All the animals that are depicted as vehicles or companions of the gods are clearly symbols of certain qualities and forces that help the gods in their task.
Thus the swan of lord Brahma is the bird that dwells in the pure mountain tops, the summits from where creation begins in its purity. Garuda of lord Vishnu is the king of birds, strong and powerful that can see far and with pin-pointed accuracy. Nandi, the bull of Shiva is strong and likes to be alone. The cows of Sri Krishna are the givers of plenty. The peacock of the warrior god Kartikeya eats away the snakes that represent the hostile forces. The mouse of lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles by the power of knowledge has the capacity to sense things from far as well as dig tunnels even in a mountain thereby creating a passage through such hard stone. The mouse can also cut any net helping the imprisoned to escape and get freedom.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
