Ganapati, The Lord of Auspices

A rare form with normal two arms and without any of his usual weapons, much like his father Lord Shiva who is often represented as two-armed, represents a blend of two benign manifestations of Lord Ganesh, namely, Ekadanta – one-tusked, and Lambodara – pot-bellied, one symbolizing ultimate sacrifice, and other, immeasurable store of knowledge. The auspicious image of the elephant god, carved out of the golden hued block of Kadamba wood, has been installed on a most tastefully carved lotus pedestal that his tiny mount mouse, carved along it, seems to carry on it. Sculpted with the finest and most characteristic details, the image holds one of its hands in ‘abhaya’ symbolizing both, freedom from fear and redemption from distress, and with the other, holding a ‘laddu’ – ball of sugar which is positive energy, he is feeding on it his own trunk, the symbol of cosmic existence. In the Shaivite tradition this image of Lord Ganesh is considered as highly auspicious.

The single-tusked Ganesh is invoked by the mantra : ‘Aum ekadantay namah’, that is, we devote ourselves to the one-tusked Lord. This form of Ganesh also has a number of legends associated with it, the most popular being one related to the Moon god. It is said that once Lord Ganesh consumed more ‘laddus’ than his stomach could contain. He hence thought of taking a round in the forest for releasing his tension. Accordingly, mounted on his vehicle mouse he set out but when in mid-forest serpent Vasuki passed across and seeing the serpent his mouse, throwing away Lord Ganesh, fled for life. Lord Ganesh fell and with this his over-loaded stomach burst. He quickly stood up and collected all ‘laddus’ back into his stomach and catching hold of serpent Vasuki tied his stomach with it. The Moon-god relaxing with his wives saw it and could not help laughing. Already irritated Ganesh lost his temper and breaking one of his tusks hurled it on the Moon-god. It was thus that he was left with one tusk. However, more significant are the symbolic dimensions of this form. The one-tusked form of Lord Ganesh is believed to accomplish his devotee's prayer even by sacrificing one of his body parts. Aum ekadantaya namah is the mantra that ends the duality, leads to one-pointed mind and singleness of object.

Not only large-bellied, in his Lambodara manifestation Lord Ganesh has a belly modeled like a pot that in Indian tradition symbolises the universe and the accomplishment of the ‘desired’. Created out of clay – the earth, and the earth-based, containing water and having vertical form extending into space, pot – the ‘ghata’, is believed to synthesize into his being all three cosmic regions, and contain the cosmos and all its treasures. ‘Aum Lambodaray namah’ is the ‘mantra’ by which the devotee invokes the Lambodara Ganapati, the container of the universe. Hence, whoever commemorates the ‘mantra’ has a feeling that he is the universe or that all the universes are within him – as is the tree within the seed. The moment he commemorates ‘Aum’ – the sound of creation that manifests as the visible universe, the universe begins descending into him and he feels that he is the universe. This pot-bellied form of Ganesh stands for oneness of the creation as does his Ekadanta form, and hence the two forms more appropriately blend than do any other forms of the great Lord.

The compassionate Ganesh is sprawling on his lotus seat with his left leg laid flat along the seat’s top, and the right, vertically raised with upwards turned knee, a posture known in the iconographic tradition as ‘utkut akasana’, a form revealing great ease and carefree demeanour : the essential attributes of Lambodara Ganesh who does not believe in destroying, not even for penalising or chastizing a wicked or wrong-doer. For further emphasis on this aspect the artist has conceived this image of the elephant god on human anatomical lines with normal two arms and without an instrument of destruction, or any war-like attribute, not even a helmet. The legs seem to hold the pot-belly – symbolic of his upholding the universe, all riches and the oceans of knowledge, and hands, all that is blissful and benign – the gesture of protection and ‘laddu’, the symbol of positive energy, prosperity and success.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.