Parvati longed for a person, who would be her guard like Nandi, who was always at Shiva’s side. One day when she was preparing for her bath on Mount Kailash’s, she told Nandi to sit outside. Nandi took his post, intending to carry out Parvati’s wishes. Shiva arrived suddenly as was his habit and he wished to enter.

Nandi could not say no to Shiva, and he let him pass. Parvati was furious and resentful at the fact that she had no one to be at her side. So, she sculpted a beautiful boy from the turmeric and sandalwood paste, which she used for bathing. She breathed life into it and declared that he was her son. Once again Shiva decided to travel and when he returned, he wanted to visit Parvati.

The little boy said that he could not come into the home. Shiva was furious and asked his army to destroy the boy, but no one could harm him as he was the son of Devi, herself. Shiva was shocked and decided to fight him and in his divine fury, he severed Ganesha’s head. When this occurred, Parvati was enraged, and she said that she would destroy the universe.

Shiva’s son

And then you all know the rest of the story. However, one vital fact has been left out and that Ganesha being Devi’s son was beautiful and if he was to protect his mother, he had to be even stronger and wise. So that is why he was given an elephant head. He was then recognized also as Shiva’s son.

There is also a mystical meaning to this story. Parvati is a form of Parashakti (Supreme energy). In the human form, she resides in the mooladhara chakra as the Kundalini shakti. It is believed that when one purifies oneself, ridding oneself of the impurities that bind one, then Shiva the supreme comes. This was the reason why he came unheralded.

Nandi, Shiva’s bull who Parvati sent to guard the door represents the divine temperament. This represents that first one must first develop the attitude of the devotee before hoping to awaken the kundalini shakti. This spiritual attainment is granted by Devi alone. The next part is that when Parvati created Ganesha, she used sandalwood and turmeric paste.

Therefore, the mooladhara chakra is yellow in color and Ganesha is the deity, who guards the chakra. He portrays the earthbound awareness, which is seen as a shield to protect the divine secret from insincere minds. This earthbound awareness leads to pratyahara and towards the divine.

Shiva is the supreme teacher, and Ganesha represents the ego-bound Jiva. When Shiva appears before the devotee, Jiva, Shiva is not recognized. Therefore, it is Shiva’s responsibility to cut off the head of one’s ego. One’s ego is so powerful that it fails to recognize the Guru. It was only with divine power that it was possible to subdue Ganesha. Then finally when the ego died, the Jiva merged with supreme.

There is a dichotomy between the physical world and the absolute. Devi represents the impermanent and changeable creation to which one’s body belongs. The absolute belongs to Shiva. When ego is dead, then the absolute is revealed. The world is a manifestation of Devi, and one can only change, when one has received the blessings of Ganesha.

Shiva by restoring life to Ganesha with an elephant head, means that one can leave the body, and the small ego is replaced with a universal ego. This means that one is identifying with the universal self. Then one’s life is renewed, and one can benefit creation.

Blessings of Ganesha

Ganesha is the leader of the ganas. Ganas are all classes of beings, ranging from insects, animals and humans to the subtle and celestial beings. These ganas contribute to the creation; everything from natural forces like storms and earthquakes to the elemental qualities like fire and water to the functioning of the body’s organs and processes.

If one does not pray to Ganesha, then all our actions are considered unworthy of respect. It is not necessary to pray to all the Ganas, it is enough to seek the blessings of Ganesha.

The understanding of Ganesha is very complex, and it is essential for one to comprehend that the creation of Ganesha was not only because Parvati wanted a child and a protector. Parvati and Shiva were aware of the necessity of restoring balance in the universe and this was only possible because of Ganesha’s presence.

Extracted from Lord Ganesha: Amritapuri.Org.

Aim Hrim Klim