Ganesha's Head
- The most striking feature of Ganesha is his elephant head,
symbolic of auspiciousness, strength and intellectual prowess. All the
qualities of the elephant are contained in the form of Ganpati. The
elephant is the largest and strongest of animals of the forest. Yet he
is gentle and, amazingly, a vegetarian, so that he does not kill to eat.
He is very affectionate and loyal to his keeper and is greatly swayed
if love and kindness are extended to him. Ganesha, though a powerful deity, is similarly loving
and forgiving and moved by the affection of his devotees. But at the
same time the elephant can destroy a whole forest and is a one-man army
when provoked. Ganesha is similarly most powerful and can be ruthless
when containing evil.
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Ganesha's large head is symbolic of the wisdom of the
elephant. His large ears, like the winnow, sift the bad from the good.
Although they hear everything, they retain only that which is good; they
are attentive to all requests made by the devotees, be they humble or
powerful.
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