The god of wisdom Ganesha is a magnificent representative of the Indian pantheon of celestials. Every Hindu at least once in his life said a prayer in his honor, because he is the one who fulfills the cherished desires of man. In addition, with his wisdom, he directs those who want to learn the secrets of the universe or seek to succeed in business.
A few words about Hinduism
Hinduism is very different from everything that the Russian people are used to. The religion of this country is based on myths and legends that are more likely to be like fairy tales than true stories from the past. But for the Hindus, they are quite real, because they have existed in their culture for so long that they have become an integral part of it.
Therefore, do not be surprised that in modern India, the elephant god Ganesha seems as real as Jesus in the European world. This fact is very important, because it allows you to look at the world of Hinduism through the eyes of the Indians themselves.
The face of Ganesha
God Ganesha is the embodiment of wisdom and success. Often he is portrayed as a fat man sitting on a throne or a rat. Such an image symbolizes the wealth that comes to the house with the deity. However, the main difference between God is the elephant's head, which sets him apart from the rest of the Indian pantheon.
It should be noted that the god of Ganesha is always depicted with one tusk. Regarding this detail of his image, there are many legends, but we will discuss them later. Also, depending on its specific embodiment, the number of hands may vary. For example, the familiar form of the deity has four, and the enlightened one has thirty-two.
The birth of a great god
Any deity in Hinduism is shrouded in many legends and superstitions: some complement the main story, the second, on the contrary, only contradict it. It happened with the god of wisdom, whose birth is described in dozens of different tales, which are very different from each other.
According to the main version, the wife of Shiva Parvati loved to take a bath all alone. But her husband often interrupted this process, treacherously breaking into the bathhouse. Tired of this behavior, Parvati decided to create a defender who would block the careless spouse from entering the bathroom.
Smeared with clay and saffron, the goddess created a boy, whom she later named Ganesha. Endowed with cosmic power, he promised his mother at all costs to protect her from the visits of Shiva. Alas, the determination of Ganesha did not help him in the fight against the supreme god - when he saw the young defender Shiva, he became furious and killed the boy with one strong blow.
Upon learning of this, Parvati hated her husband. In order to annoy him, she created the goddesses Durga and Kali, who began to wreak havoc on the world. For a long time, Shiva tried to calm his wife, but all his attempts were in vain. Then he revived the boy, endowing him with part of his strength. Thus, Ganesha became the son of two great celestials - Shiva and Parvati.
Indian god Ganesha: history and facts
Historians are convinced that for the first time the image of Ganesha was formed in the ancient hymn of the Rigved. It was written about 3.5 thousand years ago, and glorified the greatness of the ancient gods. Among other lines was a part dedicated to the deity Brihaspati, who later reincarnated as the god Ganesha.
This part of the hymn can be translated as follows:
“We appeal to you, O great Gapati Ghana (title of commander of the divine forces)!
Oh, Brihaspati - a poet from poets, a creator from creators!
You are richer than all known, and the most beautiful of creatures!
Listen to our prayers and give us your blessing, sitting on the throne! ”
In addition, the existing description of Brihaspati testifies in favor of such a transformation. In ancient times, people believed that this deity looks like a big man, endowing everyone with wealth and wisdom. The only thing that remains unknown is how exactly Brihaspati turned into Ganesha. Nevertheless, many theologians are inclined to believe that the old deity simply acquired a new look and name, while retaining most of its abilities and titles.
Place in the Divine Hierarchy
As mentioned earlier, the god Ganesha is the son of Parvati and Shiva. This makes him a very powerful creature, occupying an honorable place in the pantheon of Hindu immortals. In addition, he is the commander of the heavenly army, which gives him the right to command many younger spirits and Yakshasas.
In addition, many myths tell us that Ganesha has an elder brother Skanda - the ruthless god of war, always competing with the embodiment of wisdom. But the first son of Shiva often lost to his relative, as he always solved problems by force, and not by the mind. It is curious that in India the mass worship of Ganesha began only after the temples of Skanda disappeared. Such a change in the culture of the Hindus is explained by the fact that the need for a warlike god gradually died away, but the creature, fulfilling desires, only strengthened its power.
Marital Status Ganesha
Initially, it was believed that the god of wisdom vowed celibacy. This was due to the fact that, according to legend, he practiced a special technique of self-discipline, implying sexual abstinence - the brahmacharyas. Because of this, many Indians believed that the body of their deity would never touch a woman.
However, over the years, moral principles have changed, and with them the legends about the god Ganesha. According to some of them, he was married to three goddesses - Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi. They embodied the immovable ideals of wisdom: reason, success and prosperity. But later legends attributed to the elephant god a marriage with the spiritual embodiment of the culture and art of Saraswati.
Symbolism in the image of God
Today every Hindu knows what Ganesha is. A photo of this deity is in every house, and parents from childhood teach children to recognize the characters hidden in the face of the saint. And they are as follows:
- The head of an elephant represents prudence and devotion.
- Such huge ears make it possible to hear even those prayers that are said in the soul of a person.
- One tusk symbolizes the power of God and the fact that he suppresses any ambiguity.
- The trunk is a sign of high intelligence.
- The large belly demonstrates the wealth and generosity of the deity, which he is ready to share with the whole world.
God and the giant demon
Once between the god and the demon Gajamukhu a serious battle broke out. It should be noted that although the elephant god was impressive in size, he was clearly inferior to his enemy, who was a real giant. Nevertheless, the forces of the opponents were equal, which dragged on the battle for long days.
And so, it would seem, the demon began to defeat Ganesha, pushing him back. In the heat of battle, not wanting to lose, the elephant-like god tore one of his tusks and with all his might launched him into the enemy. At that moment, Hajamukhu fell to the ground, defeated by an unexpected blow. Moreover, the magical power of the tusk turned the evil demon into an obedient rat, which forever became the tame pet of the god of wisdom.
Beliefs about the ivory head
According to the main version, Ganesha lost his native head on the day when he blocked the path to Shiva’s mother’s bath. The enraged god did not just kill the boy with one blow, but cut off his head, which subsequently disappeared without a trace. Later, this became the main problem of the omnipotent creator who wants to revive the son of his wife. As a result, not seeing another way, he sewed the boy the head of an elephant calf, whom he caught not far in the forest.
The second legend says that the god Shan was deprived of the human face of Ganesha. This happened due to the fact that Shiva forgot to invite his friend to his son's birthday, and this greatly angered him. Bursting into the throne room, Shani looked at the boy with his sizzling gaze, thereby destroying his head. Fortunately, the great sage Brahma was present at the celebration, who advised Shiva to attach the head of another creature to his son. And they became the elephant Airavata, which belonged to the god Indra.
Great glutton
Ganesha is the god of wealth, who loves everything sweet. He especially likes rice balls cooked according to a special recipe. Therefore, everyone who wants to enlist the support of this celestial, bring him this sweet dish to the altar . There is even a legend telling about how Ganesha collects gifts from his shrines.
Once, the god of wisdom so over-cooked the treats that he barely climbed onto his riding pet - the rat Hajamukhu. He ordered her to take him home slowly, so that he could digest everything he had eaten. But along the way, a snake crawled along their path, because of which the rat stumbled and dropped Ganesha to the ground. From the blow, the stomach of God could not stand it and burst, and all the sweets rolled out.
Fortunately, the deity was immortal, and such a turn of events did not kill him. Therefore, he slowly gathered all the treats, after which he caught the ill-fated snake. As a punishment, he girdled his belly with him, so that he would restrain him forever.
God of wisdom in modern India
To begin with, even today many Indians believe in the existence of such a peculiar god as Ganesha. There is a photo of this celestial in every house, as it attracts wealth and good fortune to the family. Moreover, in this country, entrepreneurs are used to wearing the image of this deity in their wallet, sincerely believing that it brought them luck. In addition, many of them pray for Ganesh’s favor before starting any major transaction. The same applies to students who ask their patron for wisdom and guidance.
In addition, in many houses there is a figurine of the god Ganesha. If you believe the belief, it protects its owners from harm. For example, a fallen piece of clay or a crack means that the figurine took the blow of fate or karma. Therefore, damaged amulets are trying to immediately change, so that they would protect their owners in the future.
In addition, once a year, Indians celebrate the birthday of Ganesha. In his honor they organize a magnificent walk with a colorful festival. On this day, all work is postponed, and people are engaged only in celebration and prayers. In this case, the Indians believe that on this night Ganesha will fulfill any desire of a person, if he really believes in him.