Description

The name Ganesha(Ganesh) is a Sanskrit compound, joining the words Gana, meaning a group, multitude, or categorical system and isha, meaning lord or master. The word gaṇa, when associated with Ganesha, is often taken to refer to the gaṇas, a troop of semi-divine beings that form part of the retinue of Shiva, Ganesha’s father. The term more generally means a category, class, community, association, or corporation. Some commentators interpret the name “Lord of the Gaṇas” to mean “Lord of Hosts” or “Lord of created categories”, such as the elements. Ganapati a synonym for Ganesha, is a compound composed of gaṇa, meaning “group”, and pati, meaning “ruler” or “lord”.