Mouse-riding Ganesh

[Guest guest]

On Tue, 22 May 2001 suvidya@o... wrote:

 

>

> Mice migrated out of India :-)

>

> >From Steve Jones, "Darwin's Ghost" :

>

> "The center of genetic diversity of the world's mice

> is in Pakistan and India. Mus musculus {the Swedish mouse}

> and Mus domesticus {the American, West European and Australian

> mouse } began their journey there, in a common homeland and with

> a shared pool of genes. Their ancestors traveled in man's wake,

> in separate waves north and south around the icy Alps as farmers

> moved west. As they went, they evolved, until, at last, when the

> circle was closed and the mice met, each had changed enough to

> render them incompatible..."

>

 

lmfosse wrote:

>I don't want to be spoil-sport, but when did you recently

>ride a mouse?

 

Few years ago, I penned a short poem in an ancient tamil

meter.

 

kAlattiRkERRa Urti

--------------------

 

orunALen2 peRROr uvakka valamvantu

arumAG kan2iyum aTaintEn2 - murukan2

aNimayil vENTAm akilam toTalak

kaNiyeli inRun2Tu kaaN!

 

(kaNiyeli = computer mouse, toTalutal = to communicate)

 

Roughly:

 

A vAhanam fit for the times

-----------------------------

 

One day long ago, making my parents happy,

I won the delicious mango;

Even nowadays, I don't need Skanda's peacock

to go around the world;

My computer mouse is good enough to communicate

with one and all. - Ganesan

 

This refers to a well known stalapurANam of Palani Murukan temple.

Palani is the maximum revenue producing temple in Tamil Nadu,

and Govt. uses the funds. Here Skanda stands only with a

loin cloth (kaupIna) and as daNDapANi. The ancient legend says

that Shiva and Parvati got a rare mango (variant: modakam),

and were confused to decide which of their sons must get

the award. They set up a competition, "the fruit goes

to whoever circles the earth first". The energetic Skanda

flew immediately on his peacock vAhanam, but the bulky

Ganesha said and did, "parents are the whole world, if I do the

pradakshina, that's as good as going around the entire globe",

and he won! Subrahmanya was angry upon return, became a sannyasi

and climbed Palani hills to stay as an ascetic.

 

A question for Sanskritists:

Does Shiva Purana 2.5.19.15-20, 26 or some other purana

narrate a story of Ganesha winning a prize from his parenst?

 

 

Regards

N. Ganesan

 

>From RISA-L postings:

------------------------

 

 

see Shiva Purana 2.5.19.15-20, 26

John Grimes

 

There is also a variant of this story where Shri Ganesha goes around

his mother, the Goddess, and wins the prize. In this story the race is

between two brothers, Kartikeya on his peacock, who goes around the

world, and Ganesha on his mouse, who goes around his mother. The story

is used to show the wisdom of Shri Ganesha.

 

John Noyce

Melbourne, Australia

 

 

>Erickasri

>risa-l

>Multiple recipients of list RISA-L <risa-l

>ganesa myth

>Fri, 1 Dec 2000 05:54:38 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hello,

>

>Does anyone know the source for the following myth about Ganesa? It

>goes something like this:Brahma (or Visnu?) decides to hold a race

>for all the gods and goddesses. Whoever goes around the entire

>universe first wins. Ganesa is initially pessimistic since he rides

>on the rat (not the quickest vehicle when compared to tigers, lions,

>and magical birds!), but then he realizes that the entire universe is

>embodied within Brahma/Visnu. He rides around said deity on his

>little rat and wins the race.

>

>If anyone is familiar with this story, I'd be grateful for a

>reference!Thanks, Ericka Schnitzer