गणेश (gaṇeśa) is a Sanskrit word meaning an epithet of Shiva, an eminent person in a group, a class of Siddhas, name of a renowned astronomer of the 16th century, a son of Rama-deva, a disciple who is put in charge of a few others. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 6 contexts, among them The God Ganesha, Historical Persons named Ganesha, A Class of Beings or Siddhas.
Etymology
E. गण a troop or class (of deities attendant upon SIVA,) and ईश lord or master
The god of wisdom and obstacles, son of Shiva and Parvati, represented as an elephant-headed deity
(H3) [Printed book page 343,2] गणे (gaṇe)श (śa)am. (= °ण-नाथ (°ṇa-nātha)) N. of the god of wisdom and of obstacles (son of Śiva and Pārvatī, or according to one legend of Pārvatī alone; though Gaṇeśa causes obstacles he also removes them; hence he is invoked at the commencement of all undertakings and at the opening of all compositions with the words नमो गणे (gaṇe) (namo gaṇe)श (śa)ाय विघ्ने (śāya vighne)श (śa)्वराय (śvarāya); he is represented as a short fat man with a protuberant belly, frequently riding on a rat or attended by one, and to denote his sagacity has the head of an elephant, which however has only one tusk; the appellation Gaṇeśa, with other similar compounds, alludes to his office as chief of the various classes of subordinate gods, who are regarded as Śiva's attendants; cf.Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) pp. 48 , 62 , 79 , 392 , 440 ; he is said to have written down the Mahābhārata (Title) as dictated by Vyāsa, Mahābhārata (Title) i, 74 ff. ; persons possessed, by Gaṇeśa are referred to, Yājñavalkya (Author) i, 270 ff. ) [ID=62631]
1. Chief of Shiva attendants. 2. The god of wisdom, remover of obstacles, and son of Shiva and Parvati. 3. An epithet of Shiva.
गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 081-2] गणेश (gaṇeśa) gaṇa‿īśa, m. chief of Śivaʼs attendants, Gaṇeśa, god of wisdom, remover of obstacles, son of Śiva and Pārvatī; also ep. of Śiva. [ID=6797]
— Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary
1. An epithet of Shiva.
2. The deity of wisdom and remover of obstacles, son of Shiva and Parvati, represented as an elephant-headed man and chief of Shiva's attendant deities.
गण (gaṇa)ेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 278] गण (gaṇa)ेश (gaṇeśa) m. (-शः (-śaḥ))
1 A name of ŚIVA.
2 GAṆEŚA the son of ŚIVA and PĀRVATĪ; he is the deity of wisdom, and remover of obstacles, whence in the commencement of all undertakings, the opening of all compositions, &c. he receives the reverential homage of the Hindus. He is represented as a short fat man, with the head of an elephant; and the present appellation, with other similar compounds, alludes to his office as chief of the various classes of subordinate gods, who are regarded as ŚIVA'S attendants.
E. गण (gaṇa) a troop or class (of deities attendant upon ŚIVA), and ईश (īśa) lord or master.
[ID=13061]
— Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary
1. A name of Shiva.
2. Ganesha.
गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 242-b] गणे-श (gaṇe-śa)(शः) ((śaḥ)) 1. m. A name of Shiva; his son Ganesha. [ID=12513]
— Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary
an epithet of Ganapati, son of Shiva
गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 230-17] गण-ईश (gaṇa-īśa)m. a name of Gaṇapati, Śiva’s son, Yaj. i.271. [ID=11510]
— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary
1. An epithet of Shiva.
2. Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, revered as the deity of wisdom and remover of obstacles.
गण (gaṇa)ेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 229-a] गण (gaṇa)ेश (gaṇeśa)
m. (-शः (-śaḥ))
1. A name of SIVA.
2. GANESA, the son of SIVA and PARVATI; he is the deity of wisdom, and remover of obstacles, whence in the commencement of all undertakings, the opening of all compositions. &c. he receives the reverential homage of the Hindus. He is represented as a short fat man with the head of an elephant; and the present appellation, with other similar compounds, alludes to his office as chief of the various classes of subordinate gods, who are regarded as SIVA'S attendants.
E. गण (gaṇa) a troop or class (of deities attendant upon SIVA,) and ईश (īśa) lord or master.
[ID=13054]
— Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary
1. An epithet of Shiva.
2. The son of Shiva and Parvati, and god of wisdom.
गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 0250-a] गणेश (gaṇeśa)gaṇeśa,i. e.gaṇa-īśa,m.1.
A name of Śiva, MBh. 3, 1629. 2.
Ganeśa, the son of Śiva and Pārvatī,
god of wisdom, MBh. 1, 74.
[ID=4296]
— Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary
the god Ganesha, also an epithet of Shiva
गण (gaṇa)ेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 146] गण (gaṇa)ेश (gaṇeśa)m. the god Ganeśa (lit. the lord of the hosts or troops, cf.गण (gaṇa)), also E. of Śiva. [ID=9198]
— Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary
a god who wrote the Mahabharata
गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 297-1] Gaṇeśa1, a god. § 4 (Anukram.): I, 1, 74, 79, 83 (wrote
the Mhbhr.); IV, 1; V, 1. Cf. Gaṇanāyaka, Gaṇeśāna,
Heramba, Vighneśa.
[ID=4028]
— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata
1. Vinayaka. 2. The leader of the Shiva ganas.
गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 1-506] Gaṇeśa — is Vināyaka (s.v.); sprung out of Kāmeśvara, thought of by Lalītā; destroyed Bhaṇḍa's1 followers and filled the Śakti host with enthusiasm. Killed Gajāsura (s.v.). His riding animal was rat. Lalitā honoured him as the first Page1-507+ 35 to be worshipped among gods;1 was Nikumbha in whose honour Divodāsa built a temple.2 The head of a Śiva gaṇa who sports in sidda-kṣetras, Rathyas, desolate gardens and places where there are children, the mad and others. Icons of;3 origin in an ele- phant-faced doll made by Pārvatī from the oil and dirt scraped off her body in the course of an oil bath; cast into Ganges where he grew in size and became Gāngeya.4 [Footnote: 1) Bhā. III. 41. 37-41: 42. 2 and 33: 43. 18 and 31: 44. 70. Br. IV. 27. 72-104: 44. 67.]
[Footnote: 1) Bhā. III. 41. 37-41: 42. 2 and 33: 43. 18 and 31: 44. 70. Br. IV. 27. 72-104: 44. 67.]
[Footnote: 2) Br. III. 67. 55.]
[Footnote: 3) M. 23. 38 and 84: 154. 524, 533-41: 250. 25, 259. 23.]
[Footnote: 4) M. 154. 502-5.] [ID=3999]
— The Purana Index
Historical Persons named Ganesha
3 definitions3
Name of a renowned astronomer of the 16th century
N. of a renowned astronomer of the 16th century [ID=62635]
m. pl. (= विद्ये (vidye)श (śa) or °श (śa)्वर (°śvara)) a class of Siddhas (with Śaivas), Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi (Title) i, 11, 857 ff. [ID=62634]
attendants of Shiva who previously pleased Shankara through religious study and pilgrimages
[Printed book page 1-507] Gaṇeśas — formerly men who by brahmacarya and pil- grimages pleased Śankara and attained this status; very dear to Śiva; Pārvatī's first view of them; their habits and food; Vīraka, (s.v.) one of them attracted Pārvatī's atten- tion. M. 154. 522. to 41. [ID=4000]
— The Purana Index
An epithet of Shiva
2 definitions2
an epithet of Shiva
N. of Śiva, Mahābhārata (Title) iii, 1629 [ID=62632]
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Definitions on this page come from 11 works:
Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872), Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary, The Purana Index, Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.