Ganeśa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of BeginningsOxford University Press, 1985 - 274 Seiten Part animal and part intellectual, an image found in virtually every Indian home, Gane'a--the elephant-headed god--is one of the most important and popular gods throughout India and Hindu Southeast Asia. In this, the first comprehensive, full-length study of Gane'a, Courtright covers not merely the mythology but also the ritual, the political uses, and the modern as well as the Vedic manifestations of the god. The book begins with a consideration of the various myths of Gane'a, stories of his birth, his beheading by his father Siva, and his subsequent restoration as the lord who gives, or withholds, success in undertakings. In the end, the author turns to the role Ganesa has played in recent Indian history as the patron deity of some formulations of neotraditionalist values and ideology. Throughout Courtright portrays both the complexity of the deity's many roles and stories and the integrated manner in which they come together. Excerpt from the Preface by Wendy O'Flaherty: "Gane'a has everything that is fascinating to anyone who is interested in religion or India or both: charm, mystery, popularity, sexual problems, moral ambivalence, political importance, the works. One can start from Gane'a and work from there in an unbroken line to almost any aspect of Indian culture." |
Inhalt
The Making of a Deity | 3 |
The Mythology of Gaṇeśa | 17 |
Chapter 3 | 88 |
Urheberrecht | |
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Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
ācārya Ahmadnagar Airāvata appears ascetic asceticism auspicious bath become birth body Bombay Brahma Brāhmaṇic Brahmin British caste child Cincvad context cosmos created Gaṇeśa creation curse darśana defeated deity demon desire devotees divine doorway Draupadi elephant elephant head erotic father Gajasura Ganapati gaṇas Gaṇeśa Gaṇeśa festival Gaṇeśa's beheading Gaṇeśa's origins give goddess gods guardian Hindu honor image of Gaṇeśa Indian Indra king Kṛṣṇa Lord of Obstacles Mahābhārata Maharashtra male māṇḍals mantra Marathi Mārtāṇḍa modaka moon Moragaon Moraya mother mutilation myth of Gaṇeśa mythology Nandin non-Brahmin O'Flaherty offerings Parasurama Pārvatī patron performed Peshwa political priest pūjā Pune Purāṇa Purāņic Rāhu Rāvana recites religious restoration rite ritual role sacred sacrifice sage Śani Sanskrit sexual shrine Śiva Śiva and Pārvatī Śiva's Skanda social songs story symbol temple theme threshold Tilak tion tradition tusk upanayana variant Veda Vedic Vinayaka Vişņu worshipped Gaṇeśa yakṣas