Ganesha - Reviving the series - 1

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Reposting this article from 2015!

Lord Ganesha and his different forms amaze me all the time. So many songs, hymns have been written to worship him - and many of them are laced with fondness. Let's explore some of the forms and their meaning together.

Last year about the same time, I posted a series of blog posts focussed on Lord Ganesha. Looking at his various aspects and the infinite limitless ideas that he signifies. I mentioned that I could never do any justice in talking about Lord Ganesha who is so fluid and so dynamic. there is much more than meets the eye. As is written in our scriptures that the eternal truth lies confound within the infinite myths or ideas or stories. To discover the eternal truth amongst all the stories, Varuna has 1000 eyes, Indra has a 100 eyes, where as I have just 2. (So says my teacher). Hence please do forgive my confusing and abstruse thoughts. I shall attempt as much I can, yet without a promise to display pansophical knowledge. I may still not know infinite stories linked to Lord Ganesha as my two eyes limit the perspective I can see.

Lord Ganesha as seen earlier embodies infinite wisdom - material as well as intellectual. In a way he is considered as a complete God (notice the capital G in god). The devotees of Lord Ganesha adore him and worship him. Many treat him as a son or a friend. However, most of them treat him as a "Vighnaharta" - someone who demolishes all the roadblocks. At the same time, the tantrums embodied Ganesha into a fearful character who is all set to clear off the roadblocks through his angry, fearsome, ferocious looks.


Understanding from the various forms of Lord Ganesha's worship multiple ways have been known to occupy the society predominantly. Each of these are considered as a path of Yoga -

  • Gyan Yoga - The intellectual approach to knowing Ganesha
  • Karma Yoga - The mechanical, ritualistic approach to Lord Ganesha
  • Bhakti Yoga - The emotional approach to Lord Ganesha
  • Tantra Yoga - The Tantrik or the occult approach to the knowledge of Lord Ganesha
Just one god and so many different forms. This is what adds to Lord's popularity.




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