South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s17.1

c9.s17.1

Ganapati, Ganēsa or Vināyaka, the popular “belly god,” is, as his name indicates, the chief of the Saiva ganas. He is said to be the eldest son of Siva and Pārvatī, to have three eyes, an elephant’s head² and ears and four arms. In the two back hands he holds the hook and the noose and in the front arms an elephant's tusk and the wood-apple. Instead of the two last we may sometimes find the boon-conferring posture and the water-pot. According to the Kāśyapa-Silpa the noose may alternate with the rosary or a serpent. The illustration from Lēpākshi (fig. 107) shows the left lower hand of Ganēsa resting on his thigh. His elephant trunk is curved out in the act of picking up the wood-apple or, sometimes, the pudding. His pot-belly is girded round by a serpent and the sacred thread, which is also a serpent, hangs across the body from over his left shoulder. In the seated posture Ganēsa is represented with one leg hanging from the pedestal and placed on a foot-stool and the other resting on the pedestal. The right tusk of the god is broken and must in no case be shown complete.¹ He rides on a rat or bandicoot. His image may be made standing (fig. 108), seated (fig. 109) or dancing (fig. 110).² In the first position the general bend of the body known as ābhanga or samabhanga may optionally be adopted. While seated, the body is to be slightly bent to the left. Over his head Ganēsa wears the jewelled crown (kiritamakuta) and his hands and legs are fully ornamented.