Campaign for awareness of spiritually
correct way of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi
Interesting facts about the Ganesh Idol
The science behind the idol (Click on the image of
Lord Ganesh at the left for a larger image.)
The moon symbolises the head.
The earth symbolises the abdomen.
The seven nether worlds (saptapatal) symbolise the legs.
The usual idol: The science behind
the idol of Ganesh is given in the 'Ganapatyatharvashiriha' as:
'Ekadantam, Chaturhastam, pashamankushdharinam
radam cha varadam cha Hasteirbibhranam, mushakadhvajam,
raktam, lambodaram, shurpkarnakam, raktavasasam,
raktagandhanuliptangam, raktapusheirsupujitam'
Meaning, the one who has only one tooth (ekadanta), four hands (chaturbhuj),
carries a noose (pash) and a goad (ankush), holds a broken tooth in one hand
and holds the other hand in a posture depicting bestowal of blessings (varadmudra),
the one whose flag has the symbol of a mouse, who has a red complexion, a trunk,
a big abdomen (lambodar), ears like sifting pans, the one who wears red clothes,
whose body is smeared with a paste of red sandalwood (raktachandan) and the one
who is worshipped with red flowers.
The significance (implied meaning) of the various parts of the idol
| 1. |
The entire idol: Omkar, the unmanifest principle (nirgun) |
| 2. |
Trunk (Refer to point Science behind worship of Lord Ganesh
idols with left side and right side trunk) |
| 3. |
Modak (a sweetmeat):
| a. |
'Moda' means Bliss and 'k' means a small part. So, modak is
a small part of Bliss. A modak is shaped like a coconut that is it is like the
cavity 'kha' in the Brahmarandhra. When the kundalini (spiritual energy) reaches
the 'kha' the spiritual experience of Bliss is obtained. |
| b. |
The modak symbolises spiritual knowledge (dnyan). Hence it is
called dnyanmodak. First it seems that spiritual knowledge is little (the tip
of the modak represents this); but as one starts studying Spirituality one realises
its vastness (the base of the modak symbolises this.) A modak is sweet in taste.
Bliss acquired through spiritual knowledge too is like that. |
|
| 4. |
The goad (ankush) : Destroyer of the energies which are harmful
in the mission of acquisition of spiritual knowledge and Bliss. |
| 5. |
The noose (pash) : Worldly bondages. The noose seen in Ganapati's
hand signifies that Ganapati will tie a noose around negative entities and drag
them away. |
| 6. |
The serpent wound around the waist: The universal kundalini (spiritual
energy) |
| 7. |
The hooded cobra: The activated (jagrut) kundalini |
| 8. |
The rat: The raja component.
This implies that the raja component is within the control of Ganapati.
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