karaṇaकरण A writer, जज्ञे धीमांस्ततस्तस्यां युयुत्सुः करणो नृप Mb.1.115. 43; Ms.1.22; Business, trade. As Indus Script hypertext, elephant trunk signifies: karibha, ibha'elephant' rebus karba,ib'iron'. I submit that Gaṇeśa signifies iron trade. Hence, his appearance in Bhimaswarga (Indonesian Java version of Mahābhārata) rendered in sculptural frieze of Candi Sukuh together with Bhima as 'smith' and Arjuna as 'bellows blower'.
गण m. a flock , troop , multitude , number , tribe , series , class (of animate or inanimate beings) , body of followers or attendants RV. AV.; troops or classes of deities (especially certain troops of demi-gods considered as शिव's attendants and under the special superintendence of the god गणे*श ; cf. -देवता) Mn. Ya1jn5. Lalit.; a company , any assemblage or association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims Mn. Ya1jn5. Hit. (Monier-Williams)
gaṇḥ गणः [गण् कर्मणि कर्तरि वा अच्] 1 A flock, multitude, group, troop, collection; गुणिगणगणना, भगणः -2 A series, a class. -3 A body of followers or attendants. -4 Particularly, a troop of demigods considered as Śiva's attendants and under the special superintendence of Gaṇeśa, a demigod of this troop; गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे कविं कवीनाम् &c.; गणा नमेरुप्रसवावतंसाः Ku.1.55,7.4,71; Me.35.57; Ki.5.13. -5 Any assemblage or society of men formed for the attainment of the same objects. -6 A company, association. -7 A tribe, class. -8 A series of lunar mansions classed under three heads (of god, men and demons). -9 A sect (in philosophy, religion). -1 A small body of troops (a sub-division of अक्षौहिणी), consisting of 27 chariots, as many elephants, 81 horses and 135 foot; Mb.1.2.21. -11 A number (in math.). -12 A foot (in prosody). -13 (In gram.) A series of roots or words belonging to the same rule and called after the first word of that series; e. g. भ्वादिगण i. e. the class of roots which begin with भू. -14 An epithet of Gaṇeśa. -Comp. -अग्रणी m. N. of Gaṇeśa. -अचलः N. of the mountain Kailāsa, as the residence of the Gaṇas of Śiva. -अधिपः, -अधिपतिः 1 N. of Śiva; Śi.9.27. -2 N. of Gaṇeśa. -3 the chief of a troop of soldiers or of a class of disciples, of a body of men or animals. -अन्नम् a mess, food prepared for number of persons in common; Ms.4.29,219. -अभ्यन्तर a. one of a troop or number. (-रः) the leader or mem- ber of any religious association; Ms.3.154. -ईशः N. of Gaṇapati, Śiva's son (see गणपति below). ˚जननी an epithet of Pārvatī. ˚भूषणम् red-lead. -ईशानः, -ईश्वरः 1 an epithet of Gaṇeśa. -2 of Śiva. -उत्साहः the rhinoceros. -कारः 1 a classifier. -2 an epithet of Bhīmasena. -कृत्वस् ind. for a whole series of times, for a number of times. -गतिः a particular high number. -चक्रकम् a dinner eaten in common by a party of virtuous men. -छन्दस् n. metre regulated and measured by feet. -तिथ a. forming a troop or collection. -दीक्षा 1initiation of a number or a class. -2 performance of rites for a number of persons. -दीक्षिन् a. 1 one who officiates for a number of per- sons or for various castes (as a priest). -2 one who has been initiated into the worship of Ganeśa. -देवताः (pl.) groups of deities who generally appear in classes of troops; Ak. thus classifies them :-आदित्यविश्ववसव- स्तुषिता भास्वरानिलाः । महाराजिकसाध्याश्च रुद्राश्च गणदेवताः ॥ -द्रव्यम् 1 public property, common stock; Y.2.187. -2 a variety of articles. -धरः 1 the head of a class or number. -2 the teacher of a school. -नाथः, -नाथकः 1 an epithet of Śiva. -2 of Gaṇeśa. -3 the leader of the attendants of any god; Bhāg.5.17.13. -4 the head of an assemblage or corporation; Bṛi. S.15.4. -नायिका an epithet of Durgā. -पः, पतिः 1 N. of Śiva. -2 N. of Gaṇeśa. [He is the son of Śiva and Pārvatī, or of Pārvatī only; for according to one legend, he sprang from the scurf of her body. He is the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles; hence he is invok- ed and worshipped at the commencement of every important undertaking. He is usually represented in a sitting posture, short and fat, with a protuberant belly, and four hands; riding a mouse; and with the head of an elephant. This head has only one tusk, the other having been lost in a scuffle between him and Paraśurāma when he opposed the latter's en- trance to Śiva's inner apartments; (whence he is called Ekadanta, Ekadaṁṣṭra &c.). There are seve- ral legends accounting for his elephant head. It is said that he wrote the Mahābhārata at the dictation of Vyāsa who secured his services as a scribe from the god Brahman]. -3 also an epithet of Bṛihas- pati and Indra. -4 the leader of a class or troop. -पर्वत see गणाचल. -पाठः a collection of gaṇas or series of words falling under the same grammatical rule. -पीठकम् the breast, bosom. -पुङ्गवः the head of a tribe or class. (pl.) N. of a country and its people; Bṛi. S.4.24. -पूर्वः the leader of a tribe or class; (ग्रामणी); Mb.13.23.2. ˚तापनी N. of a Upaniṣad. -भर्तृ m. 1 an epithet of Śiva; गणभर्तृरुक्षा Ki.5.42. -2 N. of Gaṇeśa. -3 the leader of a class. -भोजनम् mess, eating in com- mon. -यज्ञः a rite common to all. -रत्नमहोदधिः a collection of grammatical gaṇas by Vardhamāna. -राज्यम् N. of an empire in the Deccan; Bṛi. S.14. 14. -रात्रम् a series of nights. -वल्लभः a general of the army (सेनानायक); Rām.2.81.12. -वृत्तम् see गणच्छन्दस्. -हासः, -हासकः a species of perfume.(Apte)
Uma-Maheśvara from Nepal Dated: 11-12th century CE Gaṇa(s) are shown dancing along with Gaṇapati(Gaṇeśa).
Marut-gaṇa including Gaṇeśa (third from left) & Varāha (fourth from left) on a sculptural panel. Kailasanatha Temple,Kanchipuram.