With the bulky legs bent at the knees, the right foot slightly raised,
Ganesha stands with as much grace as is possible for one with such a massive
body. The white faced deity has a pink red-body and eight arms. The
multiple limbs attract attention not only by their sheer number but also by the
attributes. In the two hands held above his shoulders, he holds a long
snake. Besides being associated with Shiva his father, the snake represents
the
kundalini, the cosmic energy coiled at the base of the spine. To arise,
the Kundalini must pass through
seven chakras and the root chakra is
presided over by Ganesha. In the four hands held away from the body, he
holds the lasso, the mace, elephant goad and an axe. In the front two hands
he holds a broken tusk and a modaka. Some myths associated with the damaged
tusk state that he used it to kill a demon, while others insist that he used
it as a writing instrument to pen the epic
Mahabharata.
This description by Kiranjyot.
Paintings
