LORD GANESHA KETU AND MOKSHA

LORD GANESHA GANESHA – KETU – AND MOKSHA
The traditional literature also explains the reason why Ketu is said to represent Lord Ganesha and is associated with the department of Moksha as its karaka.
Goddess Parvati created a clay model of a baby boy and infused life into it. She then ordered him to stand guard while she had her ablutions. Lord Shiva who returned home was stopped by this boy from entering the house. Infuriated with this act, Lord Shiva killed the boy by severing his head with his Trishul , without realizing that after all the boy was his own son as it was Goddess Parvati who had created him out of clay and infused life in him. When Goddess Parvati learnt of her son’s death, she demanded that the boy be brought back to life. Lord Vishnu then ordered that the head of the first visible living being be brought for bringing back the life in the child. The first available living being was Iravata , a white elephant, whose head was severed and brought back to revive the dead child of Parvati, and is thus also called Gajapathy. Lord Vishnu placed the head of the elephant and revived the child back to life and named him Ganesha.
As it was Lord Vishnu who gave life to Ganesha, the entire focus or Dhyana of Lord Ganesha is on Maha Vishnu. Hence, Lord Ganesha is known to naturally give the gati for Moksha to any individual who prays to him. Since the body of the baby boy was made out of clay and later on life infused in it by Goddess Parvati, Ketu is also associated with our physical body. Since Ganesha got the head of an elephant, Ketu, whenever placed in Sagittarius, is known to have assumed the Gajendra Rupa. Similarly, Ketu is said to assume the head of the animal indicated by the respective planet when placed in their respective houses, for example – when placed in the house of Mars it is said to assume the head of Markata or a monkey.KETU – PANCHA TATWA & VEDASBrihaspati (Jupiter) rules the Aakasha Tatwa and this Akash Tatwa, in turn has the deity Maha Vishnu in the teachings of Maharishi Parasara. Being the ruler of Pisces, Brihaspati is the overlord of the department of Moksha and as Indra rides Gajendra the elephant. Lord Ganesh who is called Gajapathy due to his elephant head, is the natural karaka for Moksha as he is always in Dhyana of Vishnu. Ketu assumes the Gaja Rupa when placed in Dhanu (Sagittarius) – a rasi owned by Jupiter, and as it represents Ganesha, becomes the natural/Naisargika karaka for Moksha. Therefore, Ketu is a great benefic planet for the purpose of Moksha Gati. Thus, Ketu as Lord Ganesha represents the Aakasha Tatwa so far as Moksha Gati is concerned.
The further divisions of the Tatwa and their relativity with Ketu in its various forms are rendered in the form of the Four Vedas – the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. In the scheme of the relativity of the Tatwa with the Vedas and the four other forms of Ketu, Sun and Moon being the luminaries – the Atma and Mana respectively, are exempt from consideration. Rahu too is left out as he is responsible for rebirth due to desires and is opposed to Moksha. The further four divisions and the forms are detailed in the following table and the pictures: