Do you know the story of Ganesha?
There are many existing deities in India and each one of them with its symbolism and meaning. One of the prominent gods is
Ganesha, much loved by his devotees. Name
Ganesha or Ganesh it is a Sanskrit compound, a union of the word gaṇa (group or crowd) with the word īśa (master or lord). He is one of the best known and most worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon. He has a human body and the head of an elephant. He is patron of the arts, sciences and lord of abundance. He is invoked in order to remove the obstacles that you may encounter, both in life and on the spiritual path.
Mythology
Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati, was one day protecting the place where his mother was bathing. Shiva, unaware of the identity of his son, not being allowed to enter the place where his wife Parvati was taking her bath, full of anger decapitated his son. Parvati knowing what had happened with great desperation let Shiva know that she had beheaded her own son, who was following her mother's orders not to allow anyone to enter her bathroom. Shiva, reacting quickly, promised to bring Ganesha back to life by transplanting the first head of the first creature found. The first animal that passed was an elephant, whose head became that of Ganesha, a god loved and admired by the Hindus. Since then Ganesh has an elephant head with a long trunk and large ears. In India, the elephant is believed to be an animal of remarkable intelligence. Therefore, the elephant-headed god is considered to be the most intelligent of the gods.
Ganesha Symbolism
In our yoga practice, chanting a mantra dedicated to him, such as
Om Gam Ganapataye Namah, it can help us invoke that energy of overcoming obstacles that we all have inside. Good practice and happy summer!
