GANAPATI – A title or concept
Most Hindus see Ganapati as an alternative name for Ganessa, the elephantheaded son of Siva. Ganapati, literally “father of the ganas (groups),” was a title or concept that first appeared in the Rigveda. During the Vedic period ganas were the metrical groups, each of which had three syllables. The eight ganas represented all the metrical combinations of long and short syllables. A father of these metrical groups, a ganapati, would be a master of the Vedas themselves. By the time of the Aitareya Brahmana, father of the ganas had become … Continue reading