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jai/jaya: Victory to! Celebration of. An emphatic "Hooray God!"

gaṇesha: The elephant-headed god, son of Shiva and Parvati, who is the lord/leader ("Isha") of Shiva's army ("gaṇa"). Shiva's army is made up of all sorts of strange creatures, huligans of heaven ("gaṇa"), as he will use any means, devious or not, to remove ignorance in the devotee.

gaṇanatha: Another name for Ganesha with similar meaning, as the lord ("natha") of Shiva's army ("gaṇa").

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"And why the elephant head? The principle qualities of the elephant are wisdom and effortlessness. The enormous head of the elephant signifies Wisdom and Knowledge. Elephants don't walk around obstacles, neither are they stopped by them. They just remove them and walk ahead – signifying effortlessness. So, when we worship Lord Ganesha these elephant qualities within us are kindled and we take on these qualities."  ~ The Art of Living


"I pray to the lotus feet of Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, the elephant-headed lord of all creatures, who drinks the juice of the kapittha and jamba fruits, the son of Uma who destroys all sorrows."  ~ traditional prayer


"Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions."  ~ wikipedia

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