Friday, August 29, 2014

Birth of Ganesha

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi, I want to re-tell an ancient story of his birth in his own light of wisdom.

That day when Maha Shiva was away, Mother Parvati was restless and was about to take bath by applying turmeric over her body, but in order to protect the sanctity of the place she took a lump of turmeric paste from her body and created a son out of that. She made him guard by bestowing him with very powerful weapons. She also asked him not to allow anyone. She asked him to be brave and told him that he is the son of Maha Shakti herself. With this assurance, little boy developed immense ego within him feeling pride of his existence. This ego marked the beginning of his ignorance.

This little kid started to guard his mother, and in sometime Maha Shiva arrived at the place. Little kid stopped Shiva and asked him to go away. Maha Shiva immediately sensed that this little kid is his own son. Shiva insisted, but this little kid was very brave and was very strict and did not allow him. Shiva was very happy looking at his sons braveness. Then little kid, started boasting about his powers and how powerful his mother is, belittling every other creature in his universe. He started showing extreme ego in front of Ultimate himself. Shiva sensed his ego, and he was extremely angry on his ego, but not on him.

Shiva immediately took his Trishula which represents self-realization and chopped of his head. Here head symbolizes ego, so essentially ego has been chopped off by the stroke of self-realization. With this act of Shiva, little kid lost his identity and individuality as his ego has been chopped off. Parvati witnessed this and begged Shiva to bestow him with wisdom.

Shiva then brought Elephants head which symbolizes wisdom, he attached it to the body of that little kid. So in essence when ego goes and wisdom arrives, then a normal egoistic individual becomes divine and worship worthy God. That's what that little kid had become with that elephant head, he became God with full of wisdom. He was called Ganapathi.

Ga' symbolises Buddhi (intellect), 'Na' stands for Vijnana (wisdom). So, Ganapati is the master of Buddhi and Vijnana.