The foetus in the mother's womb has life, its heart beats, but it does not breath, though endowed with a pair of lungs. The foetus has no world. The world appears as its own creation when it comes out of the womb and its prana begins to function through its four agencies, viz., mind, chitham, buddhi and ahamkaram. These four agencies are symbolised in mythology as the four faces of Brahma the creator.

Moochakam (The Thoracic Cavity) enclosing the lungs and fleshy heart is represented by the mouse
as its symbol.

The medulla oblongata which is the controlling authority of breathing and heart beat situated above the thoracic cavity is represented by Ganesha as its symbol. We have noted that medulla oblongata can be identified with Muladhara of which Ganesha is said to be the presiding deity. This is the significance of Ganesha and his mount, the mouse, which is called in Sanskrit 'Mushikam', a corruption of Moochakam.

Although Ganesha who was a prevedic Deity was admitted into the post vedic Hindu Pantheon, it would seem that there was no organised cult of Ganesha worship before the Gupta period. The cult as well as the Ganesha Idols with its several facets of psychic concepts were evolved over a long period of time beginning from the prehistoric days. Ganesha appears to have acquired his platonic consorts only after the development of Tantra cult both by the Hindus and by the Buddhists. Buddhists associated Ganesha with Bodisathva in the text of their Vinayaka Sutha. But an intercult rivalry among the vajrayana thantric Buddhists cropped up, as a result of which Ganesha idols were thrown off their pedestals. In some works of art Ganesha is trampled down by Manjushree the Bodisatwa of great wisdom. This is sectarian intolerance. Such intolerance was also shown to Ganesha by the followers of St. Xavier of Goa. There are some pictures drawn by the followers of St. Xavier