sacred AUM is the most powerful Universal symbol of the divine presence in Hindu thought. It is further said to be the sound which was generated when the world first came into being. The written manifestation of this divine symbol when inverted gives the perfect profile of the god with the elephant head. > > Ganesha is thus the ONLY god to be associated in a "physical" sense with the primordial sacred sound AUM, a telling reminder of his supreme position in the Hindu pantheon. > > We hope you have enjoyed reading the article. Any comments or feedback that you may have will be greatly appreciated. Please send your feedback to feedback@e... > > This article by Nitin Kumar > Editor > http://www.exoticindiaart.com > > Click HERE to Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter. > > OUR OTHER ARTICLES > Click here for All our ArticlesParvati the Love Goddess: Tales of Marriage and Devotion in Art and MythologyRitual Implements in Tibetan Buddhism: A Symbolic AppraisalThe Taj Mahal : Architecture of a Love StoryDurga : Narrative Art of an 'Independent' Warrior GoddessThe Indian Sari : Fashioning the Female FormWrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and MythologyShiva as Nataraja : Dance and Destruction In Indian ArtLakshmi and Saraswati - Tales in Mythology and ArtGreen Tara and White Tara - Feminist Ideals in Buddhist ArtGanesha : the Elephant Headed God, Art and MythologyThe Buddhist Mandala - Sacred Geometry and ArtMother Goddess as Kali - The Feminine Force in Indian Art > > > > ARTICLE REVIEWS > Thank you for a great article on Lord Ganesha. It is not often that you find a site that explains all facets of Ganesha. I must say I learned something new. > - Suren Naidoo (snaidoo@g...) > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > > I know very little of India's traditions and mythology, but I have always been drawn to the figure of Ganesha. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Respectfully > - Charlene > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > > What a wonderful essay on Ganesha! My husband and I have been studying hinduism for the last year and have a particular affinity to Ganesha. Your article gave significance to parts of his tale that I hadn't heard before. Thank You So Much > - Allison Hancock > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > > I wanted to wrte to thank you for the article on the lord Ganesha. I loved reading the stories, and learning more about this wonderful being. Of late I, personally, have felt drawn to him, and feel that he has become a positive presence in my life. Again, thank you. Peace > - Walter > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > > I wish to thank you for the enlightening stories about Ganesha. > - Joe > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > > Thank you so very much for the facinating discourse on Lord Ganesha. I brought an image of Ganesha home with me from a trip to India and Nepal last year and small children are facinated by it..I now have a proper legend to tell that will intrigue and guide at the same time. Your site is wonderful. Thank you again. > - Sandy > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > > Thanks for your comments on Ganeshain the Alchemy group. I live in MASS and a few years ago after a huge snow---we carved a giant ganesha in a mountain of snow without arms---just a giant head---it brought us great luck--but funny looks from the neighbors. > - G. Morell > > Click here to post a review of this article > > > =4) {x='x';s=screen;c+=s.width+x+s.height+x+s.pixelDepth+x+s.colorDepth;} d.writeln(c+'$'+d.referrer+'">'); // --> > http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/ganesha/ > > > > > Send FREE video emails in Mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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