Last Updated on May 18, 2020 by
Have you ever noticed that the divine depictions of the Hindu deities always have their hands full with different instruments willing and ready to serve those who will worship them? Always giving. Always ready. Always serving.
Look at Lord Ganesha – he holds an axe, a rope, and a dish of sweets while pouring out blessings to spiritual seekers. What is the spiritual significance of this?
One of the names of Lord Ganesha is Sri Vigneshwara, He Who Removes Obstacles, and in his four armed form we come to understand symbolically how he removes obstacles.
In his four arms he uses the following tools to aid devotees on their spiritual journeys:
- Axe to chop off worldly attachments to objects, situations, people, emotions, and thoughts
- Rope to “rope” your attention in toward the Divine and hold it there, moving you in closer and closer to the self-realization
- Modakas which are sweets to feed the devotees along their paths; this symbolizes the bliss of satisfaction devotees experience as they move closer and closer to their true natures
- Blessing all the while he is pouring out blessings for greater and greater spiritual evolution
This is a beautiful reminder of the spiritual journey. Sometimes it gets rough as our attachments get chopped to pieces. Dwelling on this loss can create mental depression, emotional chaos, and even physical ailments.
In a time of loss, we have a choice – we can move in a direction of worship, or we can plummet deeper into a world of anger, resentment, or addiction. It is highly recommended that this is a time to focus on worship and have the faith that the obstacles in your path will be removed.
Worshiping Lord Ganesha is a sure way to move through your pain, to remove any obstacles in your path, and to make your life exceptional.
Have faith and surrender your past to Him. He will rope your attention in closer and closer, never letting you go.
Like a loving ally, he will feed you the sweet experience of great joy and satisfaction, such that you will not want to ever focus on your painful past again. Then forgiveness sets in, healing you mentally, emotionally and physically.
Have faith in this process. Have faith that the sweetness will find you, even if today it seems the going is rough. Expect great things.