Ganeshwara
Pra Pikanesworn, or, Lord Ganesha, ( he is also sometimes named Vinayaka, which means ” prominent leader”, is the Brahmin/Hindu Deity of Wisdom, as well as of completion in the areas of profession (especially the Arts and Performance), literature and worldly success. He is possibly derived from an Animistic deity, perhaps Dravidian Sun God. His wives/Consorts are; Bharati, Riddhi and Siddhi.
Lord Ganesha is a benevolent Deity, promising success, prosperity, and peace He is normally revered and called upon before entering into any kind of endeavour or business enterprise. He is responsible for success and failure, removing or creating obstacles as necessary.
His rounded belly symbolizes a vessel of prosperity. The Elephant’s head is a symbol of Wisdom, and the ability to listen to people who seek help
While Ganesha is popularly considered to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic myths relate several different versions of his birth. These include versions in which he is created by Shiva, by Parvati, by Shiva and Parvati, or in a mysterious manner that is later discovered by Shiva and Parvati. He is one of 5 most popular Deities in the Hindu Brahman religions; Namely Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Uma (Parvati/Kali) and Ganesha (Ganeshvara – พระพิฆเนศวร).
Ganesha has an official number of 32 different forms of manifestation, some red, yellow, white etc in color, some with many arms, ranging from 2 to 16 armas in general. He normally holds an axe, a lotus, a scheptre and a conical ornament, as well as a great variety of other ceremonial instruments and weapons, depending on the number of arms he has. In the commonly seen 4 armed version he will normally be holding a shell, in another a Chakra disc, in the third a club or a sweet cake and in the fourth a water lily. Pra Pikanesworn is called upon forst before all other Deities in Ceremonial rites.
The race between Ganesha and his Brother
Once there was a competition between Ganesha and his brother as to see who could circumambulate the three worlds faster and hence win the fruit of knowledge. Skanda went off on a journey to cover the three worlds while Ganesha simply circumambulated his parents. When asked why he did so, he answered that his parents Shiva and Parvati constituted the three worlds and was thus given the fruit of knowledge.
Lord Ganesh – A Children’s Tale
How ganesha got his Elephant’s head
Lord Ganesha is said to have been the son of Parvati and Shiva, but there are differing sources, some of them indicate different origins. His task in life was to guard his mother and once while doing so he foolishly failed to recognize Shiva himself who had come seeking his consort. Trying to defend his mother’s bath, Lord Ganesha was beheaded by Shiva who later was persuaded by Parvati to revive him. He promised Lord Ganesha that he should have the head of the first creature who happened along. An elephant was the first animal which was able to be found. Elephants are considered to be the wisest of all animals, so Shiva took it’s head and used it to replace the missing head of Lord Ganesh.
In the Shiva Purana the story goes as follows – while his mother Parvati wanted to take a bath, there were no attendants around to guard her and stop anyone from accidentally entering the house. Hence she created an image of a boy out of turmeric paste which she prepared to cleanse her body (turmeric was used for its antiseptic and cooling properties), and infused life into it, and thus Ganesha was born. Parvati ordered Ganesha not to allow anyone to enter the house, and Ganesha obediently followed his mother’s orders. After a while Shiva returned from outside, and as he tried to enter the house, Ganesha stopped him. Shiva was infuriated at this strange little boy who dared to challenge him. He told Ganesha that he was Parvati’s husband, and demanded that Ganesha let him go in. But Ganesha would not hear any person’s word other than his dear mother’s. Shiva lost his patience and had a fierce battle with Ganesha. At last he severed Ganesha’s head with his trishula. When Parvati came out and saw her son’s lifeless body, she was very angry and sad. She demanded that Shiva restore Ganesha’s life at once.
Unfortunately, Shiva’s trishula was so powerful that it had hurled Ganesha’s head very far off. All attempts to find the head were in vain. As a last resort, Shiva approached Brahma who suggested that he replace Ganesha’s head with the first living being that came his way which lay with its head facing north. Shiva then sent his celestial armies (Gana) to find and take the head of whatever creature they happened to find asleep with its head facing north. They found a dying elephant which slept in this manner, and after its death took its head, attaching the elephant’s head to Ganesha’s body and bringing him back to life. From then on, he was called Ganapathi, head of the celestial armies, and was to be worshipped by everyone before beginning any activity.
4 armed Ganesha holding the lotus, axe, and wip
Kata Pra Pikanes (Ganesh Mantra) คาถา พระพิฆเนศวร
Om Chaananam Bhutakanaatisewidtam Gabidhata Chambhupala Caruphaksanam Umaasudtam Soekawinaasa Kaarakam Namaami Wikanesawaaraphaata Bangkacham
Pra Pikanes and the split stomach
Lord Ganesha had a reputation for eating too much. One day after a really big feast, he decided to go out for a ride on his official mounted beast “Mushika”. Ganesh rides on a rat/mouse called Mushika. As they were riding along the path in the evening dusk, a snake appeared and attacked. Ganesh was surprised, as was Mushika, and the Rat reared up throwing Lord Ganesh off his mount, and flinging him on the floor. Ganesha’s swollen Pot Belly split open on impact with the floor, his innards spread all over the floor. But Lord ganesh was crafty enough to stuff his insides back in his stomach and use the snake as a belt to strap his wounds together and hold his innards inside his stomach. Then comes the event that is supposeldy responsible for the loss of ganesha’s Tusk;
Ganesh loses his Tusk
A jeering sound came from above; Ganesha looks up to see the moon making fun of him, insulting him. Lord Ganesh thus broke off one of his tusks, invoiking a spell and inserting it into the tusk, he then throws in into the moon cursing it to be unable to shed light once every cycle.
Another explanation of his missing tusk is that he plucked it out in his dedication to write down the Mahabharata of the Ruesi hermit Sage Vayasa.
He was the Hindu god of learning and the patron father of alphabets and letters, so this may have some foundation in this story.
His Insatiable Appetite
Another story, taken from the Purana, tells that the treasurer of Svarga (paradise) and the god of wealth, Guberan, went one day to Mount Kailash in order to receive the darshan (vision) of Shiva. Since he was extremely vain, he invited Shiva to a feast in his fabulous city, Alakapuri, so that he could show off to him all of his wealth. Shiva smiled and said to him: “I cannot come, but you can invite my son Ganesha. But I warn you that he is a voracious eater.” Unperturbed, Guberan felt confident that he could satisfy even the most insatiable appetite, like that of Ganesha, with his opulence. He took the little son of Shiva with him into his great city. There, he offered him a ceremonial bath and dressed him in sumptuous clothing. After these initial rites, the great banquet began. While the servants of Guberan were working themselves to the bone in order to bring the portions, the little Ganesha just continued to eat and eat and eat. His appetite did not decrease even after he had devoured the servings which were destined for the other guests. There was not even time to substitute one plate with another because Ganesha had already devoured everything, and with gestures of impatience, continued waiting for more food. Having devoured everything which had been prepared, Ganesha began eating the decorations, the tableware, the furniture, the chandelier. Terrified, Guberan prostrated himself in front of the little omnivorous one and supplicated him to spare him, at least, the rest of the palace.
“I am hungry. If you don’t give me something else to eat, I will eat you as well!”, he said to Guberan. Desperate, Guberan rushed to mount Kailasa to ask Shiva to remedy the situation. The Lord then gave him a handful of roasted rice, saying that something as simple as a handful of roasted rice would satiate Ganesha, if it were offered with humility and love. Ganesha had swallowed up almost the entire city when Guberan finally arrived and humbly gave him the rice. With that, Ganesha was finally satisfied and calmed.
There is also the story of the Ruesi Parasurama who is supposed to have caused Ganesha to lose his tusk.
Ganesh Mantra
