# गणेश (gaṇeśa)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ganesha

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 — E. gaṇa a troop or class (of deities attendant upon SIVA,) and īśa lord or master
- **SLP1:** `gaReSa`  **IAST:** gaṇeśa  **Devanagari:** गणेश
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ganesha/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### The God Ganesha (10 definitions)
- The god of wisdom and obstacles, son of Shiva and Parvati, represented as an elephant-headed deity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 343,2] गणे (gaṇe) श (śa) a m. (= ° 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.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 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 ]
- 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.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 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 ]
- 1. A name of Shiva. 2. Ganesha.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 242-b ] गणे - श (gaṇe-śa) ( शः ) ((śaḥ)) 1. m. A name of Shiva; his son Ganesha. [ ID=12513 ]
- an epithet of Ganapati, son of Shiva  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 230-17 ] गण - ईश (gaṇa-īśa) m. a name of Gaṇapati, Śiva’s son, Yaj. i.271. [ ID=11510 ]
- 1. An epithet of Shiva. 2. Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, revered as the deity of wisdom and remover of obstacles.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 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 ]
- 1. An epithet of Shiva. 2. The son of Shiva and Parvati, and god of wisdom.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 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 ]
- the god Ganesha, also an epithet of Shiva  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 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 ]
- a god who wrote the Mahabharata  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 297-1 ] Gaṇeśa 1, a god. § 4 (Anukram.): I, 1, 74, 79, 83 (wrote the Mhbhr.); IV, 1; V, 1. Cf. Gaṇanāyaka, Gaṇeśāna, Heramba, Vighneśa. [ ID=4028 ]
- 1. Vinayaka. 2. The leader of the Shiva ganas.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 1-506 ] Gaṇeśa — is Vināyaka (s.v.); sprung out of Kāmeśvara, thought of by Lalītā; destroyed Bhaṇḍa's 1 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 ]

### Historical Persons named Ganesha (3 definitions)
- Name of a renowned astronomer of the 16th century  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a renowned astronomer of the 16th century [ ID=62635 ]
- a son of Rama-deva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a son of Rāma-deva (author of a Comm. on Nalod. ) [ ID=62636 ]
- the author of a commentary called Ciccandrika and son of Vishvanatha-dikshita  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 343,3] of a son of Viśvanātha-dīkṣita and grandson of Bhāvarāma-kṛṣṇa (author of a Comm. called Ciccandrikā) [ ID=62637 ]

### A Class of Beings or Siddhas (2 definitions)
- a class of Siddhas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > 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  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [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 ]

### An epithet of Shiva (2 definitions)
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Śiva, Mahābhārata (Title) iii, 1629 [ ID=62632 ]
- Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Gaṇeśa 2 = Śiva: III, 1629. [ ID=4029 ]

### Cross-references or Etymological Pointers (2 definitions)
- See gana.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 344,1] गण (gaṇa) े (gaṇe) श (śa) b See s.v. गण (gaṇa). [ ID=62741 ]
- See under gaṇa  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > गणेश (gaṇeśa) [Printed book page 0280-a ] Gaṇeśa. See under gaṇa, p. 279. [ ID=17033 ]

### Leader or Chief of a Group (2 definitions)
- an eminent person in a group  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = गण - पुंगव (gaṇa-puṃgava), Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhajjātaka (Title) xiii, 8 [ ID=62633 ]
- a disciple who is put in charge of a few others  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1326,1] m. (with Jainas) a disciple who is put in charge of a few others. [ ID=62637.1 sup ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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, University of Cologne.

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