HINDU GOD - GANESHA (GANESH) DESTROYER OF OBSTACLES One of the most famous Hindu Gods is the revered Lord Ganesha. With his elephantine head and human body, he is believed to be the “Destroyer of Obstacles” and also the “Lord of Wisdom”. There are thousands of tales and beliefs about the power and wisdom of this Lord of Victory. It is said that the Lord Ganesha is the beloved son of the Greatest Hindu God Shiva and his consort Parvati. The Lord of Wisdom had been delegated to be the commander of Shiva’s troops in heaven since he was very young. The Lord Ganesha triumphs over evil not only through the use of his mighty power but also by encompassing true wisdom. Lord Ganesha is considered the guardian of all creation. Worship, in the Hindu tradition, usually begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesha for the removal of obstacles and blessings for journeys and new undertakings. It is said that because of his humorous appearance, acceptance of Ganesha stills the rational mind which is the greatest obstacle on the path of spiritual evolution. Lord Shiva was in the habit of intruding upon Parvati while she was bathing. This was rather infrequently, only when that god was not under the influence of ganja. Anyway, Parvati found this habit of her forgetful lord rather annoying.

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One day, when the beautiful goddess was about to get a bath in the water of a pool inside a cave, she took the precaution of positioning Ganesha, her favorite son, at the entrance of the cave. She strictly instructed him not to let anybody in while she was inside. So it was that Ganesha stood guard while his mother bathed inside till he spied his father ambling towards the cave. Coming up to the cave entrance, Shiva demanded admittance but Ganesha stood his ground bravely and refused to allow his father in.

Shiva was astounded at this. He protested that no-one had the right to keep him away from his rightful wife but Ganesha did not budge from his post saying that he would not disobey his mother's instructions. Shiva, hot-tempered as he was, flew into a terrific rage and attacked his own son. Ganesha parried his father's attack and both fought for quite some time. All this while Parvati unwittingly went on bathing inside, unaware that her ablutionary precaution was causing unforeseen dissension within her family. Son and father fought till, at last, Shiva hurled his trident, his supreme weapon, at his son. Ganesha would not parry this as, to do so, would be to show great disrespect for his father. So he took the blow from the trident on one tusk, which broke off. At this point in time, Parvati emerged from her bath and, perceiving what has been going on, hastened to bring amity back to her family. Since then Ganesha, benevolent initiator, has had one tusk.

There is another interesting story pertaining to Ganesha and his brother Karttikeya. Both wanted to marry Buddhi and Siddhi. So, at last, they decided between themselves that the first of them to circumnavigate the earth entirely would get their hands in marriage. Karttikeya set out on foot to circle the earth but Ganesha sat at home studying the scriptures. After long years of travel Karttikeya returned, only to find that his brother was already married to the two ladies. Ganesha had stayed at home and studied the scriptures and, through his studies, had gone round the earth in much lesser time than his more physical and less astute brother, Karttikeya, had on foot.

May the dancing god Ganesa be your aid,
copied by the guardian elephants of the horizon,
who spring up lightly from the earth that trembles
at the stamping of his feet,
the while with upraised trunk he drinks and then sprays back
like drops of water the great circle of the stars.

Rajasekhara