The Story of Ganesa: 4. Divinity revealed | INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

The Story of Ganesa: The Story of Ganesa: 4. Divinity revealed | INDIAN MYTHOLOGY | INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

The Story of Ganesa: The Story of Ganesa: 

4. Divinity revealed

Just when Lord Siva sent his trident to behead Ganapati who had prevented his entry to his own abode in Kailas, the young boy cried out, “Mother! Mother! Save me!” On hearing the cries, Parvati rushed out and was shocked to see the headless body of her son.

She saw Siva without the trident. “What have you done, my lord?” she burst out angrily. “Do you know that it was our son whom you’ve killed? You could have waited for me till I came.”

Siva’s entourage, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and the thousands of devas and their womenfolk, who were witnessing the altercation between Siva and Ganapati, were taken aback on seeing Parvati’s anger. They now looked at Siva with consternation as though he had committed a grave mistake.

Siva, too, was upset. “Did you say he was our son?” he asked, turning to Parvati. “Tell me, how did he become our son, that too without my knowledge?”

Parvati then told him how she had created a figure out of the powder she was using for her bath and how it had assumed the form of Ganapati, and how she had asked him to guard the  entrance while she was away at her bath.

Lord Siva appeared not convinced. “He could have been your son! That’s why he cried out ‘Mother! Mother!’ How can you say he was our son? How could he be my son?”

Now it was Parvati’s turn to be upset. Her face went pale. On a nod from Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma went up to Siva and said: “When you held Parvati’s hand at your marriage, you had become one with her. So, Ganapati belonged to both of you.”

Siva saw Parvati weeping over the headless body of Ganapati and wanted to console her. Suddenly, a voice was heard from the skies. It was the voice of Ganapati. “If the head of anyone who is asleep with his face turned to the north were to be attached to my body, I shall come back to life!”

At once the devas started out to search for such a person. They searched everywhere, but did not come across anyone sleeping with his head facing the north. Then they came to know that a white elephant in the forests of Sahyadri mountains was sleeping with its head in the north. It was Gajendra, son of the celestial elephant Airawata, who was the mount of Indra, the lord of Devaloka. When they reached the spot, they found the elephant Gajendra, fast asleep. Even in his sleep, he was murmuring prayers to Lord shiva.

Long back, one day, Gajendra was in deep meditation when Indra passed by. Gajendra did not raise his head or acknowledge the presence of Indra, who was upset about Gajendra’s disregard for him. “Could my mount’s son be so indifferent and audacious?” shouted Indra furiously and abused Gajendra soundly.

Gajendra was disturbed. But he still answered in patient, calm tones. “It is my father’s duty to serve you and he does his duty properly. That doesn’t mean you should insult me. I needn’t be afraid of you.”

“You’re a mere calf, mind you!” Indra continued in an angry mood. “Do you know who I am? I’m Indra!”

“Yes, you’re an Indra” said Gajendra, “like many other Indras. Someone is Nagendra, another Pakshindra! In fact, if one were to do tapas, anyone can become an Indra! No wonder, you cannot brook someone doing tapas.”

Indra’s anger increased many fold with that snub from Gajendra. He cursed him: “May you be beheaded!”

Gajendra reacted sharply, but smilingly: “Nobody can touch me without Siva’s permission. Remember, a day will come when you will have to bow to me. Who knows what will not happen at that time!”

Unfortunately for Indra, he was unaware of Gajendra’s knowledge and wisdom, for he was too conceited about his own exalted position in Devaloka. “All right, you may continue to meditate on Siva, but right now I’m sending you down to the earth!”

Indra then gave a push to Gajendra, who fell down and landed in the Sahyadri mountains where he continued to worship Siva. As it is believed that Lord Shiva resided to the north of the Sahyadris, Gajendra always faced the north. He even went to sleep with his head placed in the north.

When the devas came there in search of someone asleep with his head facing the north, they cut off Gajendra’s head and attached it to the truncated trunk of Ganapati, who now got back his life. He was smiling and he looked happy.

“Must my beloved son put up with an elephant’s head?” wailed Parvati. She could not bear the sight and closed her eyes.

Ganapati tried to console her. In a sweet voice he said: “Mother, why do you grieve when everything has ended happily? Do you recall that day when you and my father both saw a painting on the wall as you were going round the palace built for you by Viswakarma? That picture showed two elephants and you both were appreciating the details. I had appeared in that painting. I am the same Vighneswara.”

Parvati immediately recollected the incident. Lord Siva then said, apologetically, “So, Vighneshwara, you’ve born as our son! I’m sorry I was angry with you!”

“All right, but tell me, how are you going to fulfil your promise to Gajasura?” Ganapati reminded Siva.

“Yes, I haven’t forgotten,” said Siva. He then draped himself in an elephant skin. With folded hands, Siva said: “O Vighneswara! Please show me your divine form!”

Shiva then turned to Ganapati and said, “Vighneshwar, do show us your real form!”

Suddenly, Ganapati turned into a huge figure with five heads. The heads represented the five elements—earth, water, fire, wind, and the sky, and they appeared in five different colours— green, grey, red, blue, and white. On his heads, shone the stars and planets and they looked bright and beautiful as the flowers. Vighneshwara’s big belly seemed to span the entire sky.

Vighneswara held in his hands a goad, rope, and a vessel, besides conch, chakra (disc), trident, a necklace of beads, veena, sword, and a spear—all symbols of the Trimurthis. Those who saw this magnificent radiant form of Lord Vighneshwara were dazzled by His brilliance and they were forced to avert their eyes. And yet they were filled with a strange joy that they could not explain. Saraswathi picked up her veena and softly played His favourite Raga Hamsadhwani. Sage Narada renedered the melodious Raga Mayamalavagoula.

Siva was mightly pleased and he danced the Ananda Tandava or the Dance of Joy.

All this was being eagerly watched by the devas and their womenfolk, and Indra. He now recognised the head of Gajendra  on  Ganapati.  He remembered the words that Gajendra had uttered that fateful day: “Remember, a day will come when you will have to bow to me. Who knows what will not happen at that time!” In repentance, he caught hold of his ears with both hands and expressed regret for having insulted Gajendra. He prostrated before Ganapati and said: “Please forgive me, O Gajendra! I had thought too much of myself. You’re the personification of wisdom and knowledge.”

Then Shiva said, “Please tell us about your various forms.”

“This world is a community of the devotees of Shiva. Parvati and Siva are the mother and father of the universe,” explained Vighneswara. “I’m their son, and I bow to them.”

Lord Brahma interjected and said, “When Vishnu took the form of the fish (matsyavatara) and killed Somakasura and retrieved the Vedas from him, he meditated on Vighneswara and handed them to me. They gave me the knowledge needed for creation. That was when I first learnt about the many qualities of Vighneshwara. And I, too, meditated on Vighneswara while I began creation.”

Everybody was now listening to Brahma with rapt attention. He continued: “Vighneshwara is the entire creation by himself. As he is the perfect blending of the five ganas or elements sky, air, fire, water and earth - he is also called Mahaganapati. Around Vighneshwar are the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Ganapati’s elephant head is symbolic of mental power as well as physical power. That is manifested in his huge figure. At the same time, he is able to travel on his mount, the tiny mouse. The elephant head is endowed with small eyes, but they are powerful enough to see even the minutest of things. This shows, nothing escapes the eyes of Ganapati. His large ears are capable of listening to people’s prayers from every corner of the universe. Similarly, his long trunk can reach anything that he wants. He thus possesses the wealth of the world. Anyone wishing to achieve anything has to worship Vighneswara first.”

He continued: “Vighneshwar is said to be a lover of food. Food is essential for the growth and development of any body. Only when one is healthy can one develope mentally and intellectually. That is why Lord Vighneshwara is often shown as accepting fruits, sweets and otehr food items with pleasure.

It is in the month of Bhadrapada that Vighneshwara came into being. That is why it is said that those who worship Him on the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi of the month of Bhadrapada, will get all that they desire. They will be blessed with the strength and courage to face any hurdle that may cross their path.”

“If that be the case,” said Lord Siva, “then it is only proper that we all worship Vighneshwara before we do anything else.”

On hearing this, Parvati went forward to pay her obeisance to Ganapati. He suddenly stood up and stopped her from prostrating. “You should not; you’re my Mother.”