Ganesha is the adhipati, the ruler of knowledge and consciousness. Adi Shankaracharya has described Ganesha very beautifully as the one who is never born, one beyond any opinion or idea, one who is formless, one with and without joy, the non-dual one. In the ancient verse of Ganesha Atharvashirsha, he is described as the god who is above, below and everywhere, and the one who exists in all forms.
How can one know Ganesha? Lord Ganesha is the basis and provider of everything and he can be attained through knowledge alone. He is the sacred space within saints and He is also in the heart of the devotee. He is described as the seed of creation; the harbinger of joy; and the lord of all virtues.
There is no place in the world where he is not present. If devotion arises in anyone’s heart it starts with Ganesha. The Symbolism of His Form, for the devotee However, for the bhakta or the devotee, it might be difficult to experience and worship the Nirakaar, the formless.
That’s why the Rishis gave him a beautiful form and the name of a God with an elephant head. Each element in his form signifies something profound. His large stomach has a serpent wrapped around it.
The large size of the stomach signifies generosity and acceptance. He accepts everyone as they are. The serpent signifies alertness or awareness.
When acceptance comes with awareness it brings joy. He is Ekdanta, that is, he has only one tooth. The one tooth signifies single-minded focus.
He has modak in his hand and Mo.