Dinesh and Bawa

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Monday, September 8, 2008

Ganeshji

The birth of Lord Ganesha is one of the weirdest tales i have ever come across...

Shiva's wife Parvati decides to take a bath... While bathing, a lot of dirt comes off her body (may have been meditating many years... these things accumalate :)), and being creative (pun intended) puts that dirt into the form of a really handsome child... and being a Goddess blew life into the child and asked him to wait outside (she could be modest too) and not let anyone come in till she finished her bath (and accessorizing)...

So the little kid goes out and waits and soon enough along comes Shiva, and asks the boy to step aside and let him go in. Boy refuses. Shiva gets angry. Shiva shouts and threatens. Boy doesn't budge. Shiva chops off boy's head! (Children in those days faced pretty harsh disciplining)

Parvati is very upset when she comes to know Shiva has killed her son ... son?! Shiva must have thought... when did that happen?!!... in any case to make her feel better, Shiva chops off the head of a passing elephant and attaches that to the body of the fallen child and gives Him life... Parvati is aghast at how her son looks and says everyone will mock him... no one will respect him... Lord Shiva smiles benignly and says that He will give a boon to the little Ganesha that before any Pooja or ritual of any kind is started, He, Ganesha will have to be worshiped first!

Parvati is quite mollified by this, but demands a vehicle for Ganesha... Shiva presents Ganesha with a mouse as his vehicle... Parvati was very happy with that and the family lived happily for many eons to come (ever after really as far as us humans are concerned)

And that's how Lord Ganesha was born... like is said it is a very weird story with plenty of really big loop holes and questions! To start with Parvati must have been really REALLY dirty for so much dirt to come off her... Then Shiva is the Lord of the Universe, if a small kid told Him to come back later, He could have gone somewhere, looked after a galaxy or two, meditated or something :)... but no, He chops off the kid's head!

Then He puts an elephants head on the child and gives a mouse as a vehicle... no sense of proportion whatsoever!, should have been the other way round! Give a mouse's head and the elephant as a vehicle...

We could go on and on... but as usual there is a secret to the story... Come back tomorrow and you will find it :)

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa  

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23 comments:

Nimisha said...

I am amazed at 'how' you are able to share so much of knowledge, fun and creativity on your blog at the same time!!

JGD! & love

Anonymous said...

love ur interpretations...waiting for the secret of this story :)

jgd :)

Anurag said...

Dearest Bau,
From the version i have heard, Parvati was using chandan to have a bath (like a mud pack?! even the Gods and Goddesses seem to have a penchant for spa therapies!). And it is this chandan she used to create Ganesha.
This version (courtsey - Amar Chitra Katha) also spoke about a war which broke out between the Godess side and the Gods side because of the killing of Ganesha, and Shiva was losing big time by the hands of Shakti.
Then Shiva asks some random ppl to go in a particular direction and get the head of the first creature they find on the way. The random bunch of people come across an elephant and they bring the elephant's head to Shiva who then places it on the head of Ganesha!

Anonymous said...

how u write bau!!! Its sooo funny!!!! :D...
Waiting to read the next post...of wht it Actually is??!!
Love u...

Lavanya M M Ramaniah said...

have heard this story ofcourse - which soul in india hasn't - but never narrated *quite* like this before ! :)

Sakshi Batra said...

I knew this one from before.... but it was lovely to read it with funny questions, interpretations n expressions that u used.
A complete Bawa feel while reading it!
Jai Gurudev!
Sakshi

Ajay said...

Hi Bau
Jai Gurudev
Wow...so many secrets.
Looking forward for next article.

Jai Gurudev

Random Reflections said...

cool narrative ! would have been considered quite irreverent if it hadn't be the redoubtable Bawa narrating it :)

komal said...

hmmm what a unique style and way of putting and age old soul stirring story.. cant wait for more....JGD...

Varun Bokadia said...

Very likely of Bawa.... building a climax again!

Anonymous said...

Bawa you are *very naughty* and knotty love you

Abhay Karnataki said...

hahahaha! looked after a galaxy or two... indeed!

waiting your interpretation!

Unknown said...

eagerly waiting for the next post....

Nikhil Saraf said...

Woww! cant wait for the secret...or the new look for that matter! Please upload it soon na bau.. Its already Monday evening!!!

Priya Ravi said...

I performed this story as a skit when i was small in jamaica... I still have the photos.. :)

Faith Lasts said...

Haan Baua , it must be Multani Mitti...hehehe tum bhi kitne bhole ho!

Anonymous said...

JGD
:)

Last few lines the vice versa dis proportionality is one thing i never thought about!! Mystery is fun! :)

Love
Aparna

Anonymous said...

Awesome bau ...I think you seriously consider publishing knowledge sheets and call it 'Pearls of witty wisdom' :)

love,
Rohini

Japleen said...

hahahahahahahaha
Then Shiva is the Lord of the Universe, if a small kid told Him to come back later, He could have gone somewhere, looked after a galaxy or two, meditated or something :)... but no, He chops off the kid's head!finding this very funny. waiting..............
Jai Gurudeva:)

Oishee said...

I have heard many different versions of Ganesha's birth. But your rendition of this story was very entertaining!! As a kid I have always wondered though that why Shiva- the Lord of the Universe could not put back the severed head itself?!

Preeti said...

Bau,
This is sooo funny
I blame you entirely for making me burst with laughter bang in the middle of Rudra Puja yesterday!
Preeti

Lavanya M M Ramaniah said...

would really love to hear about the goings-on from Dinesh !

darsh said...

JAI GURUDEVA!! i love dis story and i love to read and see mythological films....

from Darsha...

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