Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Javier Navarro, in Dec. 2015
In Hinduism the main divinity is Brahman, the source of all creation and of all the variety of gods and goddesses. Thus, Brahman is the creator of the universe, Vishnu is the divinity that sustains it and Shiva is the one who destroys it, after which the process begins again. There are other more specific divinities and below we are going to comment on the meaning and meaning of one of them, Ganesha.
Meaning, tradition and customs
This divinity presents an aspect singularfor it has the head of an elephant and a human body. As for the word ganesha, it comes from Sanskrit and could be literally translated as the lord of the crowd. This deity symbolizes the wisdom and people who profess Hinduism pray to Ganesha in some ceremonies seeking inspiration for higher spiritual knowledge.
According to the texts of Hinduism, Ganesha has three qualities: he possesses the knowledge, the strength to overcome adversity and achieve success, and finally, he symbolizes devotion.
The tradition Ganesha was originally a boy who guarded the entrance to the palace inhabited by his motherfrom her, the goddess Parvati, who had created him with her own hands to protect her from her when her husband, the god Shiva, was outside her. On one occasion Shiva wanted to enter his palace and Parvati's son prevented him, so Shiva cut off the head of his own son.
When Parvarti found out she threatened Shiva with a separation that would bring great consequences. Shiva entered the jungle in search of the head of the first living being that he found, which ended up being the head of a sacred elephant. Thus, the head of the sacred elephant and the body of Ganesha were united forever and in this way the good relationship between the gods and universal harmony was recovered forever.
In Hindu homes it is very common to find a picture of Ganesha at the entrance. His figure serves as protection and drives away negative energies. On the other hand, this deity is venerated as the destroyer of obstacles and difficulties of life (in this sense, we could say that he is the equivalent of the guardian angel of the Christianity). In this way, when believers have to address a new draft They pray to Ganesha for help and protection.
Finally, Ganesha is considered equally like the protector of the travelers and the students, because he is the divinity of the knowledge and of all the arts. Generally speaking, Ganesha has the power to remove material obstacles that appear on a day-to-day basis, reason why the Hindus venerate him to have good luck in life and for that reason they invoke him before facing a new challenge personal.
Photos: iStock - TayaweeSupan / PapaStudio
Themes in Ganesha