In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores Ganesha and the traditional understanding of this beloved deity.

Everyone has likely seen an image of Ganapati. He has an elephant head and the body of a six-year-old boy, a body that clearly shows his fondness for sweets. There are many stories about where Ganesha came from, but my personal favorite, and the favorite of Vimalananda, is the story that when Lord Shiva was away meditating in samadhi, his wife Parvati decided to take a bath. In order not to be disturbed, she took some of the dirt from her body, formed it into a small child, and brought it to life. As the Mother of the Universe, she is capable of doing such things.

This story has a connection with Kundalini Shakti. Shiva represents pure awareness, Parvati represents Kundalini Shakti, the earth represents the Earth element, and Ganapati governs the Earth element. Parvati went to bathe, and Ganapati stood outside guarding her door. When Shiva returned and wanted to enter to see his wife, he saw this small boy and asked who he was. Ganapati asked Shiva who he was, and Shiva replied that he was the husband of the woman inside whom he wished to see. Ganapati said that he did not know that and that he had been instructed not to let anyone enter. Shiva insisted, Ganapati refused, and they entered into a great battle.

Shiva, being older, stronger, and more experienced with weapons than a child created from the earth, cut off Ganapati’s head. This created a great disturbance in the universe, and Parvati came out and said, “You have cut off the head of my child. I am going to destroy the cosmos.” Shiva responded that it was not yet time for such a thing and asked how this could be corrected. Parvati said that Ganapati must be brought back to life. Instead of simply restoring his original head, Shiva went out, found an elephant, removed its head, and placed that head on Ganapati’s body.

This is a myth, and like all myths it reveals certain things while leaving other things unexplained. What we can reasonably understand is that at some point a great being or a group of rishis recognized that something needed to be done. It is important to remember that Gana, as in Ganesha or Ganapati, means the groups of beings, and Ganapati means the Lord of the Ganas. Shiva’s ganas are various ethereal beings, some pleasant and some quite troublesome.

It is possible that these beings were creating difficulties for the rishis, their students, and those around them. The rishis may have worked together with the elephant species and created a union that would benefit everyone. In this way, Ganapati became a being who stands between different forms of existence, part human and part elephant, and became the Lord of the Ganas.

It is said that Ganapati originally created obstacles, but now he removes obstacles. Each manifestation of Ganapati throughout India is especially connected with the task of removing obstacles. At the same time, Ganapati is also worshipped as an embodiment of the Supreme Reality.

I am currently in rural Tamil Nadu, and if you search for the Tamil symbol for Om, you will see that the Tamil script for Om resembles the head of an elephant, like the head of Ganapati. He is the embodiment of Om, the embodiment of bringing different beings together, and the embodiment of the combination of the rhythm of Shiva and the melody of Parvati. Ganapati is, in this sense, the song itself.

He is a wonderful and lovable devata, and he can be easily pleased with sweets.