Description
Ganesha (also Ganesh or Ganapati Tantra) is the elephant-headed deva in the Hindu pantheon. He is the god of knowledge and wisdom, remover of obstacles, and patron saint of travelers. Hindus pray to Ganesha before starting something new, such as a new job or when moving. Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati. His vahana, or vehicle, is a mouse or rat named Mushika. Even as a young man, Ganesha wanted to be left alone and preferred to be alone. For this reason, and because Shiva went off to war, Shiva didn't have the opportunity to get to know his son well. After years of fighting, Shiva returns to Parvati (his wife) and Ganesha (his son). Because Shiva was not allowed into his wife's abode, he became angry and cut off the head of Ganesha—whom he hadn't recognized as his son. But it was already too late when he saw that the intruder was actually his own son, whom he hadn't recognized at first glance because he'd seen so little of him. Shiva ordered his servants to bring him the head or heads of the first living creature they encountered, and they returned with the severed head of an elephant (Airavata). Shiva attached the elephant's head to the lifeless body of his son, who was resurrected and would go down in history as the elephant-headed demigod. There are many different depictions of Ganesha, each with different attributes. He is usually depicted with a large, bare belly, pinkish-orange skin, a rat at his feet, and, of course, an elephant's head. The rat (which is noticeably small) is his personal vehicle (vahana). Sometimes he has a symbol resembling a "3" between his eyes (above his trunk), the symbol for Om or Aum: the sound (vibration) from which the universe originated. Ganesha is said to have written the Mahabharata. A statue of him often stands at forks in the road in India, guiding travelers as they make a choice and embark on a new path. Ganesha always represents the beginning of something, the initial impulse.
