GanesaAndHisSaktis 
Veeraswamy Krishnaraj

 Parvati and Siva were thinking of becoming in-laws. Who will marry first: Ganesa or Kartikeya? This dilemma plagued the divine couple. They loved both equally. They put them to a test. Whoever accomplishes the challenge first will be the first to marry. Siva asked his sons to do a Pradakshiṇa (circumambulation) around the world. Whoever returns first will be the first to tie the knot.

shiv parivar (shiva family)                                                                                                                                                                                 More:

Siva announced the ‘Go’ order, Kartikeya mounted his Vahana (a peacock) and flew around the world. Ganesa in the mean time thinking a world of his parents circumambulated them seven times when Kartikeya made only one trip around the world.

With assent from his parents, Ganesa, the winner in the race, married Buddhi (Intellect) Siddhi (Spiritual power) and Riddhi (Prosperity). They are the personified Saktis of Ganesa.

In another portrayal, Ganesa was married to Sarasvati. Yet more commonly, Ganesa is portrayed as a Brahmacharin (unmarried). Ganesa Purana calls him Abhīru which has a dual meaning: "Without a woman" and "Not Fearful."

Images show one as Ganesa, two as Ganesa and Sarasvati, three as Ganesa, Siddhi and Buddhi, four as Ganesa, Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi. In one instance, the mind-born daughters of Brahma, Buddhi and Siddhi are given in marriage to Ganesa and seated on his left and right side respectively.  In the north India, Siddhi and Riddhi are the two consorts as depicted in Siva Purana. Matsya Purana depicts Riddhi and Buddhi. Siddhi and Buddhi are the daughters of Prajāpati.  Siddhi and Buddhi had two sons, one each: Kṣemaḥ (Prosperity) and Lābha (Profit) respectively.

Image result for Ravi Varma painting of Murugan on peacock going around the world

Credit: Kalki Dipavali Special 1961. Murugan on his peacock.

These two are feminine emanations of androgynous Ganesa according to the other sacred texts.. Where there is Ganesa Siddhi-Success is followed by Buddhi-Wisdom. The anthropomorphized Siddhi and Riddhi are married to Ganesa. Some describe Siddhi and Buddhi as Ganesa's servants (Dasis) rather than consorts (Patnis).

Yet in another version, Siddhi and Buddhi are his incorporeal Saktis, distinct from his consorts.

Another version states that Ganesa is endowed with eight perfections (Aṣṭasiddhis) anthropomorphized as eight women surrounding Ganesa. Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) painted a portrait Aṣṭasiddhis to this effect.

 

Aṇimā: Atomization of the body

Mahima: Grow body to a humongous size

Garima: Rendering the body heavy

Laghima: Making the body almost weightless

Prāpti: Entry anywhere

Prākāmya: Getting what one wants

Iṣṭva: Exercising Ownership

Vaśtva: Subjugating power

 The Saktis in Hinduism are always feminine These eight Saktis coalesce to become one Sakti in relation to Ganesa

A common depiction is Ganesa with Sarasvati on his lap, both dispensing Buddhi to the devotees. In Bengal, Sarasvati is the brother of Ganesa. In Durga Puja in Bengal, plantain tree dressed in saree with vermillion dabbed on the leaves remains on the right side of Ganesa.  Here the Banana tree is the plant form of Durga.

Durga (A form of Parvati) is the mother of Ganesa.
Another depiction shows Ganesa with Lakshmi on his right side and Sarasvati on his left side: a combined boon of prosperity and learning.
 
 
Image result for Ravi Varma painting of Ganesa with Saraswathi 
Credit: Pinterst. Ganesa with Lakshmi and Sarasvati
 


Sri Mayūreśvara Mandir is a Ganesa Temple in Moragāv or Morgaon in Maharashtra. It is one of the eight temples dedicated to Vinayaka (Ashtavinayaka). Ganesa is the Supreme Being, who killed demon Sindhu.

Around Pune, there are eight Ganesa Temples, of the which the Morgaon Temple is the foremost. The pilgrim circuit begins and ends at Moragāv in the Darshan of the Ashtavinayakas.

He is six-armed and sports a white complexion.

The demon Sindhu was born of Chakrapani and Ugrā who conceived having uttered the solar Mantra. The fetus was so hot in her womb, she had a premature delivery and abandoned the newborn in the ocean. Chakrapani was very upset. Soon a son was born of the abandoned fetus and named Sindhu meaning ocean by the grieving father. The sun-god gave the boy a pot of Amrita with the stipulation it would offer immortality as long as it was not broken. To protect the pot, he swallowed it   

 

Parvati performed Tapas and meditate on Ganesa, who as Parabrahman blessed her to become her son. He was to Parvati and Siva named him Ganesa.  His mount was, no, it is not the rat but a peacock. Ganesa kicked an egg, from which emerged his Vahana, the peacock, earning the eponymous name of Mayūreśvara or Moreshvar.

Sindhu sustained by Nectar of Immortality harassed, humiliated and beat up on the gods, who begged Gunesa to defeat Sindhu. Gunesa decimated Sindhu's army and cut Sindhu's belly open and emptied the pot of panacea. Sindhu was dead. Brahma was exhilarated and built a temple in Moragaav or Morgaon for him and gave Siddhi and Buddha in marriage to Gunesa. As soon as the mission was accomplished Gunesa returned heaven and presented his peacock mount to his younger brother Skanda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfDWazPPxqI     Darshan of Moreshwar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co2Qme1P3Po  The eight Ganesas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtavinayaka