Indian deity with the head of an elephant. Ganesha figurine meaning

Ganesha is one of the most revered Gods of India. But he is revered no less in China, because. it is believed to bring success in business. The most popular worship of him is the pronunciation of his "thousand names" in a chant.

This God, half-man, half-elephant, can be depicted with four, six, eight, and even eighteen arms, with a snake on his belt. Sometimes he is depicted with three eyes. In the upper two hands of Ganesha, a trident and a lotus. In three hands he holds an ax, a lasso and sometimes a shell. The fourth hand of Ganesha is depicted as if he gives gifts, but very often he has a fret in his hand. Lada is a sweet ball made from pea flour. In his fifth hand he has a staff, with this staff he helps people, pushing them forward. And the rosary symbolizes the orientation towards spirituality and knowledge. The candy in his trunk signifies the sweetness of release. Well, the snake wrapped around him is an energy that can manifest itself in different forms. Big ears are given to him in order not to miss more than one request from humanity. A halo above his head testifies to his holiness. Almost always he sits on a rat or she follows him.

The myth of the god of wisdom Ganesh

As is known from mythology, Ganesha is the son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. And there are several legends about such a strange appearance of Ganesh. One of them says that God Shiva, being angry, cut off the head of his own son when he did not let him into his mother's chambers. After that, having come to his senses, God Shiva regretted what he had done and in order not to bring pain to his beloved wife, Shiva ordered to cut off the head of the first creature that gets in the way of his servants and bring this head to him.

And the first creature was a baby elephant. Not taking pity on the baby elephant, the servants cut off his head and brought it to Shiva. And Lord Shiva, using his abilities, attached the head of an elephant to the body of Rakesh. The elephant's head was heavy and therefore the child did not grow up slender and tall, as befits the Gods.

Many people know that Ganesh does not have one tusk, but not everyone knows why. And yet another legend is connected with this. And the legend says that Ganesha lost his tusk in the battle with Parashurama. Parasurama is God Vishnu reincarnated as a human. It all happened like this ... Vishnu somehow went to visit God Shiva, but he was resting, and Ganesha did not wake him up. Parashurama got angry and cut off Ganesh's tusk. And none of the Gods dared to fix this, so Ganesha was left with one tusk for life.

But legends are legends, and I propose to talk about Ganesh as a feng shui talisman.

The meaning and manufacture of the talisman of the God of wisdom Ganesh

Ganesha is the god of wisdom. It helps to overcome obstacles. Ganesha is the patron saint of good luck. Helps to achieve heights in business. Ganesha helps to earn more, stimulates the achievement of goals and brings profit.

Ganesha also helps those people who are engaged in sciences, crafts, music and dances. There is an opinion that the larger the statue of Ganesh, the more wealth it will bring. So when choosing a talisman, the size of the figure depends only on you.

The Ganesh amulet is mainly made from precious and semi-precious metals and stones. And in India, Ganesh figures are made of plastic. But it does not matter what material it is made of, the main thing is an honorable attitude towards it.

Where to place the Ganesh figurine

Ganesha can be put both at home and in the office, shop or educational institution. Better if it will stand in the northwest. This sector is considered the helper sector, as well as the travel sector. It is best to put Ganesh on the desktop at home or in the office. It can be advised to place a Ganesh figurine at the entrance to the bank and in the store.

If your statue of Ganesh is made of bronze, then it must be placed in the West, this is the metal sector. If you put it in this sector, then you will be provided with the help of friends and financial well-being.

It is better to put a wooden statue of Ganesh in the family sector in the East, then your finances will increase.

Activation of the amulet of the God of wisdom Ganesh

Ganesha loves to have his belly and right hand stroked. Also for Ganesh you need to make offerings. It can be sweets and coins. If you do not skimp on offerings, then expect pleasant surprises.

But you can activate the amulet in another way, namely with the help of mantras.

Mantra 1: Om gam ganalathaya nam ah is the main mantra for Ganesh. It is believed that this mantra “guides on the true path”, brings good luck, and also removes all sorts of obstacles.

Mantra 2: Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah - By chanting this mantra you will be able to succeed in any business. And also all your talents will flourish, you will be able to achieve excellence in any field of activity.

Also read these mantras before an important business or a financial transaction and everything you want will be fulfilled./p

The figurine of God Ganesh broke: what to do

If the statue of Ganesh has something broken or chipped off, this is a sign that he saved you from some kind of trouble by taking it upon himself. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, all broken things must be thrown away, but there are rare exceptions, and this exception is the talisman of God Ganesh.

If you still have the part that broke (usually a spear or a hand), then carefully glue it in place and thank Ganesh that he saved you from some kind of trouble, then he will return to his original state and will produce the same the effect of protection and assistance, as before.

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Ganesha - the Indian god of prosperity and wisdom in feng shui: the meaning of the talisman and its features

One of the brightest and most famous feng shui mascots is a god. Ganesha(or Ganapati) is the son of Shiva and Parvati. Known now as a feng shui talisman, Ganesha came to Chinese philosophy from India, where he is still revered. It is believed that the Indian god Ganesha patronizes business, helps to remove obstacles and is the embodiment of wisdom, well-being and prosperity.

Images of Ganesha

Ganesha is depicted as a creature with the body of a man and the head of an elephant. Ganesha can sit on a lotus or a pedestal. In the pictures, Ganesha is usually depicted surrounded by untold riches and delicious dishes, which symbolizes prosperity. The god of wisdom often wears a crown or a golden cap on his head - this indicates his divine origin.

Nearby you can see a rat - Ganesha's mount and the embodiment of pettiness and disrespect. This shows the ability of Ganesha to rise above circumstances and subjugate them to himself.

The Indian god of wisdom always has many hands and their number can reach eight pairs. Although most often you can find a talisman with only four arms. In the hands of Ganesha can hold an ax, a lasso, a trident, a shell or a lotus flower. In one of his hands, he most often depicts a plate with sweets - the favorite treats of Ganesha's sweet tooth. An elephant can have a candy or some kind of sweetness in its trunk.

The features of this talisman are large ears, which are given to him to be able to hear everyone who asks for help and protection, as well as a tummy, which is advised to stroke from time to time to activate the talisman.

Feng Shui Talisman Ganesha: meaning and location in space

Ganesha is considered the patron of business and work, helps to remove obstacles in work affairs, promotes career growth and professional success, helps to earn more and increase profits. As mentioned earlier, is the god of wisdom and prosperity.

It is good to have such a talisman on the desktop, in the office or in the office at home - it will contribute to success in business. The best place for a talisman is the northwest of the room or the sector of assistants and travel. The southeast, the sector of wealth, is also considered a favorable place. Ganesha in the southeast will help attract financial well-being. Instead of figurines, you can use just images of Ganesha.

Some Feng Shui masters believe that the larger the Ganesha figurine, the better. Of course, it is up to you to decide what size talisman to choose: bigger or smaller, because there is no consensus. The main thing is a respectful attitude towards the god of wisdom, optimism and joyful expectations.

It does not matter the material from which the talisman is made, so feel free to choose any you like.

Activating the energy of the talisman is quite simple: you need to turn to Ganesha with requests, you can stroke his stomach from time to time, saying positive affirmations. Offering gifts to Ganesha in the form of Chinese coins tied with a red ribbon, sweets or other sweets will lead to good results. Another effective way to address the god Ganesha is the pronunciation or singing of mantras.

Ganesha mantras

A mantra is a combination of sounds or words in Sanskrit that has a deep religious meaning. The reading of mantras came from Hinduism and Buddhism, and it is now widely used in Russia among lovers of feng shui, esotericism, and positive thinking. Mantras are best repeated a number of times, a multiple of nine: 9, 18, 27, etc. However, it is best to repeat the mantra 108 times.

OM GAM GANAPATHAYE NAMAH - the main mantra of Ganesha, removes all obstacles and promotes success in all endeavors.

OM SRI GANESHAIE NAMAH is a magic mantra that helps to achieve success in business, favors the disclosure of potential and opportunities.

OM GAM GANAPATAYE SARVE VIGHNA RAYE SARVAYE SARVE GURAVE LAMBA DARAYA Hrim Gam Namaha is Ganesha's mantra for attracting money and Great Wealth.

The Indian god Ganesha is very popular among Feng Shui lovers, despite his unusual image. Try the magical properties of the talisman on yourself and you. Good feng shui to you!

Ganesha is one of the most powerful and kind Indian deities. Ganesha is a wonderful talisman of protection, and support for good luck, success in all areas of life. It is worth Ganesh, just ask, and he will remove any obstacles on the way to your goals and desires, to your success. This wonderful talisman, patron and strongest symbol of success in study and work, in trade and business, in travel and creativity, helps to gain influence and great authority.

Description of the talisman

Ganesha - depicted with a human body and the head of an elephant, he is an assistant in acquiring abundance and knowledge, success and prosperity, as well as in business and happiness, he also helps. The big “belly” of Ganesha is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, and the ability to “digest” all sorts of troubles, as well as, symbolically, of course, Ganesha, as if “swallows” and neutralizes troubles and misfortunes, protects us in this fragile world. Two tusks (one broken, the other intact) - symbolize imperfection and at the same time, the perfection of our real world.

Safety precautions for the use of the talisman

But the safety precautions, the use of this wonderful talisman of success - Ganesha:
1) Do not install a figurine or figurine of Ganesha if it is chipped or cracked, otherwise this talisman will act the other way around, i.e. attract trouble.
2) Periodically clean the statuette of Ganesha from dust and dirt, so that nothing prevents this wonderful talisman from attracting success to you in all your affairs.
3) When stroking a Ganesha figurine, on the trunk and asking yourself for success, do not use words with the particle “not”, and naturally, never wish failure on other people (even if they are your competitors).
4) When you want something, at the end of the phrase, be sure to say: “For my good and the good of everyone around!” This will lead you to even greater success in business without harming anyone.

What are the talismans of Ganesha

The Ganesh talisman is made from a variety of materials, it can be: glass or wood, metal or semi-precious stone, even plastic is not forbidden. But it is best to buy this talisman from metal or from jade. In principle, it doesn’t matter what the talisman is made of, the main thing is to be kind to him, to respect him. Ganesha can have a variety of objects in his hands, and now we will consider what they symbolize.
A bowl of sweets means: well-being, prosperity, and pleasure in our lives.
Iron hook: the need to curb your passions and control yourself, your irrepressible desires.
The lotus in the hands of Ganesha indicates the divine principle, the purity of thoughts and the perfection of our world.
The rosary symbolizes our aspirations to achieve life goals, the acquisition of spiritual knowledge.
The ropes in the hands of Ganesha remind us that a person should reach for high goals in life and not be strongly attached to material things.
The snake wrapped around the waist of Ganesha symbolizes energy in all its forms, incarnations and manifestations.
Very often, the deity is depicted as riding a mouse, which is able to overcome any, even very huge, obstacles in the life path. Well, if the mouse is next to Ganesha, i.e. at his feet, this means that the fulfillment of desires and wealth are in his power.

How to activate this talisman

Ganesha loves being stroked on the trunk and in gratitude for this, he attracts success to his master and protects him from all sorts of storms and troubles. To enhance the effect, you can stroke his tummy and right palm. And Ganesha loves very much when he is treated with various goodies. Place offerings at his feet: various sweets, coins, dried fruits, pieces of pineapple, banana or coconuts. If Ganesha is depicted with a mouse, then feed her (corn, nuts, grain). Do not spare treats and very soon you will receive pleasant surprises and gifts in the form of abundance and success in all matters.
In any situation, for example, if you feel bad or are in trouble, you can take the Ganesha figurine in your hand and stroke his trunk or palm, ask for help, talking about your problems and sorrows. Rest assured, your request will not go unanswered. The deity will definitely help you. This kind and wonderful talisman governs recognition in society, taming evil forces, helps to overcome any obstacles, creates harmony in your life and success in business, brings wisdom and skills, gives peace to a person. Ganesha also governs construction, literature, various types of luck, travel, in a word, many areas of life in which you want to succeed and in which knowledge and skills are required. Starting a new business, you can also turn to this good deity for help.

Where to put a figurine of the deity of success - Ganesha

You can put a Ganesha figurine in the northwestern zone of your apartment, house or office (assistant sector). In your office, this deity is the place. Place the figurine on your desktop, but not directly in front of you, but slightly to the right. This talisman will stimulate your professional growth, increase income and will help in all sorts of cases. And where there is success, there is glory, which means that in the south (sector of glory) of your house or apartment, this talisman will not be superfluous, just try to make the figure of Ganesha look expensive and rich. And yet, make sure that the figurine (for the glory zone) is made of wood (wood - feeds the fire - in the circle of generation), preferably red (fire element). And of course this talisman can be placed in the career sector (the northern zone of your home or office).
This wonderful talisman will bring you prosperity and business success. It is believed that the larger the figure of Ganesha, the more success and money it attracts. Yes, it is, but even if the figurine is small, then make sure that it looks elegant, expensive, even luxurious. But, anyway, it's up to you to decide what size your talisman will be, since small figurines also work great. And don’t forget, when stroking Ganesha’s trunk, presenting your successes, pronounce the mantra (3 - 6 - 9 or more times), here it is.

Ganesha is the Indian god of wealth and abundance, the son of Shiva . He is considered the patron of business, because Ganesha is called upon to remove obstacles from the path of those who need it and reward righteousness with material wealth. He helps travelers and those who seek to gain knowledge.

Most often, this deity is depicted with a huge belly and the head of an elephant, on which a tusk and trunk are located. Ganesha usually has four hands, but sometimes more. God seems to be a round fat man, unattractive in appearance. But, despite the visible external flaws, Ganesha has a kind and fair heart.

People from all over the world come to him, hoping for his favor and inquisitive mind. Ganesha is called the wish-fulfilling elephant.

Shri Ganesha is depicted in the company of a mouse (a former demon), which, according to legend, he subdued and made his mount. The demon mouse symbolizes vanity and bold intentions. Thus, Ganesha eradicates false vanity, excessive pride, selfishness and insolence.

In every part of the body of Ganesha, a secret meaning is hidden:

• the head of an elephant symbolizes manifestations of devotion and prudence;
• big ears speak of wisdom and the ability to listen to all who make requests to the deity;
• the tusk is an indicator of power and ability to overcome dualism;
• the curved trunk symbolizes the high intellectual abilities of Ganesha;
• a large belly demonstrates the special generosity of the deity, his desire to save the universe from suffering.

Legends of the appearance of the Elephant Ganesha

1. There is a legend that the wife of Shiva - Parvati passionately wanted to have a son and asked Vishnu about it, who had mercy and gave her Ganesha. In honor of the baby, a reception was held, where the god Shani was present, capable of turning all living things into ashes at a glance. He looked at the boy and his head burned. Shiva asked the servants to bring the head of the first animal they met on their way. This animal was an elephant. So Ganesha got the head of an elephant.
2. According to another legend, Shiva personally tore off his son's head from his shoulders, which made Parvati very angry and, wanting to make amends for his own guilt, grafted the head of the first animal he came across to Ganesha's body.
3. It is believed that Parvati molded a figurine of a boy from clay and placed him in front of the entrance to her chambers. But when the boy blocked the path of Shiva himself, he was beheaded by him. But, seeing how his wife was upset, Shiva decided to use his magical power and bring Ganesha back to life, giving him the head of an elephant.

It is believed that Ganesha adores corn balls with a sweet core. One day, he ate too much sweets at his birthday party and, while traveling on a mouse, he fell. The mouse was frightened by a snake crawling past and threw the god off itself.

As a result of this, Ganesha injured his stomach and all the sweets spilled out. But the god was not at a loss and pushed them back, and bandaged his stomach with a snake that he met on the way.

Feng Shui and Ganesha

Feng Shui advises to have figurines depicting Ganesha in every home so that their owners are accompanied by success and material wealth. It is believed that the larger the size of the figurine, the more wealth will come to the house.

If the figure of the deity is made of bronze, then the best place for me would be the northwest side of the house. The main thing is a respectful attitude to the figurine. It is believed that Ganesha loves when his stomach and right palm are scratched.

If suddenly a piece breaks off from the statuette of Ganesha, then this means that God prevented the danger threatening the family and took the blow. It is necessary to thank him for his help and fix it if possible by attaching the missing part in place.

Pictures of Ganesha to attract money

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Ganesha, Ganapati- is the most revered deity of India. He is the deity of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, the patron of art, music and literature. Before any new undertaking, whether it is building a house, writing a book, or just traveling, they turn to Ganesha. His images can be found everywhere - at the front gates of dwellings, above the entrances to shops and banks, on roadsides and crossroads.

They depict Ganesha with the head of an elephant on a human body, sometimes many-headed and many-armed (the number of arms varies from two to thirty-two, depending on the appearance), with a broken tusk. His wahana is a mouse or a rat.

Although Ganesha is considered the eldest son of Shiva and Parvati, the Bhagavata Puranas attribute his origin to one or the other of this married couple, but not both of them, since Shiva and Parvati could not have a common offspring. The gods, who feared that the children born from such a union might be too terrible to live next to them, asked Shiva not to give birth to children. Shiva agreed, but Parvati, learning about this, became furious and declared that in this case, the wives of other gods should also become barren, like her, and cursed them accordingly. As a result, all the goddesses have lost the ability to give birth to children. The so-called sons and daughters of the gods are either born from the head, or brought into the world in some mysterious way, which is unknown to mortals.

According to the Matsya Purana, Parvati gave birth to Ganesha in order to cure her husband of the habit of unexpectedly bursting in on her while she was bathing. Once she took the oil and rubbing used in bathing and, combining them with other secretions that came out of her body, gave them the shape of a man whom she gave life by sprinkling water from the Ganges on him. Then Parvati put him to guard the door of her bathing suite.
Soon Shiva came and was incredibly surprised at the sight of Ganesha. However, he tried to enter by force, and a quarrel broke out between them, during which Shiva cut off Ganesha's head. When Parvati came out and saw that her son had been killed, she burst into sorrowful sobs, and Shiva, wanting to console her, ordered that the head of the first living creature that came across be delivered to him. It turned out to be the head of an elephant, Shiva adapted it to the body of Ganesha and gave him life.

In another story about the origin of Ganesha it is said that Parvati worshiped Vishnu, praying for a son, and then Vishnu himself took the form of a baby and became her son. Hearing of the birth of the child, the gods came to congratulate Parvati, and while all the gods looked at the wonderful child, Shani (the planet Saturn) kept his eyes glued to the floor. Parvati asked him why he did not look at her child, and Shani replied that he was under the curse of his wife, who, in a fit of jealousy, declared that anyone he looked at would die overnight. However, the proud mother thought that her child was not subject to any danger and, filled with happiness, declared that Shani could look at her child as much as she liked. Shani looked, and the child's head separated from the body and flew to Vaikunta, the sky of Vishnu, where it was reunited with its original substance. Parvati cursed Shani, which caused the unlucky celestial to go limp. Then she began to lament, and in order to console her, Vishnu saddled Garuda and went in search of the head. He found an elephant sleeping on the bank of the river, cut off his head and brought it to Parvati, who connected the head to the body of Ganesha, and Brahma gave him life.

The Varaha Purana says that Ganesha single-handedly gave birth to Shiva. The immortal gods and holy sages, seeing that neither they nor others are prevented from doing good and evil deeds by any difficulties, gathered for advice on how to prevent the doing of evil deeds. The gods requested Shiva's opinion, saying that only he alone could create a creature capable of preventing the commission of improper deeds. Hearing their words, Shiva looked at Parvati, and while he was thinking about how to fulfill the desire of the gods, from the brilliance emanating from his face, a young man appeared, radiating radiance and endowed with the qualities of Shiva, whose beauty enchanted the female population of heaven.
When Uma (Parvati) saw his beauty, she was seized with jealousy and in anger she uttered a curse: “You will not offend my eyes with your youthful beauty, gain an elephant’s head and a huge belly, and then all your beauty will disappear.” Then Shiva turned to his son and said: “Your name will be Ganesha, the son of Shiva. You will excel over vinayakas and ganas, success and good fortune will come from you, and your influence will be great among the gods, in sacrifices and in all matters. Therefore, you will be the first to be worshiped and you will be the first to be called upon for any reason, and the goals and prayers of the one who deviates from this will not succeed.

The Skanda Purana gives another story about the origin of Ganesha:

During the period of twilight that came between the eras of Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga, women, barbarians, sudras and other servants of sin, having visited temples and made prayers, received access to heaven. As a result, heaven was overflowing and hell was depopulated. In this predicament, Indra and the other gods turned to Shiva for help, who asked them to address their complaints to Parvati. Satisfied by them, Parvati rubbed her body and produced an amazing creature with four arms and an elephant head, which began to prevent people from ascending to heaven, replacing their desire for pilgrimage with a passion for wealth.

Ganesha has only one tusk, the second was broken off by Parashurama. Once Parashurama visited the abode of Shiva on Mount Kailash. At the entrance, Ganesha met him and said that Shiva was in deep meditation and did not accept anyone. However, Parashurama desired an immediate audience and asked Ganesha to go and wake up Shiva. According to Ganesha, Parasurama was not such an important visitor as to disturb his father's peace because of him, which he said. An argument ensued which turned into a fight. Ganesha grabbed Parashurama with his trunk and violently threw him to the ground. Parashurama got up and threw an ax at Ganesha, which cut off his tusk.
Then Parvati appeared on the stage and was about to curse Parashurama when the gods defended him, and Brahma promised that, even having lost one tusk, her son would be revered by all the other gods.

Ganesha is considered versed in the sacred sciences and also an excellent scribe.. It is said that it was to him that Vyasa dictated the Mahabharata, and he wrote it down. However, before agreeing to become Vyasa's scribe, Ganesha told the poet that he did not have time to waste, so he must be constantly busy. To which Vyasa replied that the scribe should write down with understanding what is dictated to him. It is also said that while Ganesha was thinking about the meaning of the verse he was writing, Vyasa was composing the next one, and the whole work was written down.

From this legend, another myth turned out about how Ganesha broke the tusk: During the recording of the Mahabharata, Ganesha broke his pen and, trying not to miss a word of what Vyasa said, broke off the tusk and began to write with it.

There is also a legend that Ganesha fighting the giant Gajamukha, he broke off his tusk and threw it at the enemy. The tusk had magical powers and the giant turned into a rat, then becoming Ganesha's mount.

It is also said that Ganesha won his wives Siddhi and Buddhi with the help of their talents for knowledge and logic. It so happened that both Ganesha and his younger brother Kartikeya fell in love with these ladies, who agreed that they would compete in running around the whole world, and the winner would receive both as a reward. Ganesha stayed at home and when Kartikey returned from his exhausting journey, he proved to him with abundant quotations from the sacred literature on geography that he (Ganesha) traveled around the world and returned much earlier than him, then he married both ladies.

Although opinions differ regarding Ganesha's marital status. Some myths attribute Ganesha to the brahmacharins who could not marry. According to another version, Ganesha is associated with such ideas as Buddhi (intelligence, intelligence), Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). Sometimes these concepts are personified in the deities of the same name, which are recognized as the wives of Ganesha. Another myth claims that Ganesha's wife was the goddess of culture and arts Saraswati or the goddess of luck and prosperity Lakshmi.

Another story tells about how Ganesha won another bet with his little brother. Shiva turned to his sons, wanting to determine who of them is the most significant and who will be the lord of the Ghans (Shiva's retinue). To resolve the issue, they had to go around the Universe three times, whoever is the first is the winner. Kartekeya immediately jumped on the peacock and set off. Ganesha slowly circled around Shiva three circles on his little mouse and said: “My Universe is you, father!”, After which he won the competition, receiving the nickname Ganapati (Lord of the Gans).

In the Atharva Veda, Ganapati (here he is Vachaspati) is assigned the role of the patron saint of sacred speech.. He is the first born among the gods, the number 21 is associated with him (5 mahabhuts, 5 tanmatras, 10 indriyas and karmendriyas and prana as a life force). This group of the 21st is called gana or vrata, and Vachaspati is called Ganapati or Vratapati. He is also Mahad-yaksha, the Great mystical light that exists in the center of the world, and all the gods are like branches of this central tree of the world. Vachaspati appears as the leader of the Yakshas. In the Atharva Veda, the Yakshas are not at all the demons that the later interpretation of mythology tries to present them with. Yaksha here is a wonderful, exceptional, powerful and worshipable spirit. In the retinue of Vachaspati there are also sorcerers (liar), soothsayers and sorcerers who consume psychotropic drugs and lead a lifestyle that diverges from the accepted laws. All of them make up the retinue of Shiva and are controlled by Ganapati.

”(Ganesha sahasranama), each of which symbolizes a different aspect of this deity.

Ganesha is the Indian god of wealth and abundance, the son of Shiva. He is considered the patron of business, because Ganesha is called upon to remove obstacles from the path of those who need it and reward righteousness with material wealth. He helps travelers and those who seek to gain knowledge.

Most often, this deity is depicted with a huge belly and the head of an elephant, on which a tusk and trunk are located. Ganesha usually has four hands, but sometimes more. God seems to be a round fat man, unattractive in appearance. But, despite the visible external flaws, Ganesha has a kind and fair heart. People from all over the world come to him, hoping for his favor and inquisitive mind. Ganesha is called the wish-fulfilling elephant.

Shri Ganesha depicted in the company of a mouse (a former demon), which, according to legend, he pacified and made his mount. The demon mouse symbolizes vanity and bold intentions. Thus, Ganesha eradicates false vanity, excessive pride, selfishness and insolence.

In every part of the body of Ganesha, a secret meaning is hidden:

The head of an elephant symbolizes manifestations of devotion and prudence;

Big ears speak of wisdom and the ability to listen to all who make requests to the deity; - the tusk is an indicator of power and ability to overcome dualism;

The curved trunk symbolizes the high intellectual abilities of Ganesha;

A large belly demonstrates the special generosity of the deity, his desire to save the Universe from suffering.

Legends of the appearance of the Elephant Ganesha

1. There is a legend that the wife of Shiva - Parvati passionately wanted to have a son and asked Vishnu about it, who had mercy and gave her Ganesha. In honor of the baby, a reception was held, where the god Shani was present, capable of turning all living things into ashes at a glance. He looked at the boy and his head burned. Shiva asked the servants to bring the head of the first animal they met on their way. This animal was an elephant. So Ganesha got the head of an elephant.

2. According to another legend, Shiva personally tore off his son's head from his shoulders, which made Parvati very angry and, wanting to make amends for his own guilt, grafted the head of the first animal he came across to Ganesha's body.

3. It is believed that Parvati made a figurine of a boy out of clay and placed him in front of the entrance to her chambers. But when the boy blocked the path of Shiva himself, he was beheaded by him. But, seeing how his wife was upset, Shiva decided to use his magical power and bring Ganesha back to life, giving him the head of an elephant.

It is believed that Ganesha adores corn balls with a sweet core. One day, he ate too much sweets at his birthday party and, while traveling on a mouse, he fell. The mouse was frightened by a snake crawling past and threw the god off itself. As a result of this, Ganesha injured his stomach and all the sweets spilled out. But the god was not at a loss and pushed them back, and bandaged his stomach with a snake that he met on the way.