Eight Avataras of Lord Ganesha

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Eight Avataras of Lord Ganesha

Lord Ganesha has eight main avataras. Like Sri Hari's ten avataras, Lord Ganesha has eight avataras.

वक्रतुंडावतारश्च देहानां ब्रह्मधारकः
मत्सरासुरहंता स सिंहवाहनगः स्मृतः

The first among these eight avataras is Vakratundavatara. Lord Ganesha took this avatara to destroy an asura called Matsarasura. His vehicle during this avatara was a lion.

एकदंतावतारो वै देहिनां ब्रह्मधारकः
मदासुरस्य हंता स आहुवाहनगः स्मृतः

The second avatara is Ekadanta. Lord Ganesha took this avatara to destroy Madasura. His vehicle in this avatara was a mooshaka.

महोदर इति ख्यातो ज्ञानब्रह्मप्रकाशकः
मोहासुरस्य शत्रुर्वै आहुवाहनगः स्मृतः

Mahodaravatara was taken to destroy Mohasura, and again, the vehicle is a mooshaka.

गजाननः स विज्ञेयः सांख्येभ्यः सिद्धिदायकः
लोमासुरश्च प्रहर्ता वै आखुगश्च प्रकीर्तितः

The fourth avatara of Lord Ganesha is Gajanana. This avatara was taken to destroy Lomasura, with the mooshika as his vahana.

लंबेदरावतारो वै क्रोधासुरनिबर्हणः
शक्तिब्रह्माखुगः सद्यत्तस्य धारक उच्यते

Krodhasura was eliminated by the Lord's fifth avatara, Lambodara. Here, too, his vehicle was a mooshika.

विकटो नाम विख्यातः कामासुर विदाहकः
मयूरवाहनश्चायं सौरब्रह्मधरः स्मृतः

To destroy Kamasura, Ganesha took his sixth avatara, called Vikata, with his vehicle as a peacock.

विघ्नराजावतारश्च शेषवाहन उच्यते
ममतासुरहंता स विष्णुब्रह्मेति वाचकः

Mamatasura was destroyed when the Lord took his avatara as Vighnaraja. In this avatara, his vehicle was the sarparaja Adishesha, Ananta.

धूम्रवर्णावतार्श्चाभिमानासुरनाशकः
आखुवाहन एवाऽसौ शिवात्मा तु स उच्यते

Abhimanasura was destroyed when he took the avatara as Dhumravarna. Again, his vehicle in this avatara was a mooshaka.

Other than the mooshaka, the Lord has three other vehicles: the lion, peacock, and Adishesha.

There is one more aspect to these avataras.

• Vakratundavatara is related to the body (देहानां ब्रह्मधारकः). If you want health, you should pray to the Lord in his Vakratunda bhava.

• Ekadantavatara is related to the dehee – atma – for purity of atma. Atma is always pure, but impurity attaches to it in the form of papa. For removal of papa and relief from it, you should pray to Ekadanta (देहिनां ब्रह्मधारकः).

• Mahodara is ज्ञानब्रह्मप्रकाशकः. For knowledge, you should pray to him – knowledge both worldly and spiritual.

• Gajanana is सांख्येभ्यः सिद्धिदायकः, granting siddhi to philosophers. If your pursuit of spirituality is through analysis, contemplation, and deduction, then you should pray to Gajanana.

• Lambodara is shaktibrahma. He is the lord of ichhashakti, jnanashakti, and kriyashakti – the power of sankalpa, the power of knowledge on how to achieve what is desired, and the physical power to act and achieve that. He is behind all these powers.

• The avatara of the Lord called Vikata is सौरब्रह्मधरः – he is of the form of the sun, life-giving, life-sustaining, light-giving, and darkness-removing. You should pray to Vikata for all these.

• Vighnaraja is both Brahma and Vishnu, both creator and sustainer, and Dhumravarna is Shiva, the samharamurhty.

Knowledge Bank

Are Rishis worried about themselves?

Rishis are not worried about themselves. They are worried about the common man of Kaliyuga. He will be less intelligent and short-lived. He will be overburdened with day-to-day problems. He will lack interest in observing dharma. Rishis are looking for a solution for him.

Who was Achala in Mahabharata?

Achala was Shakuni's brother. Arjuna klled Abala during the battle of Kurukshetra. (M.B Drona Parva Chapter 30 Verse 11)