Ganesha is the unifying god of all eastern religions. He is accepted by Vaishnavites as well as Shaivites also the Buddhists and Jains, he is an Unifier.

The elephant is the most powerful and intelligent animal in the forest. Neither lions nor tigers attack it. It moves through the forest by smashing its way through the dense growth making a path for other animals. That is why an elephant is symbolic as the remover of obstacles. The elephant symbolizes the qualities of wisdom and faithfulness (a elephant is usually faithful to only one trainer in a lifetime) signifying a quality we need to inculcate as regards parents or spouses. The small eyes symbolize concentration and single mindedness. 

It has four or sometimes six arms which symbolizes the controller of the four realms of beings i.e. the sea, land, water (including amphibians), and air. When he has 6 hands it includes the subtle lower and higher realms of existence.