Ganesha represents all that is grotesque and unusual in the world around a center of purity and divinity and in that synthesis of odds

LikeShow more reactions

CommentShare

Ganesha represents all that is grotesque and unusual in the world around a center of purity and divinity and in that synthesis of odds, he symbolizes the unity between the the usual and the unusual, the normal and the abnormal and the beautiful and the ugly aspects of earthly life. He reminds us of the simple truth that everything in the company of God becomes divine. His form dispels many illusions that we entertain in our minds about forms and appearances and the notion that beauty and intelligence go together, where as in truth we rarely see these two in equal proportions.

Lord Ganesha is described as the creator of obstacles. But this is only symbolic. In reality Ganesha is a facilitator who helps us in our good actions by obstructing us in our wrong doings. He becomes an obstacle when we indulge in actions that are not in harmony with our divine nature or detrimental to our spiritual progress. As human beings, we have limited awareness and we may not always take the right decision.

When we surrender to Ganesha and worship Him, he helps us in our good actions and prevents us from pursuing wrong aims by creating obstacles on our paths. We are therefore expected to surrender to Ganesha and seek his divine guidance. The food that he devours is not just food. It is symbolic of our insatiable desires, our fears and our devotion. By devouring our desires our love and our fears he develops in us the qualities of detachment and devotion.

The mouse which he uses as his vehicle is not a mere mouse but a symbol of our fears and nervousness and our humility and self surrender. To perform any action successfully, we need faith and belief in God. Lord Vinayaka drives away our fears, when he descends into our consciousness and rides our minds. He instills in us the courage to face life and become divine. His large elephant head is indicative of his abnormally high intelligence and his enormous mental powers. Ganesha is an epitome of knowledge, well versed in the Vedas and other scriptures. He put the Mahabharata into writing. His broken tusk gives us the hope that we too can transform our aggressive tendencies and sublimate them into peace and intelligence.

Goads (or elephant prods) are typically used to direct elephants. Goads are symbolic of how one should steer the soul away from the ignorance and illusions of this earthly world just as a mahout would steer an elephant away from any treacherous path. ✨🐘🕉🌀🐀🎨✨

Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah ✨🕉✨