Goddess Parvati from her body, she scraped,
Fragrant sandalwood and turmeric paste.
A special figure with her Lord's blessings, she was about to make...
She lovingly patted, she lovingly shaped,
A form emerged in yellow turmeric encased.
A face shining like a million suns,
A rounded belly weighing a tonne!
Wise eyes, dimpled arms,
His very countenance exuded charm.
Goddess Parvati's heart filled with love, with pride,
Her feelings for Lord Vinayaka, her son, her creation, she could not hide.
"Stand outside and take guard," she instructed,
"I want my privacy to be protected.
It has been a long time since I washed my tresses black,
Forbid entry to all, do not be lax."
"I will mother, do not fret,
Fear not, no one past me can get.
To strike me, your creation down would be hard..."
Lord Vinayaka outside then took guard.
Lord Shiva in Mount Kailash sat,
Having with his followers a leisurely chat.
"Go forth and announce to Parvati, my entry,
Inform that shortly, her, I will greet," he told his sentry.
"This entry is forbidden!" Lord Vinayaka announced,
"Put one step forward and on you I will pounce!"
Back to Lord Shiva, the sentry scuttled,
He was, one could see, visibly rattled.
"Forgive me Lord, I have failed in my duty,
A small child he was of dazzling beauty.
'My mother is not to be disturbed!' he firmly declared,
His wrath to face, I was not prepared!"
"What audacity from my son, a mere boy!"
Lord Shiva was no doubt greatly annoyed.
"Go my followers, my ' Ganas', teach him a lesson or two,
To mess with me, his father, he cannot afford to."
The 'Ganas' blew their trumpet and conch,
An attack they announced, they were about to launch.
Sparkling innocence, luminous shine,
Radiant, alluring, utterly divine!
Captivated were the 'Ganas' who stood in a line...
Glinting swords, flashing blades,
Lightning strikes, Lord Vinayaka stood unfazed.
Arrows darted, unerring, sharp,
Flew they did from his bow in an arc.
An unusual combat if ever there was,
A single child crushing an army vast.
The 'Ganas' fell and fell at an alarming pace,
The survivors staggered, utterly dazed.
Lord Shiva when he heard of the failed mission,
Took a quick, instant decision.
Reached his home in a trice,
Aghast when he heard the woeful cries.
With a closed eye, he took perfect aim,
Time to control. time to tame.
With equal precision, the arrow split into two,
The 'Ganas' in disbelief rubbed their eyes..was this an illusion, was this true?
Lord Shiva was a trifle bemused,
"I will humour him and keep myself amused!" he thought.
Menacingly, he circled around,
Louder and louder boomed the 'damaru' sound.
Closer and closer, he drew near,
Vinayaka's eyes danced, no signs of fear.
He did not flinch, he did not cower,
Raised fists, immense power.
Lord Shiva could not help but admire,
The child like defiance, the eyes flashing fire.
Deft, skilful, relentless,
Daunting, dogged, dauntless.
Flying arrows, arched bows,
Prowling, pouncing, dodging blows.
God and Child-God in sync with one another,
Absorbing it was this divine encounter.
Adrenaline through his veins coursed,
Lord Shiva let fly his trident, his 'trishul' with great force.
Lord Vinayaka's head was sliced and scattered,
Lord Shiva stood rooted, stunned, utterly shattered.
Goddess Parvati witnessed the scene with horror,
Raced to her son, filled with terror.
Flying locks, reddened eyes,
Poignant, heart wrenching cries.
What had he done to his son?
With his own hands he had destroyed, it could not be undone.
Filled with regret, with remorse Lord Shiva was,
This disaster he and only he had caused.
Somehow he had to set things right,
He could not bear to see Goddess Parvati's plight.
"Bring the first head you find facing north!"
The 'Ganas' to do as he bade set forth.
On an elephant head facing north, their eyes rested,
'Perfect' just as Lord Shiva had requested.
With great fanfare, they carried the head on their shoulders,
Goddess Parvati, inconsolable, continued to smoulder.
Lord Shiva placed the head on the body carefully,
The contours merged and fit perfectly.
The fan like ears flapped to and fro,
The beady eyes blinked and glowed.
The ivory tusks were pointed and honed,
The trunk, his nose curved in the shape of 'Om'.
A rounded paunch and plump knees,
A figure which did every eye please,
Gently on his lap, Lord Shiva did ease..
A little mouse was placed as a seat,
Lightly Lord Vinayaka sat and folded his feet.
The Child-God, the son to the earth had come,
The visual form of the origin, the sacred 'pranavam'.
'Modak' sweets were given as an offering,
Prayers were chanted to remove all suffering.
The 'Ganas' in chorus began to sing,
Gladness in every heart, it did bring...
'Mudakaraka modakam, sada vimukti sadhakam,
Kaladaravathamskam, vilasi loka rakshakam...'
'We bow to you, Lord Vinayaka,
The one who holds the 'modak' in his hand,
The one who bestows salvation upon every man.'
With happiness, her heart began to swell,
When on Lord Vinayaka, Goddess Parvati's gaze did dwell.
Smacking his lips, eating with relish,
The child like pleasure, this moment, she did cherish.
"Remover of all obstacles, he will be,
Man will pray to him , before he prays to me and thee!" she declared to Lord Shiva.
With humility, Lord Shiva assented,
Flowers began to rain, colourful, scented.
"Lord Ganapati , Lord Ganesha will be his name,
Far and wide will spread his fame," blessed Lord Shiva.
Representing Lord Shiva, his father, the 'Ganas', offered a token,
The three-eyed coconut was thrown to the ground and broken.
The chants of the 'Ganas' rose harmonious ,
Lyrical, pious,soothing, melodious...
'Om Gananam tvamganapatim havamahe,
Kavimkavinam upamasravastamam,
Jyestharajam brahmanam brahmanas pataanah,
Srnvannutibhi sida sadanam...'
'We pray to you, Lord Ganapati, Lord Ganesha...
The one who is the the Lord of the 'Ganas', the celestial one,
The one who is the wisdom of the wise, the intellectual one,
The one who is absolute consciousness, the universal one,
The one whe dwells in our hearts, the eternal one...'
Footnotes
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Turmeric - Widely used yellow spice
Vinayaka - The first son , Child-God
Ganas - A body of attendants of Lord Shiva
Damaru - A small two- headed drum
Trishul - A long handled trident
Om - The first and original vibration manifesting as sound, vibration of the Supreme
Modak - A sweet dumpling
Pranavam - The origin of everything, of all life.
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