The Supreme Reality is unknown; the human equipment cannot directly come in contact with It. Hence various idols are provided in the Hindu mythological literature, to serve as a means to reach the unknown ideal. Idols by themselves are not the Reality, but only pointers, indicating It. Lord Ganesha is one such idol having a mystic significance. Besides being a figurative representation of the Supreme Goal, the idol of Vinayaka itself suggests the means and the method by which one can reach the goal of Perfection indicated therein.

Ganesha is one of the sons of Lord Siva. Siva means auspiciousness or Brahman, and his son, like Christ representing his Father-in-Heaven, symbolizes the Man-of-Realization.

Lord Ganapati has a human form with a conspicuously large stomach and an elephant’s head, in which one of the tusks is broken. He sits with one leg folded up and at his feet is his vehicle, a tiny rat, sitting amidst an abundance of food, but looking up to him without touching any of it. You may like to read “Significance of Lord Ganesha“

Ganapati is described in the Puranas as having been beheaded and his head replaced with that of an elephant. The idea expressed therein is that man gains profound knowledge and wisdom through study of and reflection on the scriptural truths. Even in common parlance, we figuratively use ‘big-head’ to denote superior Wisdom. 

The intellect or the discriminating faculty in man is said to be located in his head. So too, in Ganesha’s supreme wisdom we find two types of intellectual discrimination – the gross and the subtle. The field of discrimination of the gross is the realm of objects and beings of the world which is purely objective; whereas the field of the subtle is the subjective discrimination between the real and the unreal, the infinite and the finite, the imperishable and the perishable, etc. 

In Vigneswara, there is a happy combination of these two faculties. This idea has been well brought out by the trunk, which represents the intellect, protruding from out of his head. The trunk of an elephant has the unique capacity of engaging both in gross activities like uprooting a tree and in subtle operations such as picking a needle from the ground.

A Man of Realization is therefore perfect in his discrimination, judgement and application not only in the subtle themes of spiritualism but also in the gross world of materialism. Such a Man of Perfection, who is ever rooted in the Supreme Wisdom, has no longer any likes or dislikes and consequently he is not swayed by agreeable or disagreeable circumstances and environments created by such pairs of opposites. This idea is represented by having one of the two tusks broken.

Even when man does not create any likes and dislikes by himself, the outside world itself provides disturbances like heat and cold, peace and war, birth and death and such other trials and tribulations. But in such a godly man, all these external challenges are easily digested in his large stomach – Vinayaka stomachs them all and has always a keen appetite to live life.

The Lord sits with one leg folded up and with the other resting on the ground which signifies that he is in single pointed concentration upon the Supreme Brahman while he still lives in the world.

At the feet of the Lord is a tiny rat looking up to him asking permission, as it were, to eat the luxurious food spread around him. The rat symbolises the ego or desire. A rat has a small mouth and tiny sharp teeth but, when given freedom, slowly consumes even a barnful of grain. Similarly, one little desire entertained by man can destroy all the wealth and goodness earned by him over many long years. Thus Vishwamitra’s tapas was destroyed by the enchanting damsel Menaka. 

The rat looking up, therefore, denotes that the desires in the man of perfection are kept under perfect control and all his activities are motivated by his clear discrimination rather than an emotional craving to enjoy the variety of sense objects which are always available in plenty for such men.

There is a common belief that, on the Vinayaka Chaturthi Day, it is inauspicious to see the moon. The Puranic story goes that the moon saw Ganesha riding on his tiny rat and laughed at the ludicrous scene. Hence the moon was condemned and people are forbidden to see her on this day. The moon is the presiding deity of the intellect. 

The moon laughing at Ganesha riding on his vehicle indicates the lesser and perverted intellects scoffing at the man of realization who is sincerely endeavouring, with his limited equipment, to convey the message of the transcendent Reality to mankind. He finds it almost impossible to convey his infinite experience through the medium of the limited ego – the perceiver-feeler-thinker. 

Hence we find words and deeds of all spiritual masters are peculiar and incomprehensible. But the generation, who mock at such great souls, cease to learn the higher values of life and naturally meet with degradation and disaster.

May Lord Ganesha give us the strength and courage to pursue the path which He has led, and gain the goal which He has reached.

Courtesy : Tapovan Prasad, August 1966