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Ganesha: Difference between revisions
Fixed spelling of Ganapati
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[[File:Ganesha asianartmuseumsf.jpg|thumb|Ganesha, Chola period, early 13th century]] | [[File:Ganesha asianartmuseumsf.jpg|thumb|Ganesha, Chola period, early 13th century]] | ||
In the teachings of Hinduism, Ganesha, or | In the teachings of Hinduism, Ganesha, or Ganapati, is the son of [[Shiva]] (the Third Person of the Trinity of the Godhead) and [[Parvati]]; in one legend Ganesha is the son of Parvati alone. | ||
Ganesha is the god of wisdom, patron of learning and letters, and the chief of the many classes of minor gods who serve under Shiva. He is worshiped as the remover or destroyer of all obstacles; hence he is traditionally invoked at the beginning of any undertaking, religious or secular, and at the commencement of the writing of books or compositions to ensure the success of the endeavor. | Ganesha is the god of wisdom, patron of learning and letters, and the chief of the many classes of minor gods who serve under Shiva. He is worshiped as the remover or destroyer of all obstacles; hence he is traditionally invoked at the beginning of any undertaking, religious or secular, and at the commencement of the writing of books or compositions to ensure the success of the endeavor. | ||
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Ganesha is depicted with the head of an elephant. Author Alain Daniélou explains that | Ganesha is depicted with the head of an elephant. Author Alain Daniélou explains that | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote>Gaṇapati stands for one of the basic concepts of Hindu mythological symbolism, the identity of the macrocosm and the microcosm or, in religious terms, the notion that man is the image of God.... Gaṇapati is represented as an elephant-headed man to express the unity of the small being, the microcosm, that is man, and the Great Being, the macrocosm, pictured as an elephant.<ref>Alain Daniélou, ''The Gods of India: Hindu Polytheism'' (New York: Inner Traditions International, 1985), pp. 292, 293.</ref></blockquote> | ||
The elephant head is a very mystical awareness of the mind of God. This is the great virtue of the elephant: immense physical strength combined with almost infinite memory. There, that memory is a focal point symbolic of the cosmic computer. The elephant is quite apparent and present in India, not foreign to one’s concept, so it represents a virtue. | The elephant head is a very mystical awareness of the mind of God. This is the great virtue of the elephant: immense physical strength combined with almost infinite memory. There, that memory is a focal point symbolic of the cosmic computer. The elephant is quite apparent and present in India, not foreign to one’s concept, so it represents a virtue. | ||