Today, August 27th, is an auspicious day, the Lord Ganesha’s birthday and the beginning of a 10-day celebration throughout India (and worldwide) for those who love Ganesh, the elephant god with the broken tusk, round Buddha-like belly, and little mouse as his escort. He is as sweet as the treats he loves to eat, as Kapha as they come, and as wise as the day is long. Join me for a little story about Ganesha’s birthday!
When I first learned about Ganesh it was over 20 years ago, and I was a newly-minted yoga teacher only just discovering the Hindu deities. At first I didn’t latch onto Ganesh; but now I take him everywhere with me. You see, Ganesh–my rotund and rooted elephant friend–is known as the “remover of obstacles,” and who doesn’t have obstacles in their pathway? (Maybe more on that in a later post). Ganesh is about WAY more than removing obstacles though. He is a protector, a sturdy and rooted being, wise as the day is long, and a benevolent giver of blessings. And I love him. I remember when I found this OM pendant and saw the curves of Ganesh’s trunk and tusk taking the forms of the symbol representing the sound of the Universe, it instantly became a fixture around my neck.
Ganesh is the child of the Goddess Parvathi, born from her own need for companionship and protection during long periods of time when her husband Shiva took off for the mountains to meditate or go hunting. The tale goes that one day while Parvathi is heading to her bath, she asks the bull Nandi to guard her door so that no one will come in; the trouble is, Nandi is Shiva’s bull, and his allegiance is to Shiva, so when Shiva returns home and asks Nandi to step aside, he does as his Lord wishes, and Shiva enters Parvathi’s room without her permission. To say she is P-O’ed is an understatement! Parvathi vows that the next time Shiva leaves for the mountains, she will take it upon herself to create a being that will be as loyal to her as Nandi is to her husband.
The day comes when Parvathi takes the dirt of her own body, mixes it with turmeric paste, and breathes life into her new son, Ganesha. Parvathi instructs Ganesh to guard the door and allow no one to pass while she bathes, so he plants himself as a guard, a sturdy protector of his dear mother and vows to let no one pass without Parvathi’s consent.
When Shiva arrives home, he sees the strange boy and orders him to move. Ganesh flatly refuses and even fights off members of Shiva’s army, completely unscathed and as grounded to the spot outside his dear mother’s door than ever before. Now Shiva, who is a pretty even-tempered mountain man, becomes angry. And when Shiva gets angry, well, we all know the fire of destruction will fume out of his hands! Shiva loses his marbles and wields a sword that slices Ganesh’s head from his body in a gruesome and mindless instant!
When he learns that the dead boy is his beloved’s own son, he falls in remorse. Parvathi, however, can not be consoled. (It is said she wailed so long and hard that her crying echoed over the valley below Mt. Kailash!). After her cries, she grows fiercely angry and threatens to destroy all of creation (important backstory: Parvathi is a form of Devi, Parashakti, the Divine feminine, the power of creation itself– a woman not to be messed with!). Anyhoo, Lord Bramha, the Creator is a bit worried by her threat, so he and Shiva agree to Parvathi’s two terms: one, that Ganesh be brought back to life, and second, that he be revered as a God among the gods themselves. Agreed! Brahma himself goes to the woods to find the head of the first beast he encounters and returns with a great elephant’s head, which Shiva places on Ganesh’s body as he lovingly breathes new life into the boy he now calls his own son.
There’s always more to the story than the story itself, but for today, we’ll leave it at this!
Happy (double) Birthday, dear Ganesh. May we all be as brave and steadfast as you! May you offer your protection when we need someone to stand up for us. May we receive the blessings and kindness you offer to all beings!
Sharanam Ganesha!
with love,
💜
Katie
All photos by Katie O’Connell
