Ganesha
Ganesha ( Sanskrit गणेश Gaṇeśa [ gʌˈɳeːɕʌ ] ) ( gaṇa : 'retinue', 'flock', īś : 'master', so 'lord of the multitudes') is one of the most popular forms of the divine in Hinduism . Other common names include Ganapati ('ruler of the multitudes'), Vinayaka (' remover [of obstacles] '), Vighnesha (' lord of obstacles'), Vigneshvara ('destroyer of obstacles'), Vighnantaka , Varada (' the Benefactor Giver ”), Siddhita (“ the one who gives success at work ”) and Ekadanta (“ the one with the one tusk ”).
He is also venerated under the name Vinayaka in Tantra , where he is considered a gifted dancer and agile lover who can delight several women at the same time. Ganesha is the God and "Lord of obstacles", both the remover and the setter of obstacles, if someone behaves disrespectfully towards him or if these are necessary for him. He is the lord and overseer of Shiva's entourage and the mediator to his father and thus messenger of the gods.
Ganesha is presented as a sweet tooth, gracious, kind, friendly, humorous, jovial, clever, humane and playful, mischievous god who often plays tricks. He is one of the most important, most popular, most accessible gods in India, who is worshiped at almost every street shrine. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati , with whom he embodies the ideal of a Hindu family. Of all the Hindu gods, Ganesha is the one with the greatest presence and popularity outside of India.
Ganesha is also worshiped in Buddhism (under the name Kangiten ) and Jainism .
Every (morning) puja (Hindu worship service) begins with a prayer to Ganesha. The god of luck is called upon during the opening rituals ( purvaranga ) of Indian dance and theater types and asked for assistance. Ganesha is asked if you need luck, success or good luck for the path or at the beginning of a new venture, for example for a trip, wedding, house building, business examination, exam or the beginning of a new day; he stands for every new beginning and embodies wisdom and intelligence . His affairs include poetry, music, dance, writing, and literature, and he is Lord of Science and God of Commerce. Most merchants consider him their patron and a Ganesha statue can be found in almost every store. For many devout Hindus, the first thing that comes into a new house is a statue of Ganesha. This blesses the house and promises happiness. It can also be found on almost every wedding invitation card.
For many Hindu currents, Ganesha means a subordinate manifestation of the divine, the Lord of all beginnings. Others, however, especially in the Indian state of Maharashtra or in some areas of southern India, see in him the most important embodiment of the formless Supreme, Brahman .
The asteroid of the (2415) Ganesa middle main belt is named after Ganesa .
Iconography and symbolism
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Usually Ganesha is portrayed as a short, red, corpulent man, or as a child with a large, fat elephant head with only one tusk, often sitting on a lotus flower . His ears are shown oversized, his eyes are small and his gaze piercing and piercing. His round, fat belly stands for wealth and the ability to absorb all experiences. With him is always his mount ( vahana ), a mouse or rat , which is also a symbol of intelligence and strength and is considered to conquer obstacles. Philosophically interpreted it embodies the control over the human ego or the ability that even the smallest being can carry the divine.
He has two or more arms, which in Hindu cosmology and the like. a. represent a sign of virtuosity, of superior (divine) power .
In traditional depictions they carry a weapon and the like. a. as a sign of protection and his fight against all evil, a lotus flower , etc. a. Signs of spiritual rebirth, wisdom and purity, reincarnation (rebirth). In other depictions he is wearing a book and a mala , a prayer chain. According to legend, he lost his second tusk in the fight against Parashurama ("Rama-with-the-ax"), Vishnu's sixth incarnation . His other two hands signal to the believer by hand signals ( mudras ): Do not be afraid! (comforting mudra) and promise his grace in the giving gesture. Usually there is a bowl of Laddus in front of him or he is holding Modaka in one of his hands, Indian sweets that, in addition to their complex spiritual meaning, also represent Ganesha's love and weakness for food and represent the reward of a spiritual search for meaning. Often he is shown dancing or sitting on a throne with his legs crossed. Further attributes of the god are the elephant driver's stick, the rope with which he pulls the believers out of their worldly problems and the ax with which he can cut the rope of desires, needs and ties. He is often represented with a snake that he ties around his stomach.
Ganesha's hybrid form of human and elephant appears puzzling. The best way to understand it is through the elephant, an important symbolic animal, guardian and bearer of space in mythology. Throughout Hindu symbolism, elephants and Ganesha appear alternately, e.g. B. as a symbol of good luck and guardian of houses as well as temples. The explanation of the head as a symbol for the macrocosm and the human body as a microcosm is also widespread .
Myths
Ganesha's birth
Countless legends in the Puranas offer different versions as an explanation for the origin of Ganesha, who is said to have originally not had an elephant head but a human head. A popular story in Shiva Purana reports that Parvati , Shiva's wife, created Ganesha in Shiva's absence: According to this, she formed a little boy out of the clay with which she had rubbed her body, poured Ganges water over him and woke him up Life. She called him Ganesha and put him on guard in front of her house. When Shiva came, Ganesha blocked his way. Shiva cut off his head and got into the house. When Shiva noticed that he had just killed Parvati's son, he ordered his servants to bring the head of a living being that turns its sleep to the north. This living being was an elephant, and Shiva placed its head on Ganesha's torso to bring it back to life. As a result, Ganesha, who was previously only Parvati's son, also became the son of Shiva.
A similar, slightly modified narrative reads as follows: Parvati was alone for a long time because her husband Shiva had withdrawn in meditation, so she decided to make a son for herself and formed him out of the scab before taking her daily bath her body with ointments, oils and Ganges water, and placed him as a door guard in front of the bathroom. At that time Ganesha had a normal human head. Ganesha came to an elephant head through the wrath of Shiva. Because when the son Ganesha Shiva blocked the way to his wife because she was bathing, Shiva, who knew nothing about the existence of Ganesha, got so angry that he cut off Ganesha's head with his sword. Parvati was beside himself and begged Shiva to bring her son Ganesha back to life. Shiva then promised to exchange it with the head of the first living being to call it back into existence. The first being was an elephant. Through the resuscitation, Ganesha has also become Shiva's son and is recognized by him. He not only appointed him the chief general of his Ganas (Sanskrit गण gaṇa host, row (of the living and inanimate), entourage, appendix, host deities, divine armies), but also told all the gods present that Ganesha would always be worshiped first other gods only after him.
In other stories, Shiva creates Ganesha without the intervention of a woman, and in the stories of Vishnu mythology the elephant-headed one is regarded as the son of Vishnu.
Ganesha and wisdom
Many myths deal with Ganesha's infinite wisdom and great ingenuity.
For example, they tell of how Shiva and Parvati invited their children Ganesha and Karttikeya to a competition in which the winner should be married first or, according to other statements, receive a fruit as a reward. The task was to be the first to go around the world. Kartikeya took his peacock and did it within a day. The wise Ganesha simply circled his parents three times, who for him represented the universe. Impressed by his cleverness, his parents declared Ganesha the winner.
Ganesha and the tusk
Many myths are about how Ganesha lost his tusk. One day Ganesha was eaten and tripped over a snake with his rat. His stomach burst and his food fell out, so that Ganesha had to tie him up again with a snake. The moon god Chandra (Soma) then made fun of him. Thereupon Ganesha enraged and ripped out his tusk and threw it on the moon, which then immediately darkened. Since there was no longer any moonlight, the gods asked Ganesha to withdraw his curse, whereupon Ganesha turned him into a sporadic emaciation. This myth provides an explanation for the origins of the different phases of the moon.
According to another version, the sage Vyasa asked him to record the Mahabharata . Ganesha agreed, but only on the condition that Vyasa quote without pause, while Ganesha only asked Ganesha to write down what he really understood. On this occasion Ganesha tore out a tusk which he used as a stylus for writing.
Another different story is told, Parushurama wanted to visit Shiva in his palace on Kailash , in front of whose entrance Ganesha was posted as a guard. Parushurama demanded entry, which Ganesha denied him. Parushurama got angry and threw his ax, which he received from Shiva, at the god. This lost its tusk. Parvati and Shiva reprimanded him. Parushurama then became a great admirer of Ganesha and was forgiven.
Or Ganesha tore his tusk out in order to tame a demon who had become invincible through asceticism and who was then turned into a rat.
According to another legend, Shiva went to meditate on the Kailash and left his wife Parvati at home alone. This was then harassed by numerous admirers. After he didn't come back for years, the admirers said "He'll never come back". Then Parvati created Ganesh from her earwax (another variant: flakes of skin scraped off after bathing), which she shaped into a ball that she breathed life into. She instructed him not to let a single man come near her and gave him supremacy over the heavenly hosts. Years later, Shiva remembered that he had completely forgotten his wife in meditating, and returned to his house. Ganesh stood there and denied him entry. Shiva did not accept that, a fight ensued and Shiva cut off Ganesh's head. Parvati was extremely angry about this: “You killed my son, see that you can get back on your mountain! I never want to see you again! ”Then Shiva reflected and agreed to Parvati that he would receive the head of the next living being that comes by. It was an elephant that had lost a tusk in battle.
Ganesha and the pranks
Another popular mythological theme is the numerous pranks that Ganesha plays on his parents. One day as a child, Ganesha teased a little cat, pulled its tail and tossed it around roughly. Later he met his mother Parvati, who he found scratched in the Himalayas, and asked what had happened to her. She replied that she was the cat.
Other stories tell of how Ganesha stole the moon out of his father Shiva's hair when he was asleep, played with it and his troops tried to recapture him.
Ganesha and the rat
One day a demon, turned into a rat by the gods as punishment for his disrespect, devastated an ashram of Parashurama and ate all the food there. The residents turned to Ganesha, the destroyer of obstacles. He appeared in the ashram and caught the rat with his rope. He tamed her so that she would henceforth be his mount.
Ganesha and Kubera
The myths of Ganesha's sweetness and greed are also known. One day Kubera , the god of wealth, invited the god to dinner in his palace, but Ganesha just couldn't be satisfied and kept eating. In the meantime the entire palace was empty and Kubera had nothing left to offer Ganesha. Now the god also ate the host's dishes, finally his entire furnishings, almost the entire palace and almost all of Alakapuri , the splendid royal city of the god. When there was nothing left that Kubera could offer, Ganesha finally threatened to eat him too. In fear, Kubera turned to Ganesha's father Shiva, whose friend he was, and excitedly told him about it. He had Ganesha sent to him and instructed him to go to his mother Parvati. He did, and she gave him a rice dumpling, which was one of his favorite dishes. After that, the god was satisfied and satisfied, and the god Kubera was thus saved.
Ganesha as the slayer of Ravana
He is also known as the slayer of Ravana . He practiced asceticism for a long time. He explained to Shiva, the friend of the Asuras , that nothing should happen to him or his kingdom. Shiva gave him a linga and told him to take it with him to his kingdom. There he must take it with him in his shrine and worship it properly. Only then would he and his kingdom become invincible. However, Shiva attached one condition to his special journey. Under no circumstances should it be placed on the ground during its journey. Then he could no longer move it. Ravana was satisfied with the gift and immediately set out on the journey home. On the way back, however, Varuna, the god of the oceans, penetrated Ravana's body from behind and forced him to stop. Ravana felt (the need) to relieve himself. In his plight, he called a young boy and asked him to hold the linga as long as he was relieving himself, as it was on no account to be taken off. No sooner had Ravana disappeared than the boy called him three times, but received no answer from him, so he took off the linga. When Ravana returned and saw what had happened, he became very angry. He scolded the boy and threatened to kill him. At that moment the boy took on his true form as Ganesha. He overcame Ravana and rolled him into a ball. He threw them into the sky.
Ganesha and the women
There is no consensus in India on the question of Ganesha's marital status. In northern India he is considered to be married to Siddhi (“wisdom and wealth”) or Riddhi (“success, prosperity”) and Buddhi (“wisdom”), both of which are often understood not as real wives, but as symbolic properties of God . Both form Ganesha's Shakti . In the south of India, on the other hand, the god is considered an eternal bachelor, living in " celibacy ". A myth explains that Ganesha promised to only marry a woman if she was just as beautiful as his mother Parvati. According to Hindu understanding that is not possible, so that he is still looking today.
Ganesha's development and history
Ganesha takes in various forms of other gods, especially nature deities. Its spherical belly and its "gnomish" shape speak, for example, of a development from the yakshas , ancient fertility geniuses . Many of the attributes it wears are also reminiscent of agricultural implements, such as a hook plow or a rope for sheaves. The fact that Ganesha figures made of clay are thrown into the river during its festival and thus, coming from nature, are returned to the cycle of nature, would speak in favor of this thesis. Historically, Ganesha is the youngest important god of Hinduism. In particular he does not appear in the Vedas. In literary terms it is only tangible and fully developed in epic times and the Puranas . Ganesha can be proven from the 5th century AD at the earliest.
Firmly
For those believers who see the highest in Ganesha or Ganapati, Ganesh Chaturthi (according to the lunar calendar between mid-August and mid-September) is the highest of all festivals in the course of the year; According to their belief, God comes to visit these days, and it is also celebrated that Ganesh was born on these days. On this day one should avoid looking at the moon. He is often worshiped with the mantra Ganesha Sharanam, Sharanam Ganesha , which means Ganesha may remove the obstacles.
The people in Mumbai (formerly Bombay ) celebrate especially splendidly . Countless small or huge Ganesh statues made of clay are placed on altars in houses and streets and for a few days the believers worship the divine in these representations with regular church services , music and dance. On the last day, they are bid farewell and brought to the sea in merry processions, where they are submerged in the waves with joy.
Ganesha and the miracles
In 1995 there were rumors in India, in Delhi , that a Ganesha statue should have sucked up all the milk offerings that were offered to it. The news spread like wildfire. People flocked in their thousands to marvel at the "miracle of Ganesha". It was said that the god Ganesha sucked them up with his trunk or tusk.
literature
- L. Breuer, H. Thomas: Ganesha and the moon. An Indian legend. Kondody-Verlag, Rösrath 2006.
- R. Brown (Ed.): Ganesh - Studies of an Asian God. State University of New York Press, Albany 1991.
Web links
- Ganesha - Yogawiki (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Axel Michaels : The Hinduism - past and present . CH Beck, Munich 1998, 2nd edition 2012, ISBN 978-3-406-54974-8 , p. 244
- ↑ a b Swami Harshananda et al .: Hindu Gods and Goddesses , Mylapore, Madras 600004
- ^ Lutz D. Schmadel : Dictionary of Minor Planet Names . Fifth Revised and Enlarged Edition. Ed .: Lutz D. Schmadel. 5th edition. Springer Verlag , Berlin , Heidelberg 2003, ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7 , pp. 186 (English, 992 pp., Link.springer.com [ONLINE; accessed on August 10, 2019] Original title: Dictionary of Minor Planet Names . First edition: Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg 1992): “1978 UJ. Discovered 1978 Oct. 28 by HL Giclas at Anderson Mesa. "
- ↑ a b Ganesha: Lord of Success , accessed January 10, 2013
- ↑ Anneliese and Peter Keilhauer: Die Bildsprache des Hinduismus, Dumont Verlag Cologne 1983, 2nd edition 1986, ISBN 3-7701-1347-0 , page 180
- ↑ Axel Michaels: Der Hinduismus - Geschichte und Gegenwart , CH Beck, Munich 1998, 2nd edition 2012, ISBN 978-3-406-54974-8 , p. 244