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| The Story of Ganesa: 7. A competition between brothers| INDIAN MYTHOLOGY |
The Story of Ganesa: 7. A competition between brothers
One day, Sage Narada was on his way to Kailas. He was
accosted by Kundakamukhi, a yakshini.
She teased him. "Osage, will you marry me?"
"Why do you want to marry me?" the sage
responded with a mischievous smile. "I've already earned enough ill-fame
as one who curries tales and causes quarrels between friends!".
“Ho! Ho!” the woman took it lightly. "For that
matter, I'm also an adept at pitting friend against friend!"
The two of them saw Vighneswara and Kumara coming their
way. The brothers were in a playful mood and were walking hand in hand.
"Do you think you can make the brothers quarrel with each other?'"
Narada challenged Kundakamukhi.
"A big deal!" remarked the yakshini, "Just
you wait!" She straight away jumped into a nearby pond and emerged as a
golden lotus. “I've blossomed for the sake of the sons of Parvati and
Paramasiva,” she declared.
"Let me have the golden lotus!" Kumara
extended his hand to take it.
"You're younger to me, Kumara,'' said Vighneswara.
"Therefore, I've the right over the lotus. “He then tried to catch the
lotus.
"I don't deny that you're elder to me, Ganesa,''
pleaded Kumara, ''but please let me have the flower. After all, as one older
than I, you can be considerate to me. I'm taking the flower!"
Vigbneswara then caught hold of Kumara's hand to prevent
him from grabbing the golden lotus. Kumara raised the other hand to hit Ganesa,
when be pm bis trunk around Kuma r a' s waist and held him aloft.
On seeing the scuffle between the brothers, Narada went
up to them and said, "Stop fighting and come to a settlement."
Kumara came out with a suggestion. "Whoever goes
round the universe and comes back first will claim the golden lotus." And he
got on his vahana, the peacock.
As he saw Vighneswara not making any attempt to stir
out, Narada asked him, “Why are you still here? Don't you want to go round the
universe? ° "
"O sage! He's fo1tunate. Poor me, 1 have to go
about with my paunch and move on my mount, a mere mouse! How then can l go
round the universe? Let my brother take the golden lotus."
By then Siva and Parvati came there in search of their
sons. Vighneswara went round them thrice and then smiled at Narada. While the
sage was engaged ill conversation with Siva and Parvati, Kumara returned.
Vighneswara caught hold of his hand and said, "Brother, you look tired
after the long journey. Though I've won in the contest, you deserve the golden
lotus. Take it."
Kumara was surprised to bear that his elder brother had
come back after going round the universe earlier than he. “How was that
possible?" he asked of Vighneswara, looking at Narada at the same time.
"Your brother went round your parents and thereby
be had gone around the entire universe!" replied the sage.
They all then heard the chanting from the skies:
"Hail Vighneswara! He's the successful one!''
Kumara now realized the significance of what sage Narada
had said. He prostrated before Vighneswara. "I acquired divine knowledge after
long and arduous meditation," said Kumara. "I now know that you are
the very source of all knowledge. I'm but a small atom in front of you, 0
Vighneswara! I shall now go to fight Tarakasura. Please bless me!"
Vighneswara helped Kumara to get up. "Banish all
thoughts that I am big and you are small. You have been born to carry out a
specific assignment. It was to achieve that objective that our parents married
and you were born. It has already been ordained that you will be victorious over
Tarakasura. You are Subrahmanya. Go and
come back victorious!"
Kumara then dressed himself as the army chief of the devas.
Meanwhile Kubera, who was the overlord of all yakshis
and yakshinis, was pulling up Kundakamukhi. ''What after all did you achieve by
pitting brother against brother? You'll be born as a thorny shrub!"
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