rainycity
06 October 2009, 09:00 AM
this is my interpretation of what might be the meaning of Ganesha's murti. I haven't derived it from scriptures or teachers, some of it I've read on the internet, and some of it I've thought of myself.
Ganesha has the head of an elephant because he is the remover of obstacles and the God of obstacles. An elephant is a good representation of either an obstacle or a remover of obstacles - its big and heavy and it could be used to move things out of the way, or it could be in the way. It can also be ridden to cross treacherous ground or used to clear a path through a forest. If you became lost in a forest, a path cleared by an elephant would be an easy way to find your way out.
I have read that the elephant head represents atman or brahman and the body represents maya. The elephants head on the human body could represent the unity or intimacy of brahman and the human atman.
Ganesha could also represent mahatattva or God's presence in the physical world. This is why he is represented as an elephant because an elephant is big, solid and heavy, the best animal to represent earth, matter and grounding. He is invoked at the beginning of all rituals for grounding. And he is worshipped first before worshipping shiva because he is the solid, familiar and accessible aspect of God. Ganesha is the child of Shiva and Shakti - a manifestation of energy and consciousness as the material universe or the presence of God in the material universe. He has a human body perhaps because humans are god-like beings in the material universe? Then again all murtis have humanoid forms.
How does this square up to the scriptures and traditional teachings?
Ganesha has the head of an elephant because he is the remover of obstacles and the God of obstacles. An elephant is a good representation of either an obstacle or a remover of obstacles - its big and heavy and it could be used to move things out of the way, or it could be in the way. It can also be ridden to cross treacherous ground or used to clear a path through a forest. If you became lost in a forest, a path cleared by an elephant would be an easy way to find your way out.
I have read that the elephant head represents atman or brahman and the body represents maya. The elephants head on the human body could represent the unity or intimacy of brahman and the human atman.
Ganesha could also represent mahatattva or God's presence in the physical world. This is why he is represented as an elephant because an elephant is big, solid and heavy, the best animal to represent earth, matter and grounding. He is invoked at the beginning of all rituals for grounding. And he is worshipped first before worshipping shiva because he is the solid, familiar and accessible aspect of God. Ganesha is the child of Shiva and Shakti - a manifestation of energy and consciousness as the material universe or the presence of God in the material universe. He has a human body perhaps because humans are god-like beings in the material universe? Then again all murtis have humanoid forms.
How does this square up to the scriptures and traditional teachings?