Life Lessons to learn from Ganesh

 

 

Symbolisms of Lord Ganesha

Lord Ganesha is loved by children for his elephant head, large ears, huge stomach and more! Explain to your child the meaning and symbolism behind each part of Lord Ganesha and his adornments.

GNESH ANGEY MOON

 

Ganesha also has something of a reputation for greediness. One day, after eating a few too many modakas (sacrificial cakes), Ganesha decided to take a ride on his giant rat, Kroncha, to aid his digestion. However, the rat was surprised when he came across a large snake and, jumping back with fear, he threw off his mount. Ganesha landed on his full belly and it burst on hitting the ground. The cakes from his stomach rolled left, right and centre but Ganesha, unperturbed, carefully gathered them in, stuffed them all back into his belly and wound the snake around his midriff to keep it closed. Symbolic of Ganesha’s ability to overcome all obstacles, the snake, the cause of the accident in the first place, therefore provided the remedy for the damage it had caused.

Continuing on his night-ride, Ganesha suddenly heard a thunderous noise from the heavens. This was the laughing of the Moon and his wives, the twenty seven Constellations, unable to contain themselves on seeing Ganesha wrapped in a snake. Outraged, Ganesha broke off the end of one of his tusks and hurled it at the laughing Moon who, hit full in the face, was struck black. Without the light of the moon, the dark nights became the haunt of thieves and villains until honest people had had enough and pleaded with the gods to restore the silver light. The gods asked Ganesha to forgive the Moon but only a partial forgiveness was given. Consequently, only periodically, on one night, would the Moon give his full light and then he would slowly waste away. 

An alternative explanation of Ganesha’s broken tusk is that of Krishna throwing his axe at Ganesha after he blocked his entrance to the private apartments of his parents Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha allowed the axe to hit and break his tusk so that no-one could say that the axe, which was in fact his father’s, was not a fearsome weapon. Yet another but less picturesque explanation of Ganesha’s broken tusk was that he snapped it off in order to transcribe the epic poem Mahabharata, dictated by the sage Vyasa who wished to preserve the story for all time.  This version explains Ganesha’s association with writers and intellectuals.

108 Lord Ganesha Names and Their Meanings

We encounter a very common question. How many names do Lord Ganesha have and what are their meanings? Lord Ganesha is famous for his 108 names and different meanings associated with them. In this article, we will explore his 108 different names of their meanings.  All the meanings generally come from different ways of praying to  Lord Ganesha or Ganesh and actually highlights many aspects of his personality and his greatness.

At different Yuga’s (Yuga in Hinduism is an epoch or era within a four-age cycle) Lord Ganesha believed to have taken different names.

It is widely believed that in different ages he comes to earth with different names to kill one or other demon. The demons and symbolic and often they are the common vices of people.

At these different ages or Yuga’s devotees has prayed him in different forms and they actually got added as names. So, all the 108 names of Lord Ganesha came into popular lore from different centuries to create the repertoire of 108 names.

List of 108 Names of Lord Ganesha along with their meanings:

1. Akhuratha: One whose chariot is pulled by a mouse. This is a reference to his “Vahana” the mouse, who was actually an “Asura”- the Mushikasura, defeated and mounted by the Lord.
2. Alampata: The One who is eternal.
3. Ambika: The Lord who hails from the mountains of the world.
4. Anantachidrupamayam: The one who is the personification of the infinite consciousness.
5. Avaneesh: Master of the universe
6. Avighna: The remover of obstacles, one of the main feat associated with Lord Ganesha.
7. Balaganapati: His child version, who is beloved by all. This emphasizes the close bond of Lord Ganesha to his parents.
8. Bhalchandra: The one who has a moon on his “Vaal” or crest.
9. Bheema: The one who is gigantic and powerful.
10. Bhupati: The lord of the earth.
11. Bhuvanpati: The Lord of heaven.
12. Buddhinath: The God of wisdom.
13. Buddhipriya: One who bestows knowledge and intellect among all.
14. Buddhividhata: The God of knowledge.
15. Chaturbhuj: The four-armed deity.
16. Devadeva: The Lord of lords and the Gods.
17. Devantakanashakarin: Destroyer of evils and demons.
18. Devendrashika: The one who protects all gods.
19. Dharmik: The one who is righteous and charitable.
20. Dhoomravarna: The one with smoke-hued skin color.
21. Durja: The one who is invincible.
22. Dvaimatura: The one who has two mothers.
23. Ekaakshara: The one who is a single syllable in his name. This refers to the seed mantra of Lord Ganesha or “Gaam”.
24. Ekadanta: The one who is with a single tusk, because he broke off his one tusk to write the epic “Mahabharata” and it is an epitome of sacrifice to do a great task.
25. Ekadrishta: Single-focused.
26. Eshanputra: The son of Shiva.
27. Gadadhara: The one who uses a mace as his weapon.
28. Gajakarna: The one who has ears of an elephant.
29. Gajanana: The one who has an elephantine face.
30. Gajananeti: The one who has the looks of an elephant
31. Gajavakra: The one with the trunk of an elephant.
32. Gajavaktra: The one who has an elephantine mouth.
33. Ganadhakshya: The lord of people.
34. Ganadhyakshina: The Leader of all celestial bodies and Heaven
35. Ganapati: The Lord of lords and People.
36. Gaurisuta: The son of Devi Gauri.
37. Gunina: The Lord of virtues.
38. Haridra: The one who is golden-hued.
39. Heramba: Mother’s most beloved son
40. Kapila: The one who is yellowish-brown.
41. Kaveesha: The lord of poets.
42. Kirti: The lord of music.
43. Kripalu: The merciful Lord
44. Krishapingaksha: The one who has yellowish-brown eyes.
45. Kshamakaram: The one who is an epitome of forgiveness.
46. Kshipra: The one who is easy to pacify.
47. Lambakarna: The one who has large ears. This symbolizes the importance of listening power. We need to listen to every detail and grasp the concept well so that we can be a good performer.
48. Lambodara: The One who has a big belly. Lord Ganesha belly symbolizes the digestion of everything good and bad, so that we are not affected by emotions of joy and sorrow.
49. Mahabala: The one who is enormously strong.
50. Mahaganapati: The Supreme Lord.
51. Maheshwaram: The Lord of the universe
52. Mangalamurti: The all-auspicious Lord.
53. Manomay: The winner of hearts and mind.
54. Mrityuanjaya: The one who has conquered death.
55. Mundakarama: The abode of happiness.
56. Muktidaya: The one who provides “Mukti” or freedom into the land of eternal bliss.
57. Musikvahana: The one who rides a mouse, who snips and nibbles away at ropes that bind us to the mere illusions of the world. Thus the mouse represents the mantra that goes through the cover of ignorance and removes it.
58. Nadapratithishta: The one who appreciates music. He is associated with the primordial sound and all other sounds that originate from it. So, he is often regarded as the first connoisseur of music.
59. Namasthetu: The Destroyer of evils and sins.
60. Nandana: Son of the Supreme God or Lord Shiva.
61. Nideeshwaram: The bestower of wealth.
62. Omkara: The one who has the form of ‘Om’ symbol.
63. Pitambara: The one who has yellowish skin.
64. Pramoda: Lord of all dwellings.
65. Prathameshwara: To state that He is the first among the Gods to be worshipped.
66. Purush: The omnipotent personality.
67. Raktim: The one who is blood-hued.
68. Rudrapriya: The one who is the beloved of Shiva.
69. Riddhesh: The God who resides in the heart of all people.
70. Sarvadevatman: The one who accepts all celestial offerings.
71. Sarvasiddhanta: The bestower of skills and knowledge.
72. Sarvatman: The protector of the universe.
73. Shambhavi: The son of Parvati.
74. Shashivarnam: The one who has a moon-like complexion.
75. Shaswata: The unchanging one.
76. Shoorpakarna: The one who is large-eared.
77. Shubhagunakanan: The one who is The Master of All Virtues.
78. Shweta: The one who is white and pure.
79. Siddhidhata: The bestower of accomplishments and successes.
80. Siddhipriya: The giver of wishes and boons.
81. Siddhivinayaka: The bestower of success.
82. Skandapurvaja: Elder of “Skanda” or LordKartikya
83. Sumukha: The one who has an auspicious face.
84. Sureshwaram: The Lord of lords and heaven.
85. Swaroop: The lover of beauty.
86. Tarun: The one who is eternally young.
87. Uddanda: The nemesis of evils and vices.
88. Umaputra: The son of Goddess Uma, another name of Devi Parvati.
89. Vakratunda: The one with a curved trunk.
90. Varaganapati: The bestower of boons.
91. Varaprada: The one who grants wishes.
92. Varadavinayaka: The bestower of success.
93. Veeraganapati: The fearless and vigorous lord.
94. Vidyavaridhi: The God of wisdom.
95. Vighnahara: The remover of obstacles.
96. Vignaharta: The destroyer of all obstacles.
97. Vighnaraja: The lord of all obstacles.
98. Vighnarajendra: The Lord of all obstacles.
99. Vighnavinashanaya: The destroyer of all obstacles.
100. Vigneshwara: The Lord of all obstacles.
101. Vikat: The one who is huge.
102. Vinayaka: The Supreme Lord.
103. Vishwamukha: Master of the universe.
104. Vishwaraja: The king of the world.
105. Yagnakaya: The one who accepts sacrificial offerings.
106. Yashaskaram: The bestower of fame and fortune.
107. Yashvasin: The beloved and ever popular lord.
108. Yogadhipa: The lord of meditation.

Thus, all these names together along with their meanings coming from different ages have built the rich symbols around Lord Ganesha. We believe the different names play a major role in creating the personality and image of Lord Ganesha in peoples mind.

Why Does Lord Ganesha Have Two Wives? What does it mean?

The whole idea of Ganesha having two wives simply indicates a spiritual idea that Riddhi and Siddhi are two basic necessities of life. When they come together they bring about auspiciousness, prosperity along with satisfaction. 

The right planning along with Right execution brings success, prosperity and hence divine satisfaction. This is all the mythology of Ganesha’s wives and children try to tell us. These are not just stories about Ganesha and his family live, but actually points out the power and attributes of the elephant-head God Ganesha.

This is all about it from us. Do let us know if you like it. Even if you do not, please make it a point to let us know. We will try and valued add as much and possible. 

Ganesha’s Wives and Children: The Deep Significance

Hindu Gods and stories related to them are highly symbolic and also hold great significance. They bring out ideologies, universal principles, values, morals and heavenly spiritual truths for mortal earthly beings. They are supposed to learn and understand life from them.

With this concept in mind, we can, therefore, infer Ganesha having two wives and the stories of his marriage also have specific symbolism and significance attributed to them.

                                     

The higher sense of philosophy attached with Riddhi and Siddhi being Lord Ganesha’s wife is of great importance. We all know that Lord Ganesha is the Supreme Administrator of the cosmos and to maintain stable administration two things are important- the power of planning and the power of execution.

The former refers to intelligence and wisdom which are the inner domains of the brain. The latter refers to the implementation of the plans made by the planning done earlier. In the story of Lord Ganesha and his marriage to Riddhi and Siddhi, therefore refers to the intelligence which is provided by Riddhi and the execution and achievements of these plans are controlled by Siddhi.

If knowledge is not put through the right execution, all the planning however good it maybe will go in vain. Thus, putting knowledge and planning through correct execution is essential for universal administration.

Significance of Ganesha’s Children 

Now let us talk about the significance of Lord Ganesha’s children- Shubha (Auspiciousness), Labha (Profit) and Santoshi (Satisfaction). This means that through proper planning and formulation which is brought about by Riddhi and the execution brought about by Siddhi, the Supreme administrator nurtures Auspiciousness and Profit and therefore bringing about Satisfaction and stability in the entire cosmos.

Indian business community believes that keeping Subh Labh as a talisman in the business premises increases business fast. So, it is a common thing to see Subh Labh items in prosperous Indian businesses. 

Mouse as Ganesha vehicle

                                                           

                                              

There are different theories to this:

First, in ancient times, when agriculture was the primary mode of sustenance, rodents were one of the biggest obstacles to prosperity--as they are for farmers even today. Destroying crops, eating stored grains are all in a day's work for a rodent. Lord Ganesha, in having a mouse/rat as his vehicle, is symbolically shown to have conquered this pest, thus staying true to his name and work as the destroyer of obstacles, according to biodiversity of India.

Second, Lord Ganesha was able to reach all the nooks and crannies

 of the world--and do his duty as the destroyer of obstacles--because his vehicle was a mouse--because mice/rats can slither through tiny holes and narrow pathways.

Third,There was a demon (rakshasa) by the name Mushikasura. He was defeated by Ganesha in a battle. The dmon, in order to avoid punishment,offered to be Ganesh's vaahana (vehicle).   

Fourth, The mouse was a celestial musician by the name krauncha. Once, accidentally, he stepped on the foot of sage Vaamadeva who, in turn, cursed him to become a mouse. Krauncha assumed a huge from of mouse and started damaging everything in its path. Lord Ganesha humbled him by catching him in his noose; but before he could punish the mouse, krauncha begged for forgiveness. Consequently, the elephant god made him his vehicle for motion. Since the mouse could not take the weight of Ganesha, the latter reduced his size to accommodate krauncha. Somesay that the name of Ganesha's rat-vehicle is Anindya.

Lord Ganesha Marriage Story 2:

 

According to Hindu mythological references, there is another very interesting backstory to Lord Ganesha’s marriage. Lord Ganesha is known to be the eldest son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and he also had a younger brother named Karthikeya.

Karthikeyan was loved by all his devotees as he blessed them with the knowledge of Brahman. One day, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati sat down to think about marrying off their two sons as they were old enough for marriage. When they let them know about their decision, the two brothers began bickering over who should get married first.

To put their quarrelling to an end, Shiva and Parvati came up with a plan. They called them both and asked them to settle their quarrel over a race that they had devised. The plan was that whoever returned back first after going around the entire Mother Earth shall be married off first.

                                 The Great Race

On hearing this plan, Lord Kartikeya immediately set out on his peacock to go around Mother Earth. To Lord Shiva and Parvati’s wonder, he continued to stand right in front of them without even moving an inch. Instead of preparing to leave, he requested his divine parents to take a seat in front of him.

He then prayed to them and asked them to accept his worship. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati accepted to do what they were told only to see what Lord Ganesha’s plan was. To their surprise, Lord Ganesha began to worship them and went around them seven times.

At the end of his seventh salutation, Kartikeya came back after his journey around the entire Mother Earth only once. As he was the first one to arrive, he demanded to be married off first since Ganesha hadn’t even begun with his journey yet.

To this Lord Ganesha explained to Kartikeya and his divine parents that according to the Vedas, going around your parents while worshipping them is equivalent to going around the entire earth. And he goes around his divine parents not once but seven times means that he has gone around not only the entire mother earth but the whole universe.

Therefore, he should be married without any delay.

These intelligent and wise words of Ganesha pleased Lord Shiva and Parvati and immediately they decided to celebrate his marriage first. Riddhi and Siddhi, the two beautiful daughters of Prajapati Vishwaroop’s were selected to be Ganesha’s brides.

The entire heaven celebrated his marriage and Lord Ganesha soon had two sons and one daughter with his wives. His sons were named Shubha and Labh, while his daughter is known to be Goddess Santoshi.

The birth of Ganesha

One day Goddess Parvati was at home on Mt.Kailash preparing for a bath. As she didn’t want to be disturbed, she told Nandi, her husband Shiva’s Bull, to guard the door and let no one pass. Nandi faithfully took his post, intending to carry out Parvati’s wishes.

                                   

But, when Shiva came home and naturally wanted to come inside, Nandi had to let him pass, being loyal first to Shiva.

Parvati was angry at this slight, but even more than this, at the fact that she had no one as loyal to Herself as Nandi was to Shiva. Parvati was thinking on it while applying turmeric on her body. In  contemplation.

                               

she took turmeric from her body which was applying on her started molding into o little male doll by using her powers she gave life to that doll. Which turn into a small boy, declaring him to be her own loyal son.

                              

The next time Parvati wished to bath, she posted Ganesha on guard duty at the door. she told Gnesha, to guard the door and let no one pass. faithfully took his post, intending to carry out Parvati’s wishes.

                           

In due course, Shiva came home, only to find this strange boy telling him he couldn’t enter his own house! Furious, Shiva ordered his army to destroy the boy, but they all failed! Such power did Ganesha possess, being the son of Devi Herself!

                        

 This surprised Shiva. Seeing that this was no ordinary boy, the usually peaceful Shiva decided he would have to fight him, and in his divine fury severed Ganesha’s head,

                       

killing him instantly.

                         

When shiva through his trisula on boy to kill him the bo shout loudly. Parvati near the sound from inside and she come running outside to see, what was going on when she come out she saw the boy’s head separted from his body.

 

When Parvati learned of this, she was so enraged and insulted that she decided to destroy the entire Creation! Lord Brahma, being the Creator, naturally had his issues with this, and pleaded that she reconsider her drastic plan. She said she would, but only if two conditions were met: one, that Ganesha be brought back to life, and two, that he be forever worshipped before all the other gods.

Shiva, having cooled down by this time, and realizing his mistake, agreed to Parvati’s conditions. He sent Brahma and his army out with orders to bring back the head of the first creature he crosses that is laying with its head facing North. Brahma soon returned with the head of a strong and powerful elephant, which Shiva placed onto boy body and named him Ganesha

                             

Breathing new life into him, he declared Ganesha to be his own son as well and gave him the status of being foremost among the gods, and leader of all the ganas (classes of beings), Ganapati.

                                    

Wives of Lord Ganesha; Intriguing Married Life of Lord Ganesha

We all are aware of how Lord Ganesha is considered to be the most Supreme God in the Hindu religion. Well, he truly is. He is known to be the Bringer of Success, Joy and Prosperity and is also known as the Destroyer of Obstacles and Evils. But there is not too much info available on the wives of Lord Ganesha and his married life.

Who are his wives? What are stories about Lord Ganesha’s marriage? 

In this article, we will delve into the married life of Lord Ganesha and his wives. 

Very interesting and borderline controversial stories are heard about his marriage. While some stories of Hindu mythology claim him to be a bachelor God, there are prevalent stories about him being married. These stories claim that he was not only married but had two wives- Riddhi and Siddhi.

According to references in the Hindu Literatures, there are two fascinating backstories about Lord Ganesha’s marriage to Riddhi and Siddhi.

According to the Hindu Puranas, though Lord Ganesha is considered to be the most auspicious God in the Hindu Pantheon and is worshipped at the beginning of any holy ritual- especially weddings. But little do we know how difficult it was for Ganesha to find a bride for himself.

Here are two interesting stories. 

Lord Ganesha Marriage Story 1:

Ganesha is not only the most powerful and auspicious God in the Hindu religion but is also considered to be the most lovable, wise and intelligent God. Yet it was very difficult for Lord Ganesha to find a bride for himself as no girl was willing to marry an elephant-headed, pot-bellied man.

For a long long time, Ganesha kept looking for girls who would be ready to marry him, but all his efforts went in vain. This angered him a lot. He was so angry that he started acting out. Ganesha began to create problems and started to jeopardise the marriages of other Gods and demigods.

Especially, he was so mighty and powerful, his violent behaviour began to scare them. He ordered his rats to dig up holes in the path of the Gods procession to his bride’s house. The other Gods faced innumerable problems like this and grew afraid of Lord Ganesha’s anger.

Scared Gods Turns to Brahma for Help

They did not know how to stop him. So they all gathered in desperation trying to find out a solution to calm down the Superior Lord. So they all went to Lord Brahma- the Creator! At first, even Brahma did not know how to stop Lord Ganesha’s behavior. He thought hard and finally came up with a solution.

With his power of creating, Lord Brahma created two beautiful women- Riddhi (Goddess of wealth and prosperity) and Siddhi (Goddess of intellectual and spiritual powers) and called them his daughters. He then gave them away in marriage to Lord Ganesha.

Finally, Lord Ganesha was married and peace prevailed upon cosmos. This is why, many times we see figurines and idols of Lord Ganesha flanked by his wives, Riddhi and Siddhi, on his either side. It is said that Lord Ganesha had two sons and a daughter with Riddhi and Siddhi.

His sons were named Shubha meaning auspiciousness and Labha meaning profit. His daughter is Mata Santoshi who is known to be the Goddess of Satisfaction.