Gajaanana's story

Courtesy : Sri.Gopala krishnan

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GAJANANA-ELEPHANT HEADED

Dear friends

We have heard many stories Lord Ganesha having the head of Elephant. I could read recently a reasoning for creation of a new being (Later Ganesha) by Parvathy separately for her guard and for the elephant head of the being with involvement of Brahma, Vishnu, Narada and Indra from the Internet. I have suitably edited the length with out loosing interest and important matters. Even then it is 10 pages. I am sharing it with you all.

Sincerely
Gopala Krishnan 19-5-2010

1.Nandi disobey Parvathi

One day Parvathy ordered Nandi to guard the entrance telling she is going for bath and no body should enter. After a while Shiva arrived. Nandi told Siva that Parvati is taking bath and ordered him to ensure no body should enter and he is given duty of guarding. But Shiva turned a deaf ear to him and simply entered. Nandi could do nothing to his master. Parvati was displeased at the sudden entry of her husband. She said to Shiva, "Nandi has disobeyed me. You may be my husband but he had no right to let you enter." Shiva was merely amused and this annoyed Parvati further.

2. Parvathi feels no body to obey her

Parvathy thought since the ganas as well as Nandi were Shiva's attendants, she has no one to call her own. Parvati spoke to her friends about it. They replied, "You are right. None of the ganas can really be called your own."

3. Parvathi is advised to have her own attendant

One of the friends had a new idea, "Why don't you create a gana who will owe first allegiance to you?" Parvati found this suggestion to be great. Next day Parvathy gathered the saffron paste from her own body and created a boy. When she finished, she gazed in admiration at her creation. She then gave him life and lovingly hugged him. She decked him with ornaments and blessed him.

4. Parvati ask the boy created by her to stay guard

The boy was very handsome. Parvati was overjoyed at the sight of the lad. She embraced him and said, "you are my son, my very own; I have none else to call my own." He bowed to his mother in reverence and devotion and said, "Mother, what shall I do?"

Parvati gave him a thick staff and said, "Take this staff and follow me." She led him to the door and said, "Look, my child, I am now going for a bath now. Don't allow anybody inside without my permission."

5.The boy prevents Shiva from entering

This time also a little later Shiva came there. The boy stopped him at the door. Shiva became angry. Shiva had never seen the boy. Glaring at him, he shouted, "You little child, who are you? Don't you know that I am the master of Kailasa and that Parvati is my wife? You are trying to stop me! How dare you?"

The boy did not flinch, he replied, "Whoever you may be, I am not afraid of you. Now mother is having a bath. I cannot allow anybody inside as she has instructed. So now, go away!"

Shiva's anger grew no limits when he heard the boy's words. He decided to ignore the lad and, trying to brush him aside took a step. The angry boy pushed him aside and hit him with his staff. This was an insult to Shiva. But soon Lord Siva checked his anger.

Siva tried to pacify the boy " See-I am Shiva, Parvati's husband. How can you tell me not to enter my own home?" But the child raised his staff and hit Shiva once again hearing this.

6. Lord Siva thinks the boy is too little

Shiva thought that it was unbecoming of him as the Lord of the Universe to punish a little boy, with his own hands. It would be like breaking a butterfly on a wheel. So, he decided to send his servants to advise the boy and left the place. Lord Shiva's servants came to the boy and gave him advice. They extolled the greatness and the power of Shiva. They advised the boy saying, "Beg Lord Shiva to pardon your misbehaviour and seek his grace."

The child stood still for a while .He was puzzled, "Shiva is my mother's lord. What should I do? Should I fight them or shouldn't I?"

7. Parvathi's friends advice her not to lower prestige

Meanwhile, in the indoor Parvati had heard the commotion. She sent her friend to check the reason for the noise. The friend soon returned and said, "They are threatening your son. Please don't allow them to lower your prestige."

Parvati hesitated for a moment she thought, "Shiva is my husband… but, why did he try to force his way in? Let what has to happen, happen." She sent the friend out once again and asked her to tell the boy not to allow anyone in. The friend came out and said, " Your mother says that you should not let anyone enter."

The boy was no longer in doubt. He turned to the ganas and said, "I am the son of Parvati. You are the ganas of Shiva. You must carry out his orders and I – of my mother. I repeat Shiva shall not enter without my mother's permission."

8 Ganas report Siva

Now, the ganas were doubtful, "He is Parvati's son. What shall we do? Would Shiva still want us to throw him out?" They reported to Shiva. "Lord it is Parvati's son who refuses to let you in."

Shiva was lost in thought, "Alas Parvati! You have gone too far. If I tell my ganas to withdraw, it will be said that I was sub-servant to my wife.

He turned to his ganas; "All of you are my own, including Parvati's son. So a battle may not seem proper to you. But if we don't accept the challenge, we may be misunderstood. Go! Fight and defeat him. It should be easy."

9. The war between Ganas and the boy

The ganas fully arrayed for war, went back to the boy ready for war. The boy held his staff firmly and quickly got ready for the battle. The ganas rushed at him. Nandi grabbed his legs, but he fell down with a single blow from the boy.

Then the boy seized Parighayudha (a weapon like an iron club) and wheeled it about. In the long-drawn fight, many of the ganas fell, the rest fled as fast as they could. The boy once again took his post at the door.

10 Brahma, Vishnu and Indra call on Siva

When Brahma, Vishnu and Indra heard the uproar, they talked the matter over with sage Narada. Narada said, "Go to Lord Shiva he may need you." They went accordingly and said, "We are here to do your bidding."
Shiva told them all about the boy and said, "He dares to prevent me from entering my own house. O, Brahma, go there and try to bring him under control." Brahma said, "I shall go disguised as a Brahman."

11. Ganesha pulls Brahma's beard

Accompanied by many sages Brahma left for his mission. As they neared the boy suddenly jumped forward and pulled the Brahmin's long beard and said laughingly, "that should teach you a lesson."

The Brahmin told the boy, "I have not come to fight. I have come to make peace. Listen to me." In answer the boy lifted his club menacingly and said, "Run. I shall never fail my mother."

The sages ran to Shiva and narrated the whole scene. Shiva pondered, "This matter has gone too far. The boy must be destroyed. No other alternative"

So Shiva called for his son Kartikeya and Indra "Lead your ganas and Devas to the war." The Devas led by Indra and the ganas by Kartikeya fell upon the boy from all directions. The boy faced them valiantly and attacked them with his club.

12.Parvati created Kali and Durga to help her son

Parvati by the time completed the bath learned of all that had happened and was furious, "how dare they harass my son…" Then and there she created the two Shakti's, Kali and Durga and ordered, "Go and assist my son." Kali stood between the boy and the enemy, opening her mouth wide; she swallowed their weapons and hurled them back.

Durga took the form of lightening and destroyed the enemy's weapons before they could reach the boy. Between the two of them they did not let a single weapon come anywhere near the boy's swinging club.

13. Indra and Karthikeya get defeated

Indra and his Devas were completely routed. Even Kartikeya, who killed the invincible Tarakasura, was helpless. They held council and decided to go back to Shiva. They said, "O Lord We never have seen or heard such a warrior." Their praise infuriated Shiva, "I will have to kill him sometimes with my own arms", and so saying Shiva thundered out followed by all of them.

14 Siva himself go on war to Ganesha

Unperturbed by the sight of Shiva, the boy attacked all the chief gods. One by one they fell. Shiva was amazed at the sight. He thought, "The boy is invincible. He can only be killed by cunning. I must watch for an opportunity."

15. Siva cuts the boy's head by cunning methods

The same thought had struck Vishnu too. He spoke to Shiva, "I shall use my powers of delusion to fight him, if you permit me." Shiva replied, "You may. That is the only way." But Kali and Durga divined their intentions and decided to confer all their strength on the boy so that Vishnu's maya will prove ineffectual.

With the added strength of the two Shakti's the boy swung his club at Vishnu. Vishnu had to use all his energy to dodge it. Shiva saw his plight and charged with the trident. But, with a single blow the boy dashed it to the ground. Shiva then took up his bow the boy broke it with his club.

The next moment Vishnu stealthily crept up on the boy on his perch the Garuda. The boy saw him and lifted his club to attack, but it was cut in two by Vishnu's discus. The boy hurled the piece that was left in his hand, but Vishnu's mount Garuda caught it and protected his master. Then as the boy picked up his staff to hit Vishnu, Shiva came up from behind and cut off his head with his trident. For a moment all on the scene stood still, their gazes on the valiant hero. Then the Devas and the ganas became jubilant. But Shiva was troubled, " what have I done? How shall I face Parvati? He was created by her and that made him my son too."

16 Parvati created thousands of Shakti to avenge her son's death

Parvati was full of grief when she heard the news about her beloved son. Her anger rose as she remembered how all the gods had together attacked her son, fighting all alone with the two sakthies. She thundered, "My son was killed by unfair means. For this the ganas and Devas shall all die."
Immediately with fury, using her divine power she created thousands of goddesses like Lambasheersha, Kubjaka, Khanja and Karali. She ordered them to go and destroy all those gods who were enemies of her son. Obeying their mistress, the goddesses attacked the gods with dreadful weapons in their hands. They chopped off the heads of all they met. It went on.

17. Brahma and Vishnu salute Parvathy and ask for compromise

Brahma and Vishnu were terrified. Narada and gods like Brahma, Vishnu and Indra came to Parvati and saluted her with devotion. They propitiated Parvati and pleaded for mercy. They prayed to her saying, "Mother Parvati, we beg of you, calm down. First withdraw your deities. Save the gods who are being destroyed. We shall accomplish whatever you ask of us. Please forgive us.
" Parvati replied, " I have lost my darling son. If he is brought back to life and given an honourable status among you I will withdraw the deities."

18.The boy revived to life

Now Narada, Brahma and others went to Shiva. They prayed to him saying, "Please revive Gowri putra. Otherwise this menace will not end.

Shiva said, "It shall be done. Go north and bring the head of the first creature that crosses your path. Fit that head to the boy's body and it will come to life."

Immediately the gods went, it was an elephant that met them. Vishnu using his discus chopped the elephant's head and they brought the head back and fitted it to the body of the boy. The boy sat up.

19 Parvathy demand for status for her son

Delighted, the Devas showed the boy with life to Parvati. But she was only partially appeased. She asked, "What about his status?" At that moment Indra, Vishnu, Brahma and the other gods led Shiva to her.

Shiva bowed before Parvati and said, "Forgive me Parvathi. Arrogance is the characteristic of the male. This valiant youth shall be another son of mine." He placed his hand on the boy's head and said, "Even as mere boy you will be GANESHA, the presiding officer of all my ganas. You shall also be called VIGNESHWARA, the remover of all obstacles. Henceforth let all worship you before they worship gods. The person who worships you with devotion will be free from trouble. Blessed will be the and men who worship you on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada month"

20 Happy ending

Parvati was very happy to see her son alive with the status conferred on him. Embracing her son she caressed him. She called back the deities she had sent and saved the gods.

knr

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