ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gam Ganapatsye Namaha
Invocation to Lord Ganesh, who is the remover of obstacles, who guards the doorway to the enlightened realms. His blessings are essential for good beginnings.
Most yoga students or anyone with an interest in the spirituality that comes through India (regardless of its association with Hinduism) has an idea of what or who Gaṇeśa is.
Gaṇeśa would be the elephant-headed God and usually referred to as the remover of obstacles. There is far more about this deity other than having the head of an elephant and so we can ask questions like how and why is Gaṇeśa relevant to yoga, to you and to me?
There are different versions of the events in the story of Gaṇeśa and some differ only slightly but as one version of the story goes:
Long ago, on the holy mountain of Kailāśa, the Goddess Pārvatī needed a moment of privacy whilst bathing. Wanting someone she could trust to guard her door, she created a boy from turmeric paste she used for bathing. She moulded the paste into a child and breathed life into him. Pārvatī named this boy Gaṇeśan and this part of the story gives him the source of divine creation.
Pārvatī’s husband is Lord Śiva. whilst the divine creation of Gaṇeśa was taking place Śiva was away in deep meditation and self reflection but then returned home to see his wife. As he approached Pārvatī’s quarters the young guard Gaṇeśa, unfamiliar to ŚIva, blocked his path. Śiva orders, “Let me pass boy. I am Pārvatīs husband the great Lord Śiva.”
Gaṇeśa replied, “I do not care who you are. Pārvatī instructed me not to let anyone in and her words I will follow”.
Śiva, enraged by the boy’s defiance, tried to enter forcibly. A battle broke out. The other Gods tried to intervene, but Gaṇeśa through the strength of his mother’s love defeated them all. Finally, in a moment of fury, Śiva drew his trident and beheaded Gaṇeśa.
Once she had finished bathing and hearing the commotion outside, Pārvatī emerged and saw her son’s lifeless body. Needless to say her sorrow turned into rage. She threatened to destroy the cosmos unless her son was brought back to life.
The Gods pleaded with Śiva. To calm Pārvatī, Śiva ordered his men to bring the head of the first living being they saw, facing north.
They returned with the head of a mighty elephant.
Śiva placed the elephant’s head on Gaṇeśa body and brought him back to life. The boy rose again—now with an elephant’s head and a divine, radiant presence.
Shiva declared:
“You shall be known as Gaṇeśa, Lord of the Ganas (divine beings). From this day forward, no prayer or ceremony shall begin without invoking your name first.”
Due to the commotion caused the other gods were aware of what had happened and blessed him too. Brahma granted him vast knowledge. Vishnu offered him divine protection. Saraswati gifted him the power of speech and learning.
This being a brief version of how Gaṇeśa became the remover of obstacles, the god of wisdom, and the guardian of all beginnings.
Whether the story is fable or myth it portrays elements that yoga is trying to embody in us. The iconography of Gaṇeśa is also providing meaning and direction.
The large ears of an elephant are to symbolize listening more and speaking less. The small eyes of an elephant (in proportion to their body) encourage focus and concentration. The large, slow moving stature of elephants convey stability and acceptance of all life’s experiences.
When we practice yoga are we wanting to increase our appreciation of this life we have? Does the practice help us concentrate and listen? It might have nothing to do with Gaṇeśa but it is nice to direct, give thanks and appreciate where some of this history and interwoven knowledge is coming from.
There is also the story of Gaṇeśa broken tusk:
Sage Vyasa needed someone to write down the Mahabharata, the great epic, as he dictated. Gaṇeśa agreed, on one condition:
“You must recite the entire story without pause.”
Vyasa agreed, with his own condition:
“You must understand each verse before writing it.”
The Mahabharata was written this way. When Gaṇeśas quill broke from so much writing he broke off one of his tusks to continue—sacrificing a part of himself for a higher purpose.
So then we can also ask ourselves what sacrifices are we willing to make and for what end? Do we sacrifice eating sweet treats to increase our health? Do we sacrifice eating meat to save animals lives? Do we move slower to save ourselves being rushed and stressed?
The list of our own sacrifices is personal but worth reflecting on, especially if we can add a higher purpose to the end result. Ultimately it is a practice and the process of learning is constant and while we shouldn’t lose our head over it when things aren’t going our way it can be reassuring to know that in the end the sacrifices we make or the obstacles we are trying to overcome will be worth it in the end.
– Doug Whittaker