Thirty-two forms of Ganesha are mentioned frequently in devotional literature related to the Hindu god Ganesha.[1][2][3] The Ganesha-centric scripture Mudgala Purana is the first to list them.[4]
Detailed descriptions are included in the Shivanidhi portion of the 19th-century KannadaSritattvanidhi. There are also sculptural representations of these thirty-two forms in the temples at Nanjangud and Chāmarājanagar (both in Mysore district, Karnataka), done about the same time as the paintings were done and also at the direction of the same monarch.[5] Each of the thirty-two illustrations is accompanied by a short Sanskrit meditation verse (dhyānaśloka), written in Kannada script. The meditation verses list the attributes of each form. The text says that these meditation forms are from the Mudgala Purana.
In his review of how the iconographic forms of Ganapati shown in the Sritattvanidhi compare with those known from other sources, Martin-Dubost notes that the Sritattvanidhi is a recent text from South India, and while it includes many of Ganesha's forms that were known at that time in that area it does not describe earlier two-armed forms that existed from the 4th century, nor those with fourteen and twenty arms that appeared in Central India in the 9th and 10th centuries.[6]
Ramachandra Rao says that:
The first sixteen of the forms of Gaṇapati shown [in the Sritattvanidhi] are more popularly worshipped under the name shoḍaśa-gaṇapati. Among them, the thirteenth, viz. Mahāgaṇapati, is especially widely worshipped. There is a tāntrik sect which is devoted to this form. Śakti-gaṇapati, Ucchishṭa-gaṇapati and Lakshmī-gaṇapati are also tāntrik forms, which receive worship which is cultic and esoteric. Heraṃba-gaṇapati is popular in Nepāl.
Some of the details of the descriptions, such as the colors to be used in meditation upon the form, are taken from the meditation verses and may not correspond exactly to the pictures.
Adorned with a garland of tender flowers, having plantain (banana), mango, jack fruit, sugarcane and sweets (modaka) in His hands and who is effulgent like the rising sun [7] (red color).
"Carrying in His hands the noose, hook, rice-cake, guava fruit, rose apple, own (broken) tusk, bunch of corn ears (paddy) and sugarcane and who vividly shines forth with His brilliant youthfulness"[8] (Red Color).
(According to the Mudgala Purana version, kadubu - an edible specific to Lord Ganapati is mentioned instead of rice-cake).
Described as “ the Lord of His devotees and who shines like the autumn moon, with coconut, mango, plantain (banana), jaggery and sweets in his hands."[9]
(White Colour)
"Armed with Bhetala, the weapon of power(shakti), arrow, bow, wheel(Chakra or discus), sword, club, hammer, mace, hook, nagapasha (serpent noose), spear, plough, and the shining axe."[10] (Red Colour).
(According to the Mudgala Purana version, flag is mentioned instead of plough).
He is red in colour. He has four arms. His low right hand shows the movement of lack of fear (abhaya); the two others wear the elephant goad and the noose; the last hand, who holds a lemon, embraces the goddess. With the top of his trunk, Shakti Ganapati holds a cake.
He has four heads and four arms. He is white in colour. His hands hold the rosary, the washing pot (kamandalu), the walking-stick of an ascetic or the ritual spoon (sruk) and the manuscript on palm-leaves (pustaka).
Siddhi Gaṇapati
Ganapati bestowing success(Siddhi) or "The Accomplished Ganapati"
atha siddhagaNapatidhyAnaM || mudgalapurANE ||
pakvacUtaPalapuShpamaMjarI |
mikShudaMDatilamOdakaisvaha |
udvahanvarashumastu tE namashrI samRuddhiyutahEmapiMgaLa ||7|| piMgaLavarNaH
Fond of the sesame cake. He has four arms. He is golden in colour. His hands hold the axe, the noose, the sugar-cane stem and the mango.
He has six arms. He is blue in colour. His hands show the rosary, the pomegranate, the paddy ear (shalyagra), the nocturnal lotus, the lute (vîna); his sixth hand sometimes bears a guñja berry, embraces the goddess. The Ucchista Ganapati trunk is placed on the goddess's thigh.[citation needed]
He has eight arms. He is golden in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the disc, the arrow-flowers, the hatchet, the conch, the sugar-cane stem, the noose, the elephant goad. With the tip of his trunk, he carries a bunch of flowers (pushapamañjari)
Kshipra Gaṇapati
"Ganapati who is easy to Appease" or "Quick-acting Ganapati"
He has four arms. He is red in colour. His hands show the single tusk, the elephant goad, the creeper of the votive tree (kalpalatâ), the noose. With the end of his trunk, he carries the stone cup full of precious stones (ratnakumbha).
The five-headed Ganapati riding the lion. He has ten arms. He is dark in colour. His first hand shows the movement of lack of fear (abhaya), the others hold the rosary, the citron, the club, the elephant goad, the noose, the axe, the kadabu cake, the single tusk; his tenth hand shows the movement which bestows boons (varada).
Lakshmī-gaṇapati/ Śri Gaṇapati
"Ganapati the Fortunate" similar to Goddess Lakshmi
Embracing his wives Siddhi (Achievement) and Buddhi (Wisdom). He is white (fair) in colour. He has eight arms. His hands hold a pomegranate, a sword, the creeper of the votive tree, the elephant goad, the parrot, the noose, the jewel pot; his eighth hand bestows boons (varada).
With a shakti, He has ten hands. He is red in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the pomegranate, the club, the sugar-cane bow, the disc, the conch, the noose, the nocturnal lotus, the paddy ear, the jewels pot.
Riding a rat which trots at a smart pace, He has four arms. He is red in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the elephant goad, the noose and the mango.
Dancing under the boon-tree, He has four arms. He is golden in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the elephant goad, the noose, the axe (parashu) or the hatchet (kuthâra). The dhyâna sloka specifies that one of the four hands can show a cake apûpa.
Seated with his Shakti on his left thigh, He has eight arms. He is golden in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the arrow-flower, the daylight lotus, the blue lily (kalhara), the sugar-cane bow, the paddy ear, the club; his last hand claps the goddess. The extremity of his trunk is rolled around the right breast of the goddess.
He has four arms. He is red in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the elephant goad, the noose and the cake modaka. Sometimes, he wears, with the extremity of his trunk (bîjapûra).
With a shakti seated on his left thigh, He has four arms. He is red in colour. His first three hands hold the elephant goad, the skull filled with liquor (madhumatkapâla) and the noose. The fourth hand creeps between the thighs of the goddess who holds a lotus and a banner.
He has six arms. He is red in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the elephant goad, the lotus, the creeper of the votive tree (kalpalatâ), the noose, the lemon.
With his Shakti seated on his left thigh, He has twelve arms. He is red in colour. His hands hold the single tusk, the club, the nocturnal lotus, the noose, the paddy ear, the elephant goad, the washing pot (kamandalu), the sugar-cane bow, the disc, the daylight lotus, the conch and the pomegranate. His trunk is placed on the top of the goddesse's breast or, sometimes, maintains a jewels pot (manikumbha).
Ganapati seated on a large lotus with his Shakti. He removes the impediment. He has four arms. He is white in colour. His first hand show the movement to bestow boons (varada); the three others hold the elephant goad, the noose and the bowl of sugaredrice (pâyasapâtra).
Ḍhuṇḍhi Gaṇapati
"The Ganapati Sought After"
dhuMDigaNapatidhyAnaM || mudgalapurANE ||
akShamAlAM kuThAraM ca |
ratnapAtraM svadaMtakaM |
dhattE karairviGnarAjO |
dhuMDinAmA mudestu naH ||26|| aucityAdraktavarNaH
He has four arms. His hands hold the single tusk, the rosary (rudrAkSha), the hatchet (kuthâra) (an axe ) and the pot of jewels (ratnapâtra). (Red Color).
Dvimukha Gaṇapati
"Two-faced Ganapati"
atha dvimuKagaNapatidhyAnaM | mudgalapurANE |
svadaMtapAshAMkusharatnapAtraM |
karairdadhAnO harinIlagAtraH |
ratnAMshukO ratnakirITamAlI |
bhUtyai sadA bhavatu mE dvimuKO gaNEshaH | hasuruvarNaH
He holds in his hands his own tusk, a noose, a hook and a pot full of gems. His body complexion is greenish blue and he is wearing a red colored robe. A gem studded crown embellishes his head.
He has six arms. He carries in two of his right hands very sharp elephant goad, a rudrâksha rosary and is holding another hand in boon bestowing gesture (varada). He carries in two of his left hands a noose, an urn full of celestial nectar (amruta) - ambrosia pot (amritakumbha) and is holding another hand in gesture of bestowing fearlessness (abhaya). He is seated on shining golden throne with lotus in the center. He has three eyes with elephantine face and he effulgent like the flame of forest flower (bastard teak/butea frondosa). (Red color).
Siṇha Gaṇapati
"The Lion Ganapati".
atha siMhagaNapatidhyAnaM | mudgalapurANE |
vINAM kalpalatAmariM ca varadA dakShE vidhattE karai
vAsamE tAmarasaM ca ratnakalashaM sanmaMjarIM cAbhayaM |
shuMDAdaMDalasanmRugEMdravadanaM shaMKEMdugaurashshubhO |
dIvyadratnanibhAMshukOgaNapatiH pAyadapAyatsa naH ||29|| shvEtavar^NaH
He has eight arms. He is white in colour He is holding in his right hands a vîna (Indian lute), a creeper of votive tree - kalpavRukSha ( Tree which can cure all diseases), a discus and another held in a gesture of granting boons (varada). He is holding in his left hands a lotus, a pot of gems, a flower bunch and another held in a gesture of granting fearlessness (abahaya). He is lion faced with an elephant trunk and shining. His body is shining like a white conch and moon. He is wearing a gem studded shining robe.
He has four arms. He is red in colour. His legs are surrounded with the meditation girdle (yogapatta). He is engrossed in yoga and is strapped in a yoga posture. He looks beautiful and shines like the rising morning sun. He is adorned with a colored robe which is shining like blue sapphire. His hands hold the rosary, the elbow-rest or the walking-stick (a yoga wand), the noose and the sugar-cane stalk.
Durga Gaṇapati
"Ganapati the Invincible" similar the Goddess Durgâ.
His body glows like burnished gold (Golden Color). He has eight hands and massive body. He is holding a shining hook (Ankush), an Arrow, a rosary and a tusk with the four hands on the right side. He is holding a noose, a bow, a wish bestowing creeper and Rose Apple (Eugenia Jambolana) with the four hands on the left side. He is dressed in red clothes.
(According to another version, the Arrow is replaced by a noose)
He has four arms. He is effulgent like the rising red sun (Red in Color). He has his wife (shakti) - who is carrying a beautiful lotus, glowing with radiance and bejeweled - sitting on his left lap. He is carrying in one of his right hand a hook (Ankusha) and with the other bestowing boon(varada). He is carrying in one of his left hand a rope(noose) and with the other a vessel brimming with sweet soup (Payasam). He is seated on a Red Lotus and wearing a blue robe.
(According to another version, the varada gesture and vessel of Payasam is replaced by the broken tusk and the rose-apple fruit.)
^For color reproductions of the 32 Ganapati pictures from the Sri Tattvanidhi see: Rao, pp. vi-ix.
^For a description of the Ganapati forms based on personal inspection of one of the Mysore originals, see: Martin-Dubost, pp. 120-123, 376.
^Line drawings of the 32 meditation forms along with the Sanskrit descriptions appearing in the Śrītattvanidhi are given in: Glory of Ganesha (Central Chinmaya Mission Trust: Bombay, 1995), pp. 85-118. The same set of drawings but with some substitutions in order and naming appears in John A. Grimes, Ganapati: Song of the Self, SUNY Series in Religious Studies (State University of New York Press: Albany, 1995) ISBN0-7914-2440-5.
Chinmayananda, Swami (1987). Glory of Ganesha. Bombay: Central Chinmaya Mission Trust.
Annals of the Mysore Royal Family, Part II. Mysore: Government Branch Press. 1922.
Gopal, R.; Prasad, S. Narendra (2004). mummaDi kRuShNarAja oDeyaru - oMdu cAriTrika adhyana ( Mummadi Krsihnaraja Wodeyar- a Historic Study). Karnataka: Directorate of Archeology and Museums.
Grimes, John A. (1995). Ganapati: Song of the Self. SUNY Series in Religious Studies. Albany: State University of New York Press. pp. 52, 59–60. ISBN0-7914-2440-5.
Heras, H. (1972). The Problem of Ganapati. Delhi: Indological Book House.
Martin-Dubost, Paul (1997). Gaņeśa: The Enchanter of the Three Worlds. Mumbai: Project for Indian Cultural Studies. ISBN81-900184-3-4.
Ramachandra Rao, S. K. (1992). The Compendium on Gaņeśa. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications. ISBN81-7030-828-3. Contains color plate reproductions of the 32 Ganapati forms reproduced from the Sri Tattvanidhi.
Thapan, Anita Raina (1997). Understanding Gaņapati: Insights into the Dynamics of a Cult. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers. ISBN81-7304-195-4.
Wodeyar, Mummadi Krsihnaraja (1997). Sritattvanidhi. Oriental Research Institute, University of Mysore.
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