Everybody loves Ganesha
As I browse through a handicrafts store, I couldn’t help but notice the one recurring theme across many showpieces — Lord Ganesha. Creative freedom was at its best, with artists experimenting with various colors, shapes, sizes and expressions. This incredible diversity of form brought out common features into sharp relief — smiling eyes, a friendly face and a reassuring demeanor that said, “I got your back.”
Several stories surround the birth, life and times of Ganesha. It is important to note that stories in the Puranas, or ancient Hindu literature, open themselves up to layers of interpretation. On the surface, the stories can be just a fascinating series of events, but as you peel the layers, you can soak in the beauty of figurative interpretations.
Take for instance, the story of the birth of Ganesha. When you picture a grandmother telling stories to little kids, this universal favorite will perhaps be right at the top of the list. The story describes Ganesha as the boy created by Goddess Parvati from the dirt and soil from her body, and the boy eventually acquires an elephant head through a series of events. A deeper interpretation of this story (details in a future article), leads us to the Vedic meaning — which is that Ganesha, the son of Parvati and Shiva, is entrusted with the administration of space. Simply put, space is the entire universe, minus the physical matter. In Hindu scriptures, space (aakasha, in Sanskrit) occupies a primary position among the five elements — space, air, fire, earth and water. One way of looking at space is to consider it as an absence of obstacles, and hence the space-administrator really means the remover of obstacles.
In a world filled with mostly obstacles and with people looking for ways to get around them, it is no wonder that Ganesha tops the popularity charts among Gods. Ubiquity of hardships is rivaled only by the universality of celebration of Ganesha as the troubleshooter, transcending the barriers of cultures, geographies and demographics. Ganesha is usually the starting block in the race of life, first step in the ladder of progress, and the first handyman to be called to fix almost any problem in this world we call our home.
Mention the number 21, and you will probably think of Blackjack, the card game where strategy is everything. Interestingly enough, the number 21 is very much associated with Lord Ganesha, whether it is the 21 types of flowers used in decoration, or the 21 mantras chanted, or 21 pieces of Ganesha’s favorite sweets offered to him. This tradition, like many others observed as a matter of faith, is rooted deeply in the Vedic literature. Like the stories we looked at before, logical and relatable interpretations open up to the genuinely curious, however skeptical.
Getting back to the number 21 — you can visualize Ganesha as the 21st God in the sequence of powers as delegated by the Supreme Power in the process of creation (Bhagavad Gita makes it clear that this supreme power is Krishna, an incarnation of the Brahman as propounded in the Vedas). The process of creation is explained starting with the 5 layers of mind or consciousness, moving on to the 5 senses of perception, 5 senses of action, and 5 fields of experience making up the top 20. Each of the 20 components of creation have an Abhimani God (the administrator) who is tasked with managing the component and maintaining the balance in the universe. Components 21 thru 25 are the 5 elements that embody the material world — Space, Air, Fire, Earth and Water as mentioned earlier. Ganesha, being the space-administrator, occupies the 21st spot in the cosmic line up. Extensive scriptural evidence exists in the Vedic literature, especially in the Upanishads, supporting this divine link between Ganesha and the number 21. I make a mental note that it will be nice to have a collection of 21 Ganesha showpieces at home.
I turn around and head back to the aisle where I saw a Ganesha-on-a-throne, a nice work of art that showed who is really the boss around here. I remembered late Sri Bannanje Govindacharya’s words about Ganesha, on how he is pretty much the only God we consider as “kshipra prasada” or someone who responds to prayers very quickly (kshipra = quick, immediate, prasada = favors granted). Whether we really know what we need is another matter, but the notion of a higher power who will answer our prayers quickly is comforting and is seen as an unending ray of hope.
I finally make up my mind and get myself a Ganesha idol made of clay, the type I have loved since childhood. Back home, as I glance around, I see that Ganesha is keeping an eye from the top shelf of a bookcase, and from a high point on the living room wall, and also from a pedestal in the pooja room. I am grateful for these reminders that no matter where I go, there is someone who will help clear the way — I have to just ask.
