Gana
Encyclopedia : G : GA : GAN : Gana
In Hinduism, Gaṇas are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailasa. Ganesha was chosen as their leader by Shiva, hence his title Ganapati, "lord of ganas".
The meaning of Gaṇas in Sanskrit is "category." Monier Williams gives "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, class", adding that it can also be used to refer to a "body of attendants".
In Buddhist times, Gaṇass were assemblies of the Sanghas, early democratic republics known as Gaṇa-rājyas, literally "rule of the assembly", a term paralleling demo-kratia or soviet republic. The term was revived in Bhārata Gaṇarājya, the official name of the Republic of India.
Reference
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0500510881) by Anna L. Dallapiccola
External links
- redirect [[Template:Hindu Deities and Texts]]
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