LORD GANESH
Ganesh is the remover of obstacles, the deity
whom worshipers first acknowledge when they
visit a temple.
Statues of Ganesh can be found in most Indian
towns. His image is placed where new houses are
to be built; he is honored at the start of a
journey or business venture, and poets
traditionally invoke him at the start of a book.
Ganesh is also patron of letters and of
learning; he is the legendary scribe who, using
his commonly held broken tusk, wrote down parts
of the Mahabharata Epic.
Ganesh is usually depicted colored red; he is
pot bellied, has one tusk broken, and has four
arms that may hold a pasam, a goad, and a pot of
rice, or sweetmeats. The sweet meats are held in
a type of bowl known as a laddus. His appetite
for these sweets is legendary and offerings of
them are often left at his shrine.
BABY NAMES OF LORD GANESH
Vighnarâja
"The King of obstacles"
Gajânana : "The Lord who has an elephant face"
Lambodara : "The Lord with a prominent belly"
Shivatmaja (son of Shiva)
Vakratunda : "The Lord with a twisted trunk"
Supakarna
Ganeshvara
: "The Lord of the Gana"
Vighnanashin : "The Destroyer of Obstacles"
Vikata : "The Misshapen"
Vamana : "The Dwarf"
Sarvadeva
Sarvadukhavinâshi
Vighnarhartr : "The Lord who cancels the
obstacles"
Dhûmrâja
Sarvadevâdhideva
Ekadanta : "The Lord who has only one tusk"
Krishnapingala : "The blue and dark Lord"
Bhâlachandra : "The Lord who carries the
crescent of moon on his head"
Gananâtha
: "The supreme Chief of the Gana"
Shankarasunav : "The son of Shankara"
Anangapujita : "The formless Lord"
Sumukha : "The very graceful Lord"
Ekadanta : "The Lord who has only one tusk"
Kapila : "The Lord of a tawny color"
Gajakarna : "The Lord with elephant ears"
Lambodara
: "The Lord with a prominent belly"
Vikata : "The Misshapen"
Vighnanâsaka : "The Lord destroyer of obstacles"
Ganâdhipa : "The Lord Protector of the Gana"
Dhûmraketu : "The Lord of a smoky color" with
two arms riding on a blue horse, Ruler of the
Kali Yuga
Ganâdhyaksha : "The Minister of the Gana"
Bhâlachandra : "The Lord who wears the moon
crescent on his head"
Gajânana
: "The Lord with an elephant face".
Vakratunda, "the Lord with the curved trunk". He
is represented seated on a lion. He came to
struggle against the devil Matsara, who is the
symbol of jealousy.
Ekadanta, "the Lord who has only one tusk".
exterminated Mada, the demon of drunkeness.
Mahodara, "the Lord who has a big belly", gives
battle to Moha, the demon of illusion.
Gajânana, "the Lord with an elephant face", put
Lobha, the demon of greed, to death .
Lambodara
"the Lord with a protuberant belly", masters Krodha, the demon of anger.
Vikata, "the misshapen", subdued Kâma, the demon
of desire
Ekadanta, Mahodara, Gajânana, Lambodara and
Vikata are represented mounted on a rat.
Under the form of Vighnarâja, "the Lord King of
obstacles", lying on Shasha, the Snake of
Eternity, Ganesh destroyed Mama, the demon of
ego.
Finally, the last Ganesh incarnation is
Dhûmravarna, "the Lord with a tawny color",
riding a mouse, who got victory over Ahamkâra,
the demon of self-infatuation
Bâla Ganapati : "Ganapati the Child". He has
four arms. His hands bear a mango, a small
branch of a mango-tree, a stem of sugar-cane and
a cake.
Taruna Ganapati : "Ganapati the Teenager". Her
has eight arms. His hands expose the single
tusk, the elephant goad, the kapittha fruit, the
sugar-cane, the noose, the paddy ear, the apûpa
cake.
Bhakta Ganapati : "Ganapati, the Perfect
Worshippert". He has four arms. His hands show a
banana, the small branch of a mango-tree, the
bowl of sugared rice (payâsapâtra).
Vîra Ganapati : "Ganapati the Hero". He has
sixteen arms. He wears the trident, the vampire,
the two-head club, the axe, the arrow, the
elephant goad, the sword, the disc, the pestle,
the club, the snake, the spear, the banner, the
bow, the noose and the small damaru drum.
Shakti Ganapati
"Ganesh
embracing the goddess Success; - Pushti". He has
four arms. His low right hand shows the movement
of lack of fear (abhaya); the two others wear
the elephant goad and the noose; the last hand,
who holds a lemon, embraces the goddess. With
the top of his trunk, Shakti Ganapati holds a
cake.
Ucchista Ganapati : "Ganapati devouring the
remnants of the meal". He has six arms. His
hands show the rosary, the pomegranate, the
paddy ear (shalyagra), the nocturnal lotus, the
lute (vîna) ; his sixth hand sometimes bears a
guñja berry, embraces the goddess. The Ucchista
Ganapati trunk is placed on the goddesse's
thigh.
Siddhi Ganapati : "Ganapati bestowing success",
fond of the sesame cake. He has four arms. His
hands hold the axe, the noose, the sugar-cane
stem and the mango.
Dvija Ganapati : "Ganapati the Twice-Born". He
has four heads and four arms. His hands hold the
rosary, the washing pot (kamandalu), the
walking-stick of an ascetic or the ritual spoon
(sruk) and the manuscript on palm-leaves (pustaka).
Vighna Ganapati : "Ganapati removing the
obstacles". He has eight arms. His hands hold
the single tusk, the disc, the arrow-flowers,
the hatchet, the conch, the sugar-cane stem, the
noose, the elephant goad. With the tip of his
trunk, he carries a bunch of flowers (pushapamañjari).
Kshipra Ganapati : "Ganapati the Speedyle". He
has four arms. His hands show the single tusk,
the elephant goad, the creeper of the votive
tree (kalpalatâ), the noose. With the end of his
trunk, he carries the stone cup full of precious
stones (ratnakumbha).
Heramba Ganapati
"The five-heads Ganapati
riding the lion". He has ten arms. His first
hand shows the movement of lack of fear(abhaya),
the others hold the rosary, the citron, the
club, the elephant goad, the noose, the axe, the
kadabu cake, the single tusk; his tenth hand
shows the movement which bestows boons (varada).
Lakshmî Ganapati
"Ganapati the Fortunate"
embracing his wives Siddhi and Buddhi. He has
eight arms. His hands hold a pomegranate, a
sword, the the creeper of the votive tree, the
elephant goad, the parrot, the noose, the jewels
pot; his eighth hand bestows boons (varada).
Mahâganapati
"The Great Ganapati" with the
goddess Wealth - Pushti. He has ten hands. His
hands hold the single tusk, the pomegranate, the
club, the sugar-cane bow, the disc, the conch,
the noose, the nocturnal lotus, the paddy ear,
the jewels pot.
Vijaya Ganapati
"Ganapati the Victorious",
riding a rat which trots at a smart pace. He has
four arms. His hands hold the single tusk, the
elephant goad, the noose and the mango.
Nrtya Ganapati
"The Dancing Ganapati" under
the boon-tree. He has four arms. His hands hold
the single tusk, the elephant goad, the noose,
the axe (parashu) or the hatchet (kuthâra). The
dhyâna sloka specifies that one of the four
hands can show a cake apûpa.
Ûrdhva Ganapati
"The Rising Ganapati", seated
with his Shakti on his left thigh. He has eight
arms. His hands hold the single tusk, the
arrow-flower, the daylight lotus, the blue lily
(kalhara), the sugar-cane bow, the paddy ear,
the club; his last hand claps the goddess. The
extremity of his trunk is rolled around the
right breast of the goddess.
Vara Ganapati
"The Delightful Ganapati" with
the goddess Wealth - Pushti, seated on his left
thigh. He has four arms. His first three hands
hold the elephant goad, the skull filled with
liquor (madhumatkapâla) and the noose. The
fourth hand creeps between the thighs of the
goddess who holds a lotus and a banner.
Ekâkshara Ganapati
Ganapati identified with
the word OM". He has four arms. His hands hold
the single tusk, the elephant goad, the noose
and the cake modaka. Somtimes, he wears, with
the extremity of his trunk (bîjapûra).
Tryakshara Ganapati
: "The Three-letters A+U+M
Ganapati". He has four ars. His hands hold the
single tusk, the elephant goad, the noose and
the mango. He holds the cake modaka with the
trunk end.
Kshipraprasâda Ganapati : "Ganapati bestowing
quickly his mercy". He has six arms. His hands
hold the single tusk, the elephant goad, the
lotus, the creeper of the votive tree (kalpalatâ),
the noose, the lemon.
Haridrâ Ganapati
"The curcuma-colored Ganapati".
He has four arms. His hands hold the single
tusk, the elephant goad, the noose and the cake
modaka.
Ekadanta Ganapati
"The Single Tusk Ganapati".
He has four arms. His hands hold a large tusk, a
rosary, a hatchet (kuthâra) and the small ball
of sweets (laddu).
Shristi Ganapati
"Ganapati the Creator",
riding a big rat. His has four arms. His hands
hold the single tusk, the elephant goad, the
noose and the mango. |