Guest guest Posted May 25, 2001 Report Share Posted May 25, 2001 Dear Sir: Does Sri Ganapati ride a mouse, a rat, or a bandicoot ? The vahana doesn't seem to be differentiated. Do you know ? K. Brobeck ---------- >naga_ganesan >INDOLOGY >[Y-Indology] Mouse-riding Ganesh >Thu, May 24, 2001, 1:08 PM > >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 > > > >indology > > > >Your use of is subject to > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2001 Report Share Posted May 31, 2001 Dear Members, In the early images of Ganesa the mount Mouse (MUsaka) is absent. I have seen such images in few places in Prachi valley of Orissa (Osian village and in few other places) and in Osian temples of Jodhpur. When did Ganesa acquire a mouse? R.Balakrishnan _______________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2001 Report Share Posted May 31, 2001 "balakrishnan raju" <balakrishnanraju > In the early images of Ganesa the mount Mouse (MUsaka) is absent. I have > seen such images in few places in Prachi valley of Orissa (Osian village and > in few other places) and in Osian temples of Jodhpur. > When did Ganesa acquire a mouse? My understanding is that the mouse is not the mount/vehicle of Ganesha. We pray to Ganesha to remove obstacles which prevent us from reaching/achieving goals and the greatest obstacle to achieving goals is the vagaries of the mind which jumps this way and that, not focusing on any one thing for any length of time. The nimble mouse, which rushes from place to place, represents the mind and is placed at the feet of Ganesha to show that by praying to him he can control/remove the obstacles. ---- Ramadas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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