Tag Archives: Philosophies of Ganesha
The remover of obstacles, the Lord of wisdom and knowledge, Lord Ganesha embodies many virtues. All the artefacts that Lord Ganesha holds have a symbolic meaning. As mentioned in the Ganesha and the Mudgala Purana; the incarnations of Ganesha are born as Lord of Brahmans. By virtue of this he is believed to be the Lord of sages.
The philosophies advocated by the deities of Hindu culture appeals to one and all. The teachings advocated by Lord Ganesha are not just preached to act upon but also attained with rigorous meditation. Ganesha in his appearance and his various avatars has been shown to overcome vices such as greed, anger, jealousy and arrogance. These vices have appeared as demons in mythology and the twelve avatars of Ganesha were born to perish them.
Lord Ganesha embodies wisdom and over comes obstacles. It is this quality that makes him the God to worship before starting any major work. Riding on the mouse he symbolizes his triumph over ego and advocates his devotees to let go of the same. He bears the elephant head and the elephant is perhaps the most powerful animal. The mouse on the other hand is the animal that features lower in the food chain. A mighty God riding a humble mouse advocates the modest nature of one of the most powerful Gods.
These aspects of Lord Ganesha are quite well known. The other philosophies of Ganesha are subjective as well as objective in nature. The symbolism in the weapons he carries and also the artefacts have been scrutinized by many philosophers. This deity has dedicated religious texts in the Hindu religion that cite his philosophies to his devotees. The shankh (or the shell) calls Ganesha’s devotees and understand his teachings for implementation. This is seen in his hand.
Lord Ganesha’s philosophies are what the wise engage in to eradicate personal and collective suffering. The patron of arts and crafts also advocates the same. Lord Ganesha also preaches to his devotees to rise above material pleasures and preaches that religious belief requires submission to a specific discipline.
Lord Ganesha also represents AUM, an important mantra for Hindus. He is also the leader of the devotees of Lord Shiva. Both these characteristics advocate leading by example and humility. Lord Ganesha may be one of the most powerful Gods but Lord Ganesha’s humility teaches his devotees to not let arrogance rule them.
These aspects of Ganesha are the most subtle and do not require a level of intellect to decode them. These philosophies however require an extreme understanding and devotion to implement. Though menial in amount their implementation is certainly to be held in high regard. The triumph of Lord Ganesha over the vices is not an easy feat but it is the humility that makes his devotees worship him and try to follow his path.