as told by matthew brooks
Lord Ganesha
Author's
note: As i tell the tale of how Lord Ganesha wound up with an
elephant head, i am
using the third person omniscient story telling style. I read
many accounts of how this happened, and i take the elements of each
story that i find to be consistent throughout the versions that i read
and incorporate them here. Since there are two popular accounts
and a third, less popular one (and other, even less popular versions)
of how he ends up with an elephant head rather than a human one, i
tell them separately rather than fabricating a way of tying them
together. The lineage i present in the introduction begins to
see more of its relevance in this story.
Version One
It all started one day before Ganesha had even come into known existence. His Goddess mother, Parvati, was about to take a bath when she decided that she needed someone to guard the door. Easier than summoning a guard, Parvati decided to create one of her own. She made a doll of a boy out of turmeric paste and the dirt off her body. Then, Parvati breathed life into it and Ganesha was born. She instructed him to guard the door to the house, to let no one enter. Ganesha was completing his task, when who but Lord Shiva should return home. He demanded to be let in, explaining that he lived there. Since Ganesha had not been alerted to the existence of a man of the house, he refused him entrance. Shiva then attacked Ganesha to get past him, and they fought. The outcome was that Ganesha lost his head to Shiva's trident; it was flung far across the galaxy. Parvati finished her bath and emerged from her chambers to see the lifeless body of her creation, her son, lying on the ground. She was angry with Shiva and insisted that Shiva bring him back to life. Shiva tried, wanted to comply, but could not find the head. It was long gone. He went to Lord Brahma to ask for help. Brahma said to take the head of the first living creature he encounters and replace Ganesha's head with the head of that creature. The first animal they came across was an elephant, who was promptly decapitated. Lord Shiva placed the head of the elephant on Ganesha's body. Ganesha came back to life when the head was placed upon him.
Version Two
Once there was an elephant demon. He was cunning and knew the pliability of Shiva in the face of a devoted worshiper. The demon was in the middle of a long penitence when Shiva decided he was sincere and came to grant him a favor. The demon asked if he could be given the power to radiate fire so that no one could come close to him. Shiva granted his request. Then the demon continued in this devoted manner until Shiva came to grant another favor. The demon asked that Shiva be contained within the stomach of the demon. Lord Shiva obliged him. Now, Parvati could not find her husband anywhere. She went to Vishnu, the omniscient. He told her not to worry, that because of Shiva is easily propitiated, he has gotten himself into a little pickle. Lord Vishnu then decided to play a little game to free Shiva from this demon's belly. Vishnu transformed Nandi, the bull of Shiva, into a dancer. Vishnu then had the bull dance for this demon while Vishnu (in disguise) played the flute. The demon LOVED their performance, and asked Vishnu what he desired. Vishnu snydely said that he did not think that the demon could grant what he truly wanted. The demon retorted that of course he could, at which time Vishnu said that he wanted the release of Shiva from his belly. The demon immeadately knew it must be Vishnu, as no one else could know that Shiva was in his belly. He fell down on his knees and granted the request. Then the demon asked for one last favor from Shiva. The demon asked to be remembered in perpetuity, to have his head adored even after his death. Shiva's solution was to take the head of the demon and replace his son's head with it. From that moment on, Ganesha had the head of an elephant.
Version Three (the less popular, well-known story)
Parvati wanted a son. She went to Vishnu, asking how to accomplish this. His advice was for her to fast for a year in order to please her husband. When she finished the fast, Shiva granted her request. The baby was born, and they held a feast to celebrate. Everyone admired the baby except Shani, the son of Surya, the Sun God. Parvati noticed that he would not look at her son and asked why. The answer she got was less than satisfying, that looking at the baby would somehow harm it. Parvati refused this reasoning and insisted that Shani look at her baby boy. When he gazed upon Ganesha, the baby's head was severed and flew far away, out of reach. Vishnu saw the distraught parents and mounted his eagle and went to the Pushpa-Bhadra River and brought back the head of a young elephant who was drinking at the bank. The head was placed on the body of the infant boy, bringing Ganesha back to life in his new form.
Storybook Home
Divine Intervention: The Birth of Lord Krishna
Soma: Cycles of a God
Giver of Knowledge: Narada
Sources
Wikipedia on Ganesha
About.com on Ganesha
Patchwork
Dolls of India
Version One
It all started one day before Ganesha had even come into known existence. His Goddess mother, Parvati, was about to take a bath when she decided that she needed someone to guard the door. Easier than summoning a guard, Parvati decided to create one of her own. She made a doll of a boy out of turmeric paste and the dirt off her body. Then, Parvati breathed life into it and Ganesha was born. She instructed him to guard the door to the house, to let no one enter. Ganesha was completing his task, when who but Lord Shiva should return home. He demanded to be let in, explaining that he lived there. Since Ganesha had not been alerted to the existence of a man of the house, he refused him entrance. Shiva then attacked Ganesha to get past him, and they fought. The outcome was that Ganesha lost his head to Shiva's trident; it was flung far across the galaxy. Parvati finished her bath and emerged from her chambers to see the lifeless body of her creation, her son, lying on the ground. She was angry with Shiva and insisted that Shiva bring him back to life. Shiva tried, wanted to comply, but could not find the head. It was long gone. He went to Lord Brahma to ask for help. Brahma said to take the head of the first living creature he encounters and replace Ganesha's head with the head of that creature. The first animal they came across was an elephant, who was promptly decapitated. Lord Shiva placed the head of the elephant on Ganesha's body. Ganesha came back to life when the head was placed upon him.
Version Two
Once there was an elephant demon. He was cunning and knew the pliability of Shiva in the face of a devoted worshiper. The demon was in the middle of a long penitence when Shiva decided he was sincere and came to grant him a favor. The demon asked if he could be given the power to radiate fire so that no one could come close to him. Shiva granted his request. Then the demon continued in this devoted manner until Shiva came to grant another favor. The demon asked that Shiva be contained within the stomach of the demon. Lord Shiva obliged him. Now, Parvati could not find her husband anywhere. She went to Vishnu, the omniscient. He told her not to worry, that because of Shiva is easily propitiated, he has gotten himself into a little pickle. Lord Vishnu then decided to play a little game to free Shiva from this demon's belly. Vishnu transformed Nandi, the bull of Shiva, into a dancer. Vishnu then had the bull dance for this demon while Vishnu (in disguise) played the flute. The demon LOVED their performance, and asked Vishnu what he desired. Vishnu snydely said that he did not think that the demon could grant what he truly wanted. The demon retorted that of course he could, at which time Vishnu said that he wanted the release of Shiva from his belly. The demon immeadately knew it must be Vishnu, as no one else could know that Shiva was in his belly. He fell down on his knees and granted the request. Then the demon asked for one last favor from Shiva. The demon asked to be remembered in perpetuity, to have his head adored even after his death. Shiva's solution was to take the head of the demon and replace his son's head with it. From that moment on, Ganesha had the head of an elephant.
Version Three (the less popular, well-known story)
Parvati wanted a son. She went to Vishnu, asking how to accomplish this. His advice was for her to fast for a year in order to please her husband. When she finished the fast, Shiva granted her request. The baby was born, and they held a feast to celebrate. Everyone admired the baby except Shani, the son of Surya, the Sun God. Parvati noticed that he would not look at her son and asked why. The answer she got was less than satisfying, that looking at the baby would somehow harm it. Parvati refused this reasoning and insisted that Shani look at her baby boy. When he gazed upon Ganesha, the baby's head was severed and flew far away, out of reach. Vishnu saw the distraught parents and mounted his eagle and went to the Pushpa-Bhadra River and brought back the head of a young elephant who was drinking at the bank. The head was placed on the body of the infant boy, bringing Ganesha back to life in his new form.
Storybook Home
Divine Intervention: The Birth of Lord Krishna
Soma: Cycles of a God
Giver of Knowledge: Narada
Sources
Wikipedia on Ganesha
About.com on Ganesha
Patchwork
Dolls of India