Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles
Depiction of Ganesha in big studio at Yoga Sanctuary.
Ganesha welcomes you at the threshold—the in-between space of our lives.
He reminds us that even in the middle of things, there is a new beginning, a new experience that will bring us into new possibilities. He is the remover of obstacles, and also the one who creates the obstacle.
Ganesha has an elephant head and a human body. One of his origin stories is that his mother, Parvati, creates him as a human child out of clay and her breath because she was lonely. When her husband, the god Shiva, returns from his travels, Ganesha does not allow him to enter their home. In anger, Shiva decapitates the child. To appease Parvati, Shiva finds an elephant to sacrifice his head to the child, and names him Ganesha.
Ganesha is usually depicted with four arms. The lower right hand holds a tusk, which he broke to transcribe the history of the world, spoken by the sage Vyasa. Modern depictions of Ganesha replace the tusk with abhaya mudra, the hand gesture of protection and fearlessness. Since each of Ganesha’s features is a metaphor, one interpretation is that the broken tusk teaches us that our brokenness can be a gift, leading us into more than we currently know. Ganesha’s lower left hand holds sweets, which represent his pleasure for life, and makes him warm and inviting. One upper hand holds a battle ax or goad (training tool for elephants), and the other upper hand holds a pasha (noose, supernatural weapon), representing his power to bind and free obstacles.
Basohli miniature, c. 1730. National Museum, New Delhi.
His big belly reminds us that there is room to digest all that life offers us. His curvy trunk reminds us that the path is never straight.
Ganesha rides a mouse, representing agility and dexterity to navigate difficult circumstances. He has also been depicted riding a lion, a peacock, a horse, and a serpent.
In images, Ganesha is depicted sitting, standing, playing, and dancing.
The earliest representation of an elephant-headed figure is from the 1st century BCE, depicted on an Indo-Greek coin. The earliest Ganesha icons are from the Kushan Empire (2nd–3rd centuries CE), with more familiar iconography established in the Gupta Empire (4th–5th centuries CE).
In written history, most of what we know about Ganesha is from three sacred texts: the Ganesha Purana (15th–18th centuries, late medieval), a minor Purana that includes mythology, cosmogony, genealogy, metaphors, yoga, theology and philosophy relating to Ganesha; the Mudgala Purana (15th–18th centuries, late medieval), a minor Purana that includes stories and ritualistic elements relating to Ganesha; and the Ganapati Atharvarsirsha (16th–17th centuries), a minor Upanishad attached to Atharvaveda (fourth Veda, late addition to Vedas). Ganesha’s myths explore his birth and parenthood, how he got his elephant head, and why he only has one tusk.
Ganesha is worshiped by most modern-day Hindu sects, making him the most popular deity. He is often displayed at the threshold of a temple, home, or business. He is called upon at the start of a new venture, project, or experience. Devotees offer sweets and red flowers and wear red sandalwood paste. He has his own festival, Ganesha Chaturthi, on the fourth night after the new moon in August or September.
Since we are every character in the story, we see facets of divinity (and thus ourselves) represented by Ganesha. Ganesha welcomes you at the threshold with steadiness and patience. He is embracing, accommodating, joyful, and sweet. He is agile and intelligent. He meets you at the doorway of consciousness with kindness—like the recognition of an old friend.
In a yoga class inspired by Ganesha, the teacher might ask you,
Ganesha writing the Mahabharata.
What is an obstacle that you wish to overcome? What are you ready to step into? How can you be kind to yourself as you co-create more than what you already are?
Suggested Reading:
The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha, retold by Uma Krishnaswami.
