Ganesha - The Story of His Birth

One day in Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva. Parvathi, Shiva's consort was alone and she wanted to take bath. So she asked Nandi, the bull to guard the entrance. Nandi was the vehicle of Shiva. She instructed him not to allow anyone inside without her consent. When Shiva came home, Nandi allowed him to go inside, being more loyal to Shiva. Parvathi was so angry. Next time when she was alone, she created a boy out of her sweat,who would be a very loyal son to her and named him Ganesha. ( There is another version that says the boy was created out of the turmeric paste which Parvathi used to apply on her body before taking bath.) She asked the boy to guard the door. When Shiva came the boy did not allow Shiva to go inside. In the ensuing fight the boy defeated all of Shiva's army. Shiva was so enraged that he beheaded the boy.

When Parvathi came to know this, she became so angry that she promised to destroy all Creation. Many ferocious multi-armed forms emerged from her body. Lord Brahma, the Creator pleaded with her to maintain her calm. Finally she agreed on two conditions : First, the boy should be brought back to life. Second one was, she wanted him to be worshiped before all Gods, forever.

Shiva agreed to these conditions and asked Brahma to bring the head of the first creature he saw, who is lying with his head in the north direction. Lord Brahma brought the head of an elephant. Shiva placed the head on Ganesha's body and brought him back to life. Shiva also accepted him as his son. He declared that from henceforth Ganesha would be worshiped before all Gods and he was made the leader of all *Ganas, So Ganesha is also known as Ganapathi. This version of the story is from Shiva Purana. There are many other versions too.

There is a symbolic aspect to this story. Ganesha created by Parvathi represents the ordinary person.Shiva is the spiritual aspect and Parvathi is Shakti. Ganesha did not have the spiritual essence of Shiva. The fight between Shiva and Ganesha is the fight between the higher soul and lower nature and finally the higher soul prevails. The slaying of original Ganesha symbolizes the slaying of one's lower nature and accepting /becoming one with the higher soul, Shiva. Thus becoming the real son of Shiva.



*different classes of beings