Konchananeshwar

Phra Konchananeshvar or Phra Konchanatneshvar or Phra Phinai is a deity associated with elephants, depicted with a human body and an elephant’s head. The figure appears in the Elephant Treatise (Tamra Chang) and the Twenty Incarnations of Narayana (Khamphi Narai Yisip Pang), Thai texts from the Rattanakosin period. Although similar in appearance to Ganesha, this deity is venerated in Thailand as the teacher of elephant doctors according to traditional Thai elephantology (kachasat).^[1] This deity does not appear in any Hindu scriptures from India.^[2]

In the Ramakien, Phra Phinai incarnates as Niluek, one of the Eighteen Monkey Generals (wanor sip paet mongkut) of Chomphu city, and the first monkey to find Phra Phiphek.

Phraya Anuman Rajadhon theorized that the name "Konchananeshvar" in the Twenty Incarnations of Narayana refers to Phra Khanda Kumar (Kartikeya), as the word "Konchana" corresponds to the Sanskrit Krauncha, the name of the mountain where Kartikeya resided.^[2] Associate Professor Dr. Maneepin Phromsuthirak derives it from the Sanskrit Kraunchanān+īśvara, meaning "Lord of Krauncha".^[3] Maneepin further explains that ancient Siamese likely knew from Indian mythology that Phra Isuan had two sons, but misunderstood them to be the same figure, transferring the name of Kartikeya to Ganesha.^[3]

Khomkrit Uitekkeng explains that "Konchanatneshvar" in the Elephant Treatise derives from Konchanat, meaning "the cry of the elephant", making the name mean "Lord with the cry of the elephant". It may also derive from a Tamil-influenced Sanskrit compound Konchanatn+īśvara.^[2]

Phra Konchananeshvar (or Phra Konchanatneshvar) is described in the Twenty Incarnations of Narayana as a son of Phra Isuan and younger brother of Phra Phikhanet:

“In the third age (Tretā Yuga), Phra Isuan commanded Phra Phloeng to exercise divine power to create two sons. Phra Phloeng obeyed, causing flames to issue from both ears of Shiva. From the right ear emerged a son with an elephant face – Phra Phikhanet (Ganesha). From the left ear emerged a divine prince named Phra Konchananeshvar, with three elephant heads and six arms, each hand bearing different types of elephants – such as Airavata, the Trida Yuga cloud elephant, the foremost white elephant, the second white elephant, and so forth.”

Both the Twenty Incarnations of Narayana and the Elephant Treatise describe him identically: three elephant heads, six arms holding various types of celestial and worldly elephants (Airavata, different classes of white elephants), a right-hand conch shell turning clockwise (dakshinavarta shankha), and a left-hand conch turning counterclockwise (uttaravarta shankha). He stands upon a seven-headed elephant and plays a role in elephantology by creating white elephants for earthly kings.^[2]

Phra Konchananeshvar resembles the South Indian form Trimukha Ganapati (three-faced Ganapati) described in the Tattvanidhi, but unlike that form, his role is specifically connected to elephants.^[2]