
Lord Ganesha , Lord of Obstacles ( Vinayaka ) and Remover of Obstacles ( Vighnahara ) , depicted in front of a ShivLing (an aniconic – other than the crescent Moon sliver – representation of His Father) , and peacocks – a bird with which He has association.
Art by Lisha N T
ॐ गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे
कविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम् ।
ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पत
आ नः शृण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम् ॥
Now, I have chosen that particular verse quite deliberately – for it is the most famous Ganesha homage … and in its original RigVedic context, RV II 23 1-2, it exists as a Brihaspati hailing.
Brihaspati, as we have already demonstrated, is a form correlate with Rudra – Rudra being the Father of Lord Ganesha, it is therefore most eminently a case of “Like Father Like Son” !
Hence, with the Moon-Crowned ShivLing in the central midground of the image, it seemed only apt to have such a ‘dual-purpose’ liturgy to be made use of here.
For more upon this particular invocation, I wrote about this earlier –
https://aryaakasha.com/2019/09/03/aum-gananam-tva-ganapatim/
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