Lord Ganesha is one of the most popular and respected deities in Hinduism. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, known as the god of wisdom, success, and obstacle removal. But how was Lord Ganesha born? What is the story behind his elephant head? In this blog post, we will explore the history of Lord Ganesha’s birth and how he became the beloved god he is today.
Story of Lord Ganesh Birth
The story of Lord Ganesha’s birth begins with his mother, Parvati. Parvati was the consort of Shiva, the supreme god of destruction and transformation. Shiva was often away from home, meditating in the Himalayas or fighting demons. Parvati felt lonely and wished for a child to keep her company.
One day, she decided to create a son out of the turmeric paste that she used to bathe herself. She shaped the paste into a handsome boy and breathed life into him. She named him Ganesha, meaning “the lord of the ganas,” or Shiva’s attendants.
Parvati was pleased with her son and asked him to guard her palace door while she bathed. She instructed him not to let anyone enter without her permission. Ganesha agreed and stood at the door with a staff in his hand.
Why Lord Shiva Cut Ganesha’s Head
Meanwhile, Shiva returned from his meditation and wanted to see his wife. He approached the palace and saw a boy blocking his way. He asked him to move aside, but Ganesha refused. He said that he was Parvati’s son and had orders not to let anyone in.
Shiva experienced surprise and anger upon discovering that Parvati had a son. He suspected that the boy might be an imposter or enemy. When he attempted to push the boy away, Ganesha resisted. This led to a violent fight utilizing their divine powers and weapons.
The fight lasted long and disturbed the other gods and goddesses. They came to see what was happening and were shocked to see Shiva and Ganesha fighting. They tried to intervene and stop them, but they could not. They realized that only Parvati could calm them down and end the conflict. They rushed to her palace and informed her about the situation.
Parvati was horrified to hear that her husband and son were fighting. She ran out of the palace and saw them in deadly combat. She cried out to Shiva and told him that Ganesha was his son, whom she had created from her own body. She begged him to stop hurting him and embrace him as his own.
Shiva was stunned to hear this. He looked at Ganesha and felt a surge of love and remorse. He realized he had made a terrible mistake and wounded his flesh and blood. He dropped his weapons and ran towards Ganesha to hug him.
But it was too late. In the heat of the battle, Shiva severed Ganesha’s head with his trident, killing him instantly. Parvati saw this and collapsed in grief. She wailed and cursed Shiva for killing her son. She threatened to destroy the whole world if he did not bring him back to life.
Shiva was filled with sorrow and guilt. He wanted to make amends for his sin and revive his son. He asked his ganas to go and find the head of any creature that was sleeping with its head facing north, the direction of death. He said he would attach that head to Ganesha’s body and bring him back to life.
The ganas searched everywhere and found an elephant sleeping with its head facing north. They cut off its head and brought it to Shiva. Shiva placed the elephant’s head on Ganesha’s body and chanted some mantras. To his relief, Ganesha came back to life with a new head.
Parvati was overjoyed to see her son alive again. She hugged him and kissed him. She thanked Shiva for restoring him and asked him to grant Ganesha some special blessings as compensation for his ordeal.
Shiva agreed and declared that Ganesha would be the first god worshipped in any ritual or ceremony. He also said that Ganesha would be the lord of wisdom, success, and obstacle removal and that anyone who invoked his name would be blessed with good fortune.
Ganesha was happy with these boons and bowed to his parents with respect. The other gods and goddesses also congratulated and praised him for his courage and loyalty.
Thus, Lord Ganesha was born with an elephant head, but he became one of the most influential and beloved gods in Hinduism.
Final Thoughts
Ganesha (Bappa) is my favorite and beloved god to me. “Ganpati Bappa Morya” What’s your opinion on this article, and who is your favorite god? Please let me know in the comment section.