About Ganesh | Hindu God Ganesha | Who is Ganesha

1/8: Avatars of Ganesha

Vakratunda (Lord of the Twisted Trunk)

As Vakratunda, Ganesha embodies the formless spirit of the Universe or Brahman. In this avatar, He defeated the demon, Matsaryasura (Envy), who came into being when Indra, king of the Gods, once lapsed into absent-mindedness.  Performing austere penances to Shiva won Matsaryasura the boon of fearlessness. He soon brought all the gods, including mighty Shiva, to their knees. Dattatreya, the unified form of the Holy Trinity, advised them to invoke Vaktratunda and divulged to them, the powerful seed mantra ‘Gam’. Their penance bore fruit – Vakratunda appeared seated on a lion and defeated Matsaryasura.

In the long run, there is nothing that envy cannot overcome; it can only be defeated by the purely abstract form of the divine, here symbolized by Ganesha’s trunk.

Avatar in Sanskrit means “descent”; in Hindu mythology, a deity descends from heaven to earth for a specific purpose.  Sacred texts like the Ganesha Purana and Mudgala Purana state that Ganesha assumed eight avatars, each manifesting in a different epoch and descriptive of a single attribute. All the avatars had one purpose – to slay a demon.

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Eight Avatars of Ganesha

Avatar in Sanskrit means “descent”; in Hindu mythology, a deity descends from heaven to earth for a specific purpose.  Sacred texts like the Ganesha Purana and Mudgala Purana state that Ganesha assumed eight avatars, each manifesting in a different epoch and descriptive of a single attribute. All the avatars had one purpose – to slay a demon.

• Vakratunda (Lord of the Twisted Trunk)
• Ekadanta (Lord of the Single Tusk)
• Mahodara (Great-Bellied One)
• Gajanana (Elephant-faced One)
• Lambhodara (Long-Bellied)
• Vikata (Misshaped One)
• Vighnaraja (King of the World)
• Dhoomravarna (Smoke-Colored)

In coming weeks, we will be discussing each of Ganesh Avatars in more detail.

 

Ganesha in World Religions

Ganesha, the global traveler! Besides His more celebrated attributes, He could well be called the Peripatetic One, given His large footprint in other lands and religions. How and why did this happen? Because He is the Lord of Adaptibility who defies quick definition. His multiple and often contradictory qualities make it easy for Him to cross cultural and religious borders, synthesize local sentiments and assume new forms. This traveler has many tales to tell.

Jainism
Ganesha is widely worshipped by Jains, though there is no mention of him in early Jaina religious writings. He first emerges in a 12th century literary work by Hemachandra, a Jain scholar, philosopher and historian who variously names Ganesha as Heramba, Vinayaka and Ganavignesa. Between the two historical Jaina sects – Swetambara and Digambara – it was the more liberal Swetambaras who embraced Ganesha, along with other Hindu deities. Swetambara texts extol Ganesha as a deity whom even other gods propitiate to attain their wishes. Swetambara Jains observe the Hindu practice of commencing all auspicious ceremonies and new enterprises with obeisance to Ganesha.

A 9th century Jain temple at Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) has the earliest known image of Ganesha in this religion, along with Ambika (another name for His mother, Parvati). Several temple images of Vinayaka are also found in the Jainism dominated states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Travelers to Mumbai can find a Ganesha carving at the beautiful, marble Jain temple in Walkeshwar.

Typically, Ganesha is looked upon as a guardian and not a principal deity in Jainism – hence, His image on doorframes or basements of Jain temples.


Buddhism
Somewhere between the sixth and tenth century, ancient India saw a surge in trade and commercial activity. This period coincided with a rise in Ganesha worship among the merchant community – early inscriptions suggest that the practice of ‘Ganesha first’ originated with traders. It’s also possible that Ganesha took on some of the functions traditionally associated with Kubera, the god of wealth and naturally, became attractive to merchant communities.

Ganesha travelled into neighboring Asian countries along with merchants seeking new markets – this is based on the finding of fifth or sixth century Ganesha images in Myanmar, where Mahayana Buddhism had taken root. In Nepal, Heramba a 16-headed form of Ganesha was popularly worshipped.

Ganesha plays a dual role in Buddhism – a Buddhist god in His own right, as well as a Hindu deity, known as Vinayaka. The Buddhist Vinayaka assumed the form of Nritta Ganapati or Dancing Ganesha, whose popularity in North India spread into Nepal and later, Tibet.

Pictured Above: Hand Painted Ganesh statue from Ganesh Mall

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Ganesha, The World Traveler Series – Tibet

Tibetan Buddhism, with its strong Tantric leanings, took a fascinatingly ambivalent view of Ganesha. Robert L. Brown (Ganesh: Studies of an Asian God) says these sharply contrasting versions can best be understood by seeing Ganesha as a Janus-like deity, rather than two different gods. As Lord of Obstacles, He controls impediments in their entirety. In His negative – read Tantric – aspect, He creates or chooses to condone the existence of problems. The benign Puranic Ganesha, removes obstacles or refrains from creating them. Seventh and eighth century Buddhist texts from China, originally authored by Indians, state that Ganesha started off as an obstacle-creator – vigna-karta – who had to be ritually appeased so He would keep away. Around the sixth century, this willful, dangerous being metamorphosed into a benign vigna-harta or obstacle-remover and entered the Hindu pantheon!

In Tibetan Buddhism however, the Tantric, malevolent Ganesha prevailed over the kindlier version. Tibetan iconography shows Him being trampled underfoot by Mahakala, the Protector of Dharma. He is known as Maha Rakta Ganapati, a fearsome emanation of Avalokiteswara, with a red body, three eyes and twelve hands holding various weapons as well as skull cups filled with human flesh and blood.

 

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Ganesha, The World Traveler Series – Cambodia and Vietnam

Stone and bronze statues found in excavations suggest that Ganesha arrived in Cambodia around the 6th or 7th century, long before the vast, powerful Khmer Empire co-opted Hinduism and Buddhism as its official religions. Temple inscriptions in eastern Cambodia’s Champa region suggest that Shiva worship was widely prevalent.

Cambodia’s early Ganesha closely resembled Gupta representations – large, fan-shaped ears, no headgear, two arms and only slightly pot-bellied. Strangely, other Indian representations like the Nritta Ganapati, Ganesha with his consorts or parents failed to reach Cambodia during the Khmer era.

Innumerable Ganesha idols have also been unearthed in Vietnam, once part of the Khmer Empire. They can be seen in the Cham Museum of Art, Danang and Saigon Museum. In both Cambodia and Vietnam, Ganesha continues to inspire artisans who produce images in varying forms.

Pictured Above: Wood Ganesh Statue with Shakti from Ganesh Mall.

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Ganesha, The World Traveler Series – Thailand

Thailand’s earliest settlers, the Mons, whose existence dates back to the sixth and eighth centuries, embraced Hindu culture and religious practices and built many temples to Lord Ganesha.

Ganesha is known here as Phra Pikanet and Phra Phikanesawora and presides over the arts, learning and commerce. He is invoked for good luck and success. While Buddhism is Thailand’s official religion, Hinduism co-exists with it comfortably; this is evidenced by the fact that the government’s Department of Fine Arts features Ganesha in its emblem. An image of Ganesha sits on a pedestal in front of CentralWorld in Bangkok (earlier known as World Trade Center), where worshippers stop by to make offerings.

Many media businesses have a Ganesha shrine at the entrance to their offices. The ritual of commencing daily business with a prayer to Ganesha is a widespread practice. When profits are good, Ganesha is worshipped, as in India, with modaks, fruits and sweets. His image is turned upside down when business hits a low.

The Royal Brahmin Temple, Bangkok, has some of Thailand’s oldest Ganesha images. At Phang-na, a 10th century bronze idol was discovered with inscriptions in Tamil and Thai.

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Ganesha, The World Traveler Series – Indonesia

Indonesia’s historical ties with India, in particular the island of Java, find mention in the Ramayana. In Java, where Hinduism struck strong roots, Ganesha was represented in a huge variety of forms, an indication of His popularity. A seated, four-armed Ganesha holding a broken tusk, garland and bowl of sweets, thought to be from the 8th century was found in Chandi Banon temple, central Java. Other ancient statues bear similarity to the iconography of the Ellora caves in India.

The Tantric Ganesha found in other Southeast Asian countries has echoes in Java as well. A 13th century Ganesha statue from Bara in east Java represents him as both Creator and Destroyer of Obstacles. Over the years, excavations have thrown up several Ganesha images all over the island.

On Borneo Island, 5th century inscriptions suggest that this was the easternmost limit reached by Ganesha. The 8th century cave Genung Kombeng has Buddhist and Hindu stone carvings of a four-armed Ganesha along with Shiva and Durga.

In Bali, Islamic Indonesia’s Hindu enclave, every village has a minimum of three temples and Ganesha is a familiar entity. He presides over knowledge, along with Goddess Saraswati. More prominently, he is a guardian deity of temples – Dvarapala – and is therefore, stationed at their gates. Since his task is to obstruct demons, the Balinese Ganesha is typically stern-faced.

Among the best known Balinese Ganesha temples is the 11th century cave of Goa Gajah – literally Cave of the Elephant – with representations of the Hindu trinity and Ganesha.

Skilled Balinese artisans produce Ganesha icons in varied materials and forms. Stone idols from Batubalan are usually in the classical style. In the Ubud region, elaborately carved Ganeshas are made from a soft, white wood (known locally as “crocodile wood”); a simple, rounded Ganesha is carved from suar, a mahogany-like wood. Artisans paint Ganesha on finely carved cattle bone, imported mammoths’ tusks and egg shells. Bronze statues with a patina of green are sold in Java. Balinese shadow theatre, portraying themes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, features a Ganesha puppet character made of buffalo skin.

 

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Ganesha, The World Traveler Series – Japan

Ganesha, the global traveler! Besides His more celebrated attributes, He could well be called the Peripatetic One, given His large footprint in other lands and religions. How and why did this happen? Because He is the Lord of Adaptibility who defies quick definition. His multiple and often contradictory qualities make it easy for Him to cross cultural and religious borders, synthesize local sentiments and assume new forms. This traveler has many tales to tell.

Japan

Early Buddhists brought Ganesha to Japan. Ganesha worship gained ascendance during the time of Kukai, the 9th century founder-sage of the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism. Known as Kangiten or Binayaka-ten, Ganesha was worshipped as a principal deity in Shingon Buddhism; the sect’s rituals and beliefs bear a close resemblance to those of the Hindu Ganapatya cult, who consider Ganesha to be the Supreme Being. Among other Japanese Buddhist sects, Ganesha is a minor deity, varyingly known as Daishokangi-ten or Ganabachi.

In Japanese Buddhism, Kangiten’s blessings are sought primarily for material progress, followed by enlightenment. Sacred offerings to this ‘God of Happiness’ include “bliss-buns” prepared from dried flour, honey and yoghurt besides fresh fruit, radishes and wine. These are distributed to worshippers much like the Hindu practice of giving prasad.

Ganesha assumes 30 distinctive forms in Japanese iconography, often as a dual entity. One erotic form, specific to Shingon Buddhism, features two embracing male and female forms with elephant heads and human bodies. These are rare idols, worshipped with secret rituals inside temples. Typically, they are made of metal as they must be immersed in oil during worship. Gumyo-ji, an 8th century temple in Minami, Yokohama has one such image. Often, Japanese temple doors feature two long-robed, elephant-headed figures in an embrace.

Young Japanese popularly worship Kangiten as a symbol of conjugal bliss. Many entrepreneurs, especially those whose business involves food and drink, worship Ganesha as Shou Ten, a benevolent obstacle-remover and enhancer of wealth.

 

Pictured Above: Three face Ganesh Statue from Ganesh Mall

What is Ganapati Atharvashirsha?

 

Visitors to the Ganesha temple at Ranjangaon, Maharashtra – one of the Ashtavinayak shrines – invariably look up at the entrance to the main hall, so that their eyes may rest upon a sacred text carved into the stone. This is the Ganapati Atharvashirsha, often referred to as the Ganapati Upanishad.

Among Maharashtrians, the Atharvashirsha holds pride of place as the most widely chanted Sanskrit text devoted to their favored deity.

 

Origin

Nobody knows for sure when the Atharvashirsha was composed. Scholars believe it could have been sometime between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Some say it was composed by the Sage Atharva, but that is doubtful, since none of the Upanishads bear an author’s name. History records that the Atharvashirsha came into prominence during the early 1900s when Ganesha worship among Pune-based Maharashtra Brahmins became popular.

 

What does ‘Atharvashirsha’ mean?

The scholar John A. Grimes (Ganapati: Song of the Self) surmises that Atharvashirsha implies "firmness or singlepointedness of the intellect as directed towards one's realization of the Divine." Studying this text helps the worshipper reach the four goalposts of life as laid out in Hinduism – Dharma (doing the right thing), Artha (material prosperity), Kama (enjoyment of sensual pleasures) and finally, Moksha (liberation of the soul).

 

What does it say?

The Atharvashirsha is the definitive text on Ganesha. It pays homage to Him as the Supreme Deity, one who subsumes all other divinities. He is the Holy Trinity who cyclically creates, sustains and destroys the universe. He embodies within Him the five elements, the past, present and future and all celestial bodies. 

Importantly, the text contains the bija or ‘seed mantra’ of Ganesha – Gam – and teaches a devotee how to use the mantra appropriately and worship Ganesha. Further stanzas reverentially describe Ganesha’s attributes – His tusk, multiple arms, belly and weaponry. These are for the devotee to meditate upon as they contain the philosophical essence of Ganesha worship.

Studying the Atharvashirsha enables the worshipper to remain free in spirit, unmoved by obstacles and liberated from sin. Meditating upon the text every morning and evening wipes out the consequences of any sinful actions committed in the intervening periods. 

The text sounds a cautionary note – it should not be taught to those without faith and devotion. A teacher who does so out of greed is considered a great sinner.

Reciting the Atharvashirsha regularly empowers a devotee tremendously. Different means of worship confer different benefits. Ritual bathing of Ganesha helps one master the art of eloquence. Worship with Durva grass brings wealth. With rice flakes come fame and scholarship. Offering modaks brings the devotee his heart’s desire. He who offers all of these, along with ghee, attains everything.

 

Pictured Above: Emboss Hand-painted Ganesh Wall Art from Ganesh Mall

 

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Gajavakra points to his elephant trunk, a symbol of his limitless wisdom and capacity to discern. The curve of the trunk resembles the letter Om, reminding one of the universal life force residing within Ganesha.