(P) Stories of Ganesh
How Ganesh received his head
Ganesh is the first son of Parvati, Shiva’s consort. During one of Shiva’s long bouts of austerity on Mount Kailash, Parvati became lonely and one day, while taking her bath, she shaped a child out of the flakes of her own skin. She instructed him to stand as a guard at the entrance of the house and prevent anyone from entering.
Little did Parvati know that Lord Shiva was planning to return that very same day. Shiva sent his faithful Nandi to inform Parvati of his arrival. However, the boy sent Nandi away as per his mother’s instructions. When Nandi informed Lord Shiva, the ascetic-god was enraged and marched angrily homewards to see who this ‘insolent’ creature was who had actually confronted his trusted Nandi and turned him away.
On seeing the young boy at his doorstep, Shiva announced that he was the proprietor of the house and demanded that he be let inside. The boy arrogantly replied that he did not recognise anyone other than his mother and would obey her orders till death. At this, Shiva lost his temper and chopped the boy’s head off. Hearing the commotion, Parvati came out and saw with great anguish and anger her decapitated child. She informed her husband that he had just killed his own son.
Shiva, repentant at what he had done, promised Parvati that he himself would go and replace his son’s head with that of the first living being that he encountered. As fate would have it, the first being to cross his way was an elephant. So Shiva chopped its head off and carried it to where his beheaded son lay and placed it on his shoulders
Even now Parvati was not consoled, for her son would be the butt of jokes for his somewhat unusual appearance. To allay his wife’s fears Shiva granted their son a boon that no work, project or religious ceremony could be begun without invoking his blessings.
How Ganesh’s tusk became broken
One night, Ganesh had enjoyed a really special feast and was returning home on his carrier, the bandicoot (a type of rat). It was a pleasant evening and the full Moon was shining with a silvery light. Ganesh felt very relaxed. Suddenly, a large cobra slithered out in front of them. The bandicoot put on his brakes, and stopped so suddenly that Ganesh fell off. As he bounced off the ground, his belly popped open, spilling out cakes and jellies.
Ganesh was unperturbed. He pulled his tummy together, and grabbing the snake, tied it around himself so that his stomach would not come undone again..
Then he heard someone chuckling. Looking up, he saw the moon laughing at him. He was furious. Breaking off one of his tusks, he hurled it at the offending planet, slicing off part of it. (this is one story showing how the moon came to have its phases). After this story, Ganesh was called Ekadant (one-toothed).
Note: a similar version of this story is included on Primary Photo-card number 14.
There are alternative stories:
- Ganesh broke of his tusk in order to etch the Mahabharata onto palm leaves when Sage Vyasa recited it.
- It was broken by Parashurama axe when Ganesh fought with him (Parashurama is the sixth incarnation of Vishnu)
- Ganesh used it as the first ever plough.