God of Ganesha (elephant). In Hinduism, the god of wisdom and prosperity

The God of wisdom of Ganesha is a majestic representative of the Indian pantheon of the Celestials. Every Hindu at least once in his life said a prayer in his honor, because he is the executor of man's cherished desires. In addition, he directs his wisdom to those who want to learn the secrets of the universe or strive to succeed in business.

A few words about Hinduism

Hinduism is very different from everything that a Russian has become accustomed to. The religion of this country is based on myths and legends, which are more like fairy tales than true stories from the past. But for the Hindus they are very real, because they exist in their culture so long ago that they became an integral part of it.

Therefore, it should not be surprising that in modern India the elephant Ganesha seems as real as Jesus in the European world. This fact is very important, because it allows you to look at the world of Hinduism through the eyes of the Hindus themselves.

Ganesha's Appearance

Ganesha God is the embodiment of wisdom and success. Often it is depicted in the form of a fat man sitting on a throne or a rat. A similar image symbolizes the prosperity that comes to the house together with the deity. However, the main difference between the god is the elephant's head, which distinguishes him from the rest of the representatives of the Indian pantheon.

It should be noted that the God of Ganesha is always depicted with one tusk. Regarding this detail of his image, there are many legends, but we will discuss them later. Also, depending on its specific embodiment, the number of hands can vary. For example, the habitual form of the deity has four, and the enlightened form has thirty-two.

The birth of the great god

Any deity in Hinduism is shrouded in many legends and superstitions: some supplement the main story, the second, on the contrary, only contradict it. So it happened with the god of wisdom, whose birth is described in dozens of different legends, which are very different from each other.

According to the main version, Shiva's wife Parvati loved to take a bath all alone. But her husband often interrupted this process, treacherously breaking into the bath. Tired of this behavior, Parvati decided to create a defender who would block the way to the bathroom for the negligent spouse.

Smeared with clay and saffron, the goddess created a boy, whom she later called Ganesha. Endowed with cosmic power, he promised his mother, at all costs, to protect her from the visits of Shiva. Alas, the determination of Ganesha did not help him in the fight with the supreme god - he saw the young defender Shiva furious and killed the boy with one powerful blow.

Upon learning of this, Parvati hated her husband. In order to annoy him, she created the goddess Durga and Kali, who began to wreak havoc around the world. For a long time, Shiva tried to reassure his wife, but all his attempts were in vain. Then he revived the boy, giving him a part of his power. Thus, Ganesha became the son of two great celestials - Shiva and Parvati.

The Indian God of Ganesha: History and Facts

Historians believe that for the first time the image of Ganesha was formed in the ancient hymn Rigved. It was written about 3,5 thousand years ago, and sang the glory of the ancient gods. Among the other lines was a part dedicated to the deity of Brihaspati, who later became reincarnated as God Ganesha.

This part of the hymn can be translated as follows:

"We appeal to you, O great Gapatyi gan (the title of commander of the divine armies)!

Oh, Brihaspati is a poet from poets, creator of creators!

You are richer than all known, and the most beautiful of creatures!

Listen to our prayers and give us your blessing, sitting on the throne! "

In addition, the existing description of Brhaspati testifies to the similar transformation. In ancient times, people believed that this deity looks like a big man, giving all the wealth and wisdom. The only thing that remains unknown is how Brihaspati turned into Ganesha. Yet many theologians tend to believe that the old deity simply acquired a new image and name, while retaining most of its abilities and titles.

Place in the divine hierarchy

As stated earlier, the god Ganesha is the son of Parvati and Shiva. This makes him a very powerful creature occupying a place of honor in the pantheon of Hindu immortals. In addition, he is the commander of the heavenly army, which gives him the right to command many younger spirits and yakshasas.

In addition, many myths tell us that Ganesha has a bigger brother, Skanda - a ruthless god of war, always competing with the embodiment of wisdom. But the first son of Shiva often lost to his relative, because he always solved problems by force, not by mind. It is curious that in India the mass worship of Ganesha began only after the temples of Skanda disappeared. Such a change in the culture of the Hindus is explained by the fact that the need for a warlike god gradually faded away, but the being fulfilling the desires only strengthened its power.

Family status of Ganesha

Initially, it was considered that the god of wisdom gave a vow of celibacy. This was due to the fact that, according to legend, he practiced a special technique of self-discipline, implying sexual abstinence - brahmacharya. Because of this, many Hindus believed that the body of their deity would never touch a woman.

However, over the years, the moral foundations have changed, and with them the legends of God Ganesha. According to some of them, he was married to three goddesses - Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi. They embodied the immovable ideals of wisdom: intelligence, success and prosperity. But later legends attributed to the elephant-god a marriage with the spiritual embodiment of the culture and art of Saraswati.

Symbolism in the image of God

Today, every Indian knows what Ganesha is. The photo of this deity is in every house, and parents from childhood teach children to recognize symbols hidden in the face of a saint. And they are as follows:

1. The head of an elephant represents prudence and devotion.
2. Such huge ears let you hear even those prayers that are pronounced in the soul of a person.
3. One tusk symbolizes the power of God and the fact that it suppresses any ambiguity.
4. The trunk is a sign of high intelligence.
5. The big belly demonstrates the richness and generosity of the deity, which he is ready to share with the whole world.

God and the giant demon

Once, a serious battle broke out between God and the demon Gajamukha. It should be noted that even though the elephant god possessed impressive dimensions, he was clearly inferior to his enemy, who was a real giant. Nevertheless, the opponents' forces were equal, which prolonged the battle for long days.

And so, it would seem, the demon began to defeat Ganesha, pushing him back. In the heat of battle, not wanting to lose, the elephant-like god tore off one of his tusks and, with all his might, launched him into the enemy. At the same moment, Gajamukha fell to the ground, defeated by an unexpected blow. Moreover, the magical power of the tusk has turned the evil demon into an obedient rat, which forever became a tame pet of the god of wisdom.

Beliefs about the elephant's head

If you believe the main version, his own head Ganesha lost on the day when he blocked Shiva's way into the mother's bath. The enraged god did not just kill the boy in one blow, but cut off his head, which later disappeared without a trace. Later this became the main problem of the all-powerful creator, who wants to revive the son of his wife. As a result, without seeing any other way out, he sewn the boy's head with a baby elephant, which he caught near the forest.

The second legend says that the God of Shani deprived the human face of Ganesha. This happened because Shiva forgot to invite his friend to his son's birthday, and this greatly angered him. Entering the throne room, Shani looked at the boy with his withering gaze, thus destroying his head. Good at the celebration was the great sage Brahma, who advised Shiva to attach his son the head of another being. And it became the elephant Airavata, which belonged to the god Indra.

Great Glutton

Ganesha is the god of wealth, adoring everything sweet. Especially he likes rice balls, cooked according to a special recipe. Therefore, all those who want to enlist the support of this celibate, bring to him on the altar this sweet dish. There is even a legend telling about how Ganesha collects gifts from his sanctuaries.

Once the god-wisdom so ate the treats that barely climbed on his mount - the rat Gajamukha. He ordered her to take him home slowly, so that he could digest everything he had eaten. But along the way the serpent crawled along the way, because of which the rat stumbled and dropped Ganesha to the ground. From the blow, the belly of God could not stand it and burst, and all the sweets rolled out.

The blessing of the deity was immortal, and such a turn of events did not kill him. Therefore, he slowly collected all the food, and then caught the ill-fated snake. As punishment, he girded his belly with him, so that he would restrain him forever.

God of wisdom in modern India

To begin with, even today many Indians believe in the existence of such a peculiar god as Ganesha. Photo of this celestial is in every house, as it attracts family prosperity and luck. Moreover, in this country, entrepreneurs are accustomed to wearing in their wallet the image of this deity, sincerely believing that it was this that brought them good luck. In addition, many of them pray for Ganesha's benevolence before the start of any major transaction. The same applies to students who ask their patron of wisdom and instruction.

In addition, in many houses there is a statuette of the God Ganesha. If you believe the belief, it protects its owners from adversity. For example, a fallen piece of clay or a crack means that the statuette has taken the blow of fate or karma. Therefore, damaged amulets are trying to immediately change, so that they will protect their owners in the future.

In addition, once a year, Indians celebrate Ganesha's birthday. In his honor, they arrange a magnificent celebration with a colorful festival. On this day all work is postponed, and people are engaged only in celebration and prayers. At the same time, Hindus believe that this night Ganesha will fulfill any desire of a person, if he really believes in him.