Ganesha : the Elephant Headed God, Art and Mythology

[Guest guest]

Warmest welcome! Great to see you here and thank you for the wonderful story

(LOL...... at your sense of humor, I mean the way you told the story). You are

not only a wicked story-teller but a talented poet! Hope you'll drop by more

often to share your wisdoms with us.

Jai Ganesh

Sy

Black Lotus L Rosenberg <kalipadma (AT) juno (DOT) com> wrote: There's another story

about how Ganesha lost his tusk. Having gorgedhimself on <modakas> (a favorite

sweet), Ganesha was riding home from afeast one night when a serpent scared his

rat, who reared and knocked himoff. Ganesha's belly burst, spilling modakas

everywhere. Hemethodically returned them to his belly, and tied the serpent

around hiswaist to seal the wound until it healed. Lord Chandra, the vain

andbeautiful Moon-god who seduces all the star maidens in the sky, laughedat

fat Ganesha's predicament, embarassing him. Ganesha broke off his tuskand threw

it at Chandra, wounding him so that he waxes and wanes now,instead of shining

steadily like the Sun.And on Ganesha's late summer feast of Ganesh Chaturthi,

it's consideredbad luck to look at the lean but waxing Moon as it follows the

settingSun.I wrote the following poem about the tale... Ganesha's Other

TuskCome off your rat and gaily dance, Ganesha,Raise high your trunk and

trumpet forth to allThat Shiva's son, defender of the Devi,Has pierced Lord

Moon, and made him wane and fallNow mount your rodent steed and ride,

Ganesha,The night approaches, dusk descends too soon,When Chandra, tossing

insults, tries to taunt youTo hurl your other tusk against the Moon.-- Len/

Kalipadma<Ganesha sharanam>(Ganesha, be my refuge)> > An intriguing aspect of

Ganesha's iconography is his broken tusk, > leading to the appellation Ekdanta,

Ek meaning one and danta meaning > teeth. It carries an interesting legend

behind it:> > When Parashurama one of Shiva's favorite disciples, came to visit

> him, he found Ganesha guarding Shiva's inner apartments. His father > being

asleep, Ganesha opposed Parshurama's entry. Parashurama > nevertheless tried to

urge his way, and the parties came to blows. > Ganesha had at first the

advantage, seizing Parashurama in his > trunk, and giving him a twirl that left

him sick and senseless; on > recovering, Rama threw his axe at Ganesha, who

recognizing it as his > father's weapon (Shiva having given it to Parashurama)

received it > with all humility upon one of his tusks, which it immediately >

severed, and hence Ganesha has but one tusk.> > A different legend narrates

that Ganesha was asked to scribe down > the epic of Mahabharata, dictated to

him by its author, sage Vyasa. > Taking into note the enormity and significance

of the task, Ganesha > realized the inadequacy of any ordinary 'pen' to

undertake the task. > He thus broke one of his own tusks and made a pen out of

it. The > lesson offered here is that no sacrifice is big enough in the >

pursuit of knowledge.> > An ancient Sanskrit drama titled "Shishupalvadha",

presents a > different version. Here it is mentioned that Ganesha was deprived

of > his tusk by the arrogant Ravana (the villain of Ramayana), who > removed

it forcefully in order to make ivory earrings for the > beauties of Lanka!Do

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