Sri Ganesh - Lord of the Muladhara Chakra

Tradition describes thirty-two images of Ganesha. He may appear seated in the attitude of royal ease, standing, or in a dancing pose. He may have four, six, eight, or more arms and several heads; his hands may hold a variety of symbolic objects:  his broken tusk, a conch shell, a bowl of sweet cakes (modaka), fruits, red or yellow flowers, books, writing implements, and weapons.

Commonly he wields a noose, symbolic of his gentle restraint of the mind, and an elephant goad, his "fierce" weapon, used to remove obstacles from his devotees' path and to drive them in the right direction. The vitarka mudra, or hand gesture of teaching, with the thumb and index finger forming a circle, is associated with Ganesha. He also typically has one hand raised, palm outward, in a reassuring gesture (varadahasta mudra) meaning "Don't worry."

Patron of literature, Ganesha is a scribe who helped put the Mahabharata, India's massive oral epic, into writing. The act of writing is a threshold activity, and Ganesha removes the obstacles involved in the transmission from thought or speech into a written medium.

He is lord of the muladhara chakra, the subtle energy center at the base of the spine, the seat of instinct, memory, and will. In this chakra the kundalini power, envisioned as a coiled serpent, lies dormant until it is awakened and rises upward to the sahasrara or crown chakra, producing enlightened consciousness.

Although he is said to be celibate, Ganesha is often depicted with two consorts, Buddhi (discriminating wisdom) and Siddhi (success, fulfillment, attainment), which are aspects of his being, his shaktis or powers.

Each part of Ganesha's body is symbolic. The sacred syllable OM written in Sanskrit resembles a profile of Ganesha's head with its curved trunk; hence his trunk is a symbol of the sound from which the world was created. With his large ears Ganesha hears the prayers of all; yet he does not always give his true devotees what they ask for, but gives them what they need for their spiritual progress.

His huge potbelly and insatiable appetite for food demonstrate the abundance of his life-giving energy. Ganesha is extraordinarily fond of modaka, sweet balls made of rice or wheat flour, symbolizing the immortality-bestowing, bliss-giving nectar at the crown chakra. His belly is like the vast expanse of space, holding countless modakas, or human souls. 

Jai Shri Ganesha