What does a snake around Ganesha’s stomach represent?

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Ganesha's Birthday, falls on the fourth day of Bhadarva Shukla-Paksh in the Hindu calendar, which usually occurs in August or September. Devotees offer milk to the idols of Lord Ganesh both at home and in temples, and they visit Ganesh temples to perform Ganesh Puja. The Mooshak is the divine vehicle associated with Lord Ganesha.

What does a snake around Ganesha’s stomach represent?

Lord Ganesh is very fond of modak. During one of His birthdays, Mata Parvati prepared twenty-one delectable dishes and a generous amount of modak for Him. Ganesha indulged in the feast to such an extent that His ample belly could no longer accommodate it all. Subsequently, he embarked on a nocturnal journey atop His mouse. However, the mouse unexpectedly tripped upon encountering a snake, causing Ganesha to tumble down.

Ganeshji's stomach burst open causing a cascade of sweet puddings to spill out. However, he swiftly gathered them up and reinserted them into his stomach. In addition, he managed to capture a snake and fastened it tightly around his waist. Witnessing this spectacle, the moon in the sky couldn't help but burst into laughter. This inappropriate behavior of the moon greatly infuriated Ganeshji, prompting him to extract one of his tusks and hurl it towards the moon. He then cursed that anyone who dares to gaze at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi will be tarnished with a bad reputation.

The symbolism behind the mouse and snake, as well as Ganesha's large belly and its connection to the moon on his birthday, holds deep philosophical meaning. Ganesha is often referred to as Mahodara, signifying that the entire cosmos resides within his belly. Parvati or Shakti represents the primordial energy. Within Ganesha's cosmic belly, there exist the seven realms above, seven realms below, and seven oceans, all held together by the cosmic energy known as kundalini, symbolized by a massive snake that Ganesha wraps around himself. The mouse, on the other hand, represents our ego. Ganesha, utilizing the mouse as his vehicle, serves as an example of the importance of controlling our ego. Those who have mastered their ego possess Ganesha consciousness or God-consciousness.

The snake is occasionally depicted encircling Ganesha's neck, symbolizing the presence of kundalini, the coiled energy residing at the foundation of our spinal cord.