Mythological anecdotes of Ganesha

[4] While Ganesha is popularly considered to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranas relate several different versions of his birth.

In North India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder brother while in the South, Ganesha is considered the first born.

[12] Prior to the emergence of Ganesha, Skanda was an important martial deity from about 500 BCE to about 600 CE, when his worship declined significantly in North India.

Several stories relate episodes of sibling rivalry between Ganesha and Skanda[13] and may reflect historical tensions between the respective sects.

[citation needed] In his survey of Ganesha's rise to prominence in Sanskrit literature, Ludo Rocher notes that: Above all, one cannot help being struck by the fact that the numerous stories surrounding Gaṇeśa concentrate on an unexpectedly limited number of incidents.

[15]Hindu religion presents many stories, which explain how Ganesha obtained his elephant or gaja head.

After Shiva had come out of his meditation, he wished to meet Parvati, but found himself being halted by a strange boy.

They soon returned with the head of a strong and powerful elephant named Gajasura, which Brahma placed atop the boy's body.

He, who knows everything, reassured her: "Don't worry, dear sister, your husband is Bhola Shankara and promptly grants to his devotees whatever they ask of him, without regard for the consequences; for this reason, I think he has gotten himself into some trouble.

A lesser known story from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana narrates a different version of Ganesha's birth.

On the insistence of Shiva, Parvati fasted for years (punyaka vrata) to propitiate Vishnu so that he would grant her a son.

Seeing Shiva and Parvati grief-stricken, Vishnu mounted on Garuda, his divine eagle, and rushed to the banks of the Pushpa-Bhadra river, from where he brought back the head of a young elephant.

[18] Another tale of Ganesha's birth relates to an incident in which Shiva unknowingly slew Aditya (Surya).

Shiva restored life to the dead boy, but this could not pacify the outraged sage Kashyapa, who was one of the seven great Rishis.

Still another tale states that on one occasion, Parvati's used bath-water was thrown into the Ganges, and this water was drunk by the elephant-headed goddess Malini, who gave birth to a baby with four arms and five elephant heads.

In this way, Vyasa might recuperate a bit from his continuous talking by simply reciting a difficult verse which Ganesha could not understand.

[21] Ganesha's association with mental agility and learning is probably one reason he is shown as scribe for Vyasa's dictation of the Mahabharata in this interpolation to the text.

Winternitz also drew attention to the fact that a distinctive feature of Southern manuscripts of the Mahabharata is their omission of this Ganesha legend.

There once took place a great competition between the Devas to decide who among them should be the head of the Gana (the troops of semi-gods at the service of Shiva).

The gods took off, each on his or her own vehicle, and even Ganesha participated with enthusiasm in the race; but he was extremely heavy and was riding on Dinka, a mouse!

Ganesha was very annoyed and went into a rage because it was considered unlucky to encounter a solitary Brahmin just at the beginning of a voyage.

Moreover, it wasn't considered a good sign to be asked where one was heading when one was already on the way to some destination; therefore, Ganesha felt doubly unfortunate.

Narada consoled and exhorted him not to despair; he said that for a child, the whole world was embodied within the mother, so all Ganesha had to do was to circle his Parvati and he would defeat those who had more speed but less understanding.

Parvati, satisfied with this response, pronounced her son the winner and, from that moment on, he was acclaimed with the name of Ganapati (conductor of the celestial armies)[25] and Vinayaka (lord of all beings).

[26] One anecdote, taken from the Purana, narrates that the treasurer of Svarga (paradise) and god of wealth, Kubera, went one day to Mount Kailash in order to receive the darshan (vision) of Shiva.

There was not even time to substitute one plate with another because Ganesha had already devoured everything, and with gestures of impatience, continued waiting for more food.

Ganesha had swallowed up almost the entire city when Kubera finally arrived and humbly gave him the rice.