Talk:Ekadanta
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Ekadanta literally means ‘One who has only one tusk’.
Significance of Ekadanta[edit]
Gaṇeśa or Gaṇapati, one of the most popular and widely worshiped deity, has an elephant’s head and a human body. Out of his two tusks, one is full whereas the other is broken. It is because of this that he is known as ‘Ekadanta’. The story goes that he lost his tusk in his fight with Paraśurāma. Symbolically, the broken tusk stands for this impermanent, imperfect world where as the full tusk stands for the perfect.
Ekadanta Iconographically[edit]
In iconographical works, Ekadanta Gaṇapati is shown as a special aspect of Gaṇapati, blue-black in color and with four arms. In them he carries:
- Kuṭhāra - hammer
- Akṣamālā - rosary
- Laḍḍu - sweet preparation
- Danta - his own broken tusk
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore