The elephant Faced God

‘Vinayagar’

Hey there Guys..

Hope all of u doing really good. Thanks for joining Saiva Pettakam again. This time around we are going to know more about the elephant headed God. There are many versions of stories are available with our Tamil community to elaborate his creation or simply to explain how Vinayagar was created. As im living in a multi racial country these stories really gave me hard time when I tried to explain to my multiracial friends.

Well the most famous story goes like this.. please watch this  video below.

Wow! Crazy story I would say. Many Hindus believe that Puraná stories should not be questioned or rationalised.  But think about the rationality behind it. Firstly, how could Lord Siva itself was not being able to identify his own son? That actually questions the ability of Supreme Being. then, he chopped of a boy's head. How cruel he could be? How can u say 'God is Love' ? why don't attach back the head that chopped off? Why want to kill another elephant? This story really make us think what was in Lord Siva's Head?

Ask yourself. are you confident in telling this story to someone if they question you about Vinayagar's formation? well, at least i was not ready at all.. 

Once, I was at a temple in Kuala Lumpur. I saw a small cute little boy asking his mom, “Ma.. This gundu(Fat) pillaiyaar is sitting on a small eli (mouse).. Do you think the eli  will die suffocating? ”.  Well, to me it was a good question. Then his mother replied, “hey! Keep quite. Pillaiyaar will poke ur eyes if he knows u asking these kind of questions..” I was speechless. I wondered did vinayagar have ever learned ‘kung fu’? Haizz!! I thought the mom was ridiculous. Unfortunately, most of us are left with this kind of situation. I think its time for us to learn about our very own real religion at least to answer the unstoppable thinkers (toddlers) in our own houses.

A lot of us think Lord Ganesha in Tamil ‘Vinayagar’ is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and his wife Lord Umaiyal. As we learn in the previous article, the Supreme Being in its primitive stage did not posses any forms.

Due to the souls’ inability to understand the Supreme Being, He with all His grace decides to manifest through several forms in order to help and guide souls to better understand the ‘whats?’ and ‘whys?’ Who am I? Who created us? What’s our purpose of life? Why are there other living and non-living organism?

Siddhaandha Saivam scripture, which was practiced by the ancient Tamils’, states God manifest into his very first form in the form of SOUND to connect with the souls. Sound in Tamil is ‘Osai’. Saivism addresses sound as ‘Om’. As an evidence to the fact Sound was the first form supreme being manifested, a saint Arunagirinathar in his Thirupugal quotes, ‘naatha vinthu kalaathi namo nama’.

The sound ‘Om’ consist of three letters in Tamil such as A+U+M. These 3 letters are the short forms of God’s mercy upon souls in 3 aspects, which are Brama, Thirumal and Uruthiran.

As the first form that the Supreme Being manifested was Om, it is also considered as the base to creation of cosmos says Siddhaandha Saivam. Lord Ganesha or Vinayagar is another form of god representing OM. That’s why in Tamil we name Lord Ganesha as Vinayagar. ‘Vi’ brings meaning as ‘World’ and ‘Naayagan’ means ‘Ruler/Leader’. This is also the reason why Lord Vinayagar is said as the source of the creation of the cosmos in several places in the Saivism scriptures.

On the other hand, this also shows the Supreme Being Sivam and Lord Vinayagar are not 2 different gods nor father or son. It’s just a form manifested by the Supreme Being to simplify itself and assist souls to urge with the divine.

The Supreme Being is about Truth, Wisdom and Endless Joy (sattu, sittu, aanandham). To express these three 3 elements the Supreme Being manifest as sound and showcases itself as Vinayagar.

In order to make the ordinaries and even illiterate people to understand our religious Concepts, our ancestors used ‘story telling’ method (puranas). This is how Vinayagar purana was also got its place in the community. One of the purana scriptures by Siddhaandha saivam, ‘kanthapuram’ explains the creation of lord Vinayagar.

It elaborates as, one fine day in a garden the Supreme Being and his Grace Lord Umaiyal place their sight on the sound OM and from that Lord Vinayagar was formed.

Detailed story goes like this.. im going to try to make it as interesting as possible. Hehe.. wink!

So oru oorale.. Once upon a time there was an Asuran. Asuran is a human that is very tough by figure with extremely dark skin. Round eyes with red veins budging, not forgrtting he also had elephant head. So this asuran chanted and prayed to Lord shiva asking for some special powers. The special powers included powers to be immortal. He asked god to grant him powers so that no animals and weapons can destroy him.

Lord Siva pledged one fine day the elephant head asuran with his super power. As soon as he got what he wanted, he started destroying people and devotees with his powers.

Then, the Supreme Being manifested as Vinayagar to enlighten the asuran. Thus the form Vinayagar was created to defeat the asuran’s special power. Vinayagar formed as mixture of various living being; legs short as poothams, asuran’s fat tummy, fair and smooth chest like thevars, shoulders like humans, animal face like elephant. As for the weapon Vinayagar used his tusk to kill the elephant head Asuran.

In another situation an Author of Thirumurai, Thirunyanasambanthar cites “thanathadi valipadum avaridar, kadi kana pathi vara arulinan”. These line precisely describes how the Supreme Being is manifesting as the OM sound through Vinayagar form and showers mercy upon the devotees and souls whom prays and worships Him.

Referring back to the question asked by the small boy at the KL temple, the right answer to that question is even though Vinayagar form looks very fat and heavy, His been seated on small mouse. The mouse does not die because they are not real. These forms are only to elaborate the fact that, the mouse was the elephant head Asuran who had forgotten his ground and emerged into ignorance and thought he is the most superior. The Supreme Being in the form Vinayagar reminds souls like us that regardless what sort of super power we posses, still the Supreme Being is ultimately strongest.

Vinayagar also destruct the Asuran by his tusk. This tusk also symbolises wisdom that Devine energy struck upon the Asuran whom changed his form into the mouse during the war between him and the Supreme Being.

On top of everything, this certainly proofs some our beliefs are severely mistaken and misunderstood. Vastly, hindus belief any mice they found around their house or even some trash can are those similar mouse which is under Vinayagar’s feet.  This thought is entirely false. It is only a symbol of conscious elephant head Asuran.

Since the Supreme Being manifested into His first form as form of sound ‘OM’, up to today that’s the reason why our Tamil community still practices to begin any action by acknowledging Vinayagar.

As in conclusion, real ancient tamils were very clear on the fact that the Supreme Being Sivam is not a different entity or form from Vinayagar. Clearly it was just manifestation of the Supreme Being gradually into different forms to make souls understand the ‘ultimate truth’.

Further more, let us explore more about the ‘sitti’ and ‘putti’. These 2 are the grace of god, which was showcased as two female figures by Vinayagar’s sides. Often people think its his wifes. Some even deliberate that only in Hinduism, all the gods have 2 wives. Siva has a wife Umaiyaal and another unidentified woman on his head Ms.Gangga; murugan also have 2 iccha and kiriya; even thirumaal has bhama and rukmini.

But in real religion sivam, it is clearly said that Vinayagar’s grace exposes itself as sitti and putti. Sitti means victory and putti defines wisdom. Thus, the Supreme Being Sivam when it manifests as sound form through Vinayagar; he showers his blessing upon souls with victory and wisdom.

In another perspective, the Sound Om in its written form in tamil looks similar to an Elephant’s face. This was another reason of why ancient tamils related the Sound Om and vinayagar with an Elephant.

However, now in the modern days these concepts have some how deviated from its origin. The elephants have now became the Supreme Being of Human kind; especially to those whom practicing Hinduism.

Siddhaandha Saivam also stresses on any living organism that under goes life cycle cannot be the Supreme Being. With that said an elephant is just and elephant. It was born in this planet as exactly as us and will die someday like us too.

Lastly, Vinayagar also known for his creativity. As Saivites and practising the real religion of the ancient tamils, we shall not acknowledge or encourage the creativity of sum artists who make innovative statues and paintings of Vinayagar. Only reason for this is innovative figurres as shown below totally exploits the significants that the ancient tamils wanted to stress upon us. These forms and figures does not depict the Quality or the Grace of the Supreme Being. 'sattu', 'sittu' and 'aanandham'.  

That’s all for this episode. I really hope u would have learnt something. Lets change our future generation with rationalising religion to them rather than just preaching Puranas.

Thanks a lot for reading.. Please feel free to leave a comment or any questions u want to ask. Add me also in my social media sites.. my videos will be up soon..

‘Menmai kol saiva neethi, vilangguga ulagam ellam.. ’

Agalya Darma

agalyadarma@gmail.com

Live to INSPIRE!!