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Ganesha Stories
Ganesha and the River Kaveri
There are many stories which involve Lord Ganesha. From the stories of his birth to the stories of his powers and later destruction of demons, these stories not just make up for an interesting read but also teach us lessons of life.
The Ganges or Ganga is the most important river of India. The river not only serves as an important water body but is also considered holy in Hinduism. The river Kaveri is considered to be the most important river in the southern part of India. Kaveri is also known as Dakhsina Ganga which means “Ganga of southern region”. The river Kaveri is also known as “Kaveri amma” in the southern region.
The origin of the river Kaveri is the work of Lord Ganesha. This makes for an fascinating story to read. One day sage Agastya went to Lord Brahma to help get water to the barren southern regions. The southern region of India was parched and everyone was suffering due to the lack of water. Lord Brahma suggested Agastya to go to Lord Shiva and ask for help. With the blessings of Lord Brahma, Agastya went to Lord Shiva hoping to find a solution. Lord Brahma asked Agstya to carry a kamndalu (a vessel made of copper or bronze to carry liquid) to Lord Shiva. On top of the Kailasa, Agastya began to pray for Lord Shiva to appear before him. Impressed by Agastya’s devotion Lord Shiva made an appearance and asked Agastya what he wanted. When Agastya informed Lord Shiva about the parched southern lands, Lord Shiva poured a few drops of the sacred water in to Agastya’s vessel. Agastya was sceptical about the amount of water in the vessel and wondered how it would help him. But Lord Shiva assured Agastya and asked him to trust Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva told Agastya to un-turn the vessel at a suitable spot to get water in the dry lands.
He began his journey back to the southern region of India. He was looking for a suitable place to un-turn the vessel. When he reached Kodagu Mountains (Coorg) he met a young boy on the way. Agastya was tired and wanted to relieve himself, so he requested the boy to guard the vessel for some time. The boy was actually Lord Ganesha in disguise. He had come to help Agstya to pick the right spot. When Agastya left the vessel to Lord Ganesha, Ganesha picked the right spot and placed the vessel there and left. Agastya came to find the vessel on the ground and a crow perched on it. Agastya accidently un-turned the pot when he attempted to drive the bird away. The water began to flow out of the vessel and became the massive river Kaveri enriching the parched southern lands. The point where Kaveri started is known as Talakaveri. The place is considered sacred in India.
According to a different version Goddess Vishnu Maya became a dwarf and got inside the vessel. Agstya carried the vessel to the spot where it was un-turned by Lord Ganesha. Vishnu Maya then became the river Kaveri.
Ganesha: Lakshmi and Saraswati
Ganesha: Lakshmi and Saraswati
Lord Ganesha is depicted with his family (Shiva, Parvati and Kartikeyan) as well as consorts (Riddhi and Siddhi). There are many paintings that depict Lord Ganesha with Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati. This article scrutinizes the relationship between Lord Ganesha with Saraswati and Lakshmi.
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. She is the wife of Lord Vishnu and also known as Mahalaxmi. She is the source of strength to even Lord Vishnu, who is considered the strongest God in the Hindu religion. Lakshmi is also known as Thirumagal because she has six divine qualities. She is often shown with a lotus and dressed in a bright red sari. According to the Vishnu Purana, Lakshmi is the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati. The goddess of misfortune, Alakshmi, is the sister of Lakshmi.
Saraswati is goddess of skill, knowledge, music and arts. She is the consort of Lord Brahma. It was with the help of her wisdom that Brahma created the universe. She is often shown along with a peacock, a swan and is dressed in white. She is also known as the guardian deity in Buddhism. Earlier she was known as the river goddess and evolved with the qualities such as knowledge, skill, music and arts.
Many stories revolve around the relationship between Ganesha, Saraswati and Lakshmi. Certain theorists believe that Lakshmi and Saraswati are Ganesha’s siblings. Lakshmi and Saraswati are also called Ganesha’s shaktis or consorts. A more popular theory however relates Lord Ganesha to Lakhsmi as her son. This is how the story goes.
When Lakshmi was bragging about her powers to Lord Vishnu, he told her that she will always be devoid of one power all her life- the power of motherhood. When Lakshmi realized the same she went to her friend Parvati to seek help. Parvati suggested that Lakshmi could adopt one of her sons and hence experience motherhood. In a random selection, Lakshmi chose Lord Ganesha and gave him her powers of prosperity and wealth.
Lakshmi and Saraswati were always competing for supremacy against each other. Wherever Saraswati went, Lakshmi used to follow her. It is believed that if one prays for Saraswati, Lakshmi will follow. If Saraswati leaves, Lakshmi will leave with her. Lakshmi will leave behind her elder sister Alakshmi which will bring misfortune. Symbolically, prosperity or money follows when we hone our skills.
Logically, Lakshmi and Ganesha have a common quality of bringing in wealth and prosperity. Also Saraswati and Ganesh have a common trait of being patrons of art and music as well as blessing devotees with skills. Hence the three deities are worshipped together as they denote common qualities. The nature of their relationship is not given in any scriptures. There are only glimpses of their relationship in ancient texts that supports the above hypothesis. All debates apart, the importance of invoking the names of these three deities together makes sense.
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Stories on Lord Ganesha
Ganesha is the Lord of wisdom, the Lord of Opulence, the Lord of Prosperity. Ganesha is know by more than one thousand names (Ganesha Sahastranaam). Lord Ganesha is considered to be the one who fulfills the desires of his devotees. He helped Devtas (Gods) in slaying many demons. There are many stories on Lord Ganesha, which can be read in different Vedas, Purans and Upanishads (holy scriptures). Some of the stories are as follows:
Why is a snake always tied around Ganesha’s belly?
Ganesha’s birthday is celebrated on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the month of Bhadrapad (Sep-Oct). This day is fondly called Ganesha Chaturthi by his devotees. Milk, naivedyam (eatables), Modaks (sweet delicacies) and other sweet delicacies are offered to the idols of Lord Ganesha . Once, on Ganesha’s birthday, Goddess Parvati prepared Chhappan Bhog (56 types of food items) for her dearest son. The Chhappan Bhog included Ganesha’s all time favorite Modaks. Ganesha ate so much that his pot like belly was about to burst. Unable to digest the food, he set off with his Mooshak (mouse, his chariot) to take a stroll. All of a sudden, a snake came in front of the mouse. In panick, the mouse stumbled and Ganesha fell down. His stomach burst open and all the Modaks that he had stuffed came out on the floor like marbles. Ganesha stuffed the scattered lot of Modaks that were lying on the ground back into his stomach. Infuriated by the action of the snake, Lord Ganesha caught hold of the snake and tied it around his tummy. There was one more spectator to this whole incident apart from these three, and that was Moon. The moon was watching from the sky and was unable to control his laughter. This uncouth and rude behavior of moon displeased and provoked Ganesha, and he pulled out his tusk and threw it towards the moon. Ganesha cursed the moon that whosoever will have a glimpse of him on the night of Ganesha Chaturthi will earn a blasphemy. This way he taught a lesson to the impolite and discourteous moon.
Ganesha and the origin of Cauveri River
In the ancient times, the sages and the priests used to pray to the Gods and Goddesses to help and cure the mankind of any calamity. Once, the southern part of India had a shortage of water. In order to bring water to the arid areas of the south, Rishi Agasthya (Sage Agasthya) did Yagnas and Homas (prayers) to please Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma blessed Rishi Agasthya and Lord Shiva gave water in his ‘Kamandalu’ (Brass Pot which used to hold water for rituals of worship). Rishi Agasthya was blessed that wherever he will pour this water, a river will originate which will prove beneficial to all in the southern region. He came down to earth from Brahm Lok (Abode of Lord Brahma) and was searching for the perfect place to pour water for the smooth flow of River. In search of a perfect place, he reached Kodagu Hills (a mountain range in Southern India). In order to search for an ideal place he wanted to hand over the Kamandalu to someone. He found a little boy who was playing alone in that barren land. He called the little boy. The little boy was none other than Lord Ganesha himself, who was in disguise. Rishi asked the little boy to take hold of the vessel carefully and not to spill even a single drop of water. The boy asked him what was the matter, and the Rishi told him the whole story, thinking he is a normal boy. After handing over the Kamandalu to the little boy, the sage went in search of a perfect place for the smooth flow of the river. Ganesha, being a God himself searched the right place and put the Kamandalu there. A crow came from nowhere and sat on the Kamandalu. Rishi Agasthya returned after some time, saw the scenario and got agitated and infuriated. He shooed away the crow and this made the magical Kamandalu angry, and it spilt the water on that particular spot. The water started gushing forth from the Kamandalu was the holy and sacred river Cauveri, which is now known as Talacauveri.
Jai Shree Ganesh!
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Ganesha, Vedvyasa and the epics
Once the greatest saint of all time, Vedvyasa was meditating in the Himalayan range. Lord Brahma visited him and asked him to write the greatest epic of all times the Mahabharat for the benefit of the whole mankind. Vedvyasa told Lord Brahma that it would not be possible for him to write and compose the epic on his own. So Vedvyasa asked Brahma to help him with a writer who should be wise enough to understand and write the verses. Lord Brahma asked Vedvyasa to seek the help of Lord Ganesha.
When Vedvyasa went and asked Lord Ganesha to write the verses, Ganesha refused, as he was busy. Seeing Vedvyasa’s disappointment, Lord Ganesha asked him if he could quickly sing all the verses? Vedvyasa nodded. The Sage replied that he wanted someone who can understand the meaning of all the verses that he composes and write them. Lord Ganesha agreed.
Vedvyasa started singing, and Ganesha started writing the verses. The scene of a God listening to a sage and writing for him was panoramic in itself. Lord Ganesha being a deity was fast in writing, so, whenever Vedvyasa thought that the speed has increased, he would come up with something exceptionally long. Lord Ganesha became busy in understanding the meaning, and in the mean time Vedvyasa would compose more verses. In this way six million Granths (holy scriptures) were created. It comprised of Kandapuranam, Ramayanam, Savithri Puranam, Nala Puranam and many more to be named. The whole task of writing the epics was done while sitting at Mount Meru.
Once, while writing, Lord Ganesha’s pen broke. Fearing that he would lag behind, Lord Ganesha tore his tusk and started using it as a pen. Of the 6 million epics, 3 million are in the Deva Lokam (In the abode of Gods), 1.5 million in the Yaksha Lokam (In the abode of semi-Gods and angels) and 1.4 in the Asura Lokam (In the abode of Demons and Devils). The remaining 1 million are on the Prithvi Lokam or Mrityu Lokam (On Earth). Sage Vedvyasa had sung 8,800 Granthams, which were difficult for Lord Ganesha to decipher. He stated to Lord Ganesha that the meaning of all 8,800 Granthams should only be known to him, Lord Ganesha and his signs (his followers). Among all these 8,800 Granthams the greatest epic of all times, the Mahabharatam is considered to be the fifth Veda.
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About Dr. Nilima Chitgopekar
Dr. Nilima Chitgopekar is co-founder of The Ganesha Experience, a Professor and Guest Lecturer at leading Universities around the world. She is a pioneer in helping people improve their personal, professional and spiritual lives through the lessons, meanings and techniques drawn from India’s ancient wisdom and mythology.Why People Love the 9 Simplified Secrets of Ganesha
Dr. Chitgopekar has revived the wisdom of the ages, and presents sublime lessons in gentle ways. She is a dedicated teacher who has reached out to remind us that we are not lost and alone in our search for meaning in this life. Terry Wilson Columbus, Ohio
Importance & Wisdom of Indian Culture — Advanced High Spiritual Knowledge
Dear Dr. Nilima,
Well said. Thanks for enlightening the minds and brains of people from all walks of life by sharing your knowledge and wisdom you have acquired over the years…
… Our whole humanity suffers from the egos. And we should never forget to give the credit where it is due. And you are worthy of credit due to you for making your contributions and making us realise the importance and wisdom of Indian culture and advance high spiritual knowledge.
I thank you for adding to my quest for never ending continuous learning.
With Regards,
Ranbir
Ganesha's 9 Simplified Secrets to Remove Obstacles
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Thank You For Sharing Your Enormous Inspirational Knowledge
Hi Nilima,
I would be very grateful to write you this short message. I can’t be at your stage you are a [such] powerful person. No need to come face to face to know each other. Your inspiration guides you to preach the enormous knowledge and to share [with] others.
You have the love, patience, courage… to send all your devotees what you have learned from the gods. I would you like to thank you a lot for sending me the good news from Ganesha ji. You will always protect and enrich more from the god. Good luck From,
Sanjay
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Ganesha’s Secrets Are Influential in My Quest for Peace, Love & Happiness
Namaste Nilimaji:
I am trying to put these secrets into practice and I am still working on “humility”. Although basically I am not arrogant, I tend to [get] defensive when challenging situations arise. I am now dealing with this on a daily basis, trying to become more humble as time goes by.
Whenever the opportunity arises, I try to implement [Ganesha’s] secrets with the intention of entirely changing my outlook on life and its varying situations.
Please continue to send me the secrets as they have proved to be very influential in my quest for peace, love and happiness.
I sincerely thank you and may God richly bless you always.
Bani
Expression of Gratitude
Warm greetings to you Nilima and the Ganesha Experience team. I am pleasantly overwhelmed by the lessons because of the benefits that I continue to receive since I started this study program. It has allowed me to delve deeper into the Hindu belief and the practice of daily prayers, for instance the 108 chant of Om Gam Ganapatya Namaha. Although I cannot pin point the change in my spiritual consciousness just yet, I can feel the positive energy ever growing from day to day. I would like to share with you the reason why I chose to follow this path.
My family comes from the caribbean island called Jamaica which is where my great-great grandfather decided to settle down when he left his birthplace in Gujurat during the period of the Raj. I am still doing some research to find out exactly which part of Gujurat he was born and how he lived before his departure as an indentured worker and I feel by getting involved in his beliefs then I will get to know and understand what he and Lord Ganesha, among the other Gods and Goddesses stand for. I am deeply moved by this opportunity and I wish you all infinite love and good blessings for the effort and determination that has been put into this project for people like myself to understand and improve our lives.
Om Ganeshaya Namah
Michael.
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Ganesha’s Secrets Are Influential in My Quest for Peace, Love & Happiness
Dear Nilima
I have gotten a chance to read your e-mails now, and I want to say that they are a very good teaching.
I myself am a Gaudiya Vaisnava with a background in the metaphysical teachings of Dwaj Khul/Alice Bailey. You are doing a good service to humanity with the Shivite teachings you are offering students. I am glad to have met you in this way online and wish you very well in the work you have been chosen for. You seem very well qualified to carry it out, and I thank you for sharing what you have so far with me.
Your’s in Light, Love and Life Abundantly,
Timothy
Edison, United States of America
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Your very own Ganesha Experience
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Ganesha and his love for Modakam
Discover the 9 Simplified Secrets of Ganesha
Over the next few weeks, you’ll get FREE lessons that take you through the process of removing obstacles from your life and automatically move towards success.
A common man’s journey from disability to royalty. How Ganesha was accepted into the greatest family of gods. Learn how humility with commitment leads to love, popularity, and success.
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Are some people making your life hard? You don’t have to fight them. Learn how baby Ganesha humbled Lord Kubera, the great god of wealth.
Ganesha attained both Riddhi (Wealth & Good Fortune) and Siddhi (Perfection & Success). Learn from Ganesha how you too can achieve a healthy balance between wisdom and wealth.
The fastest path to wealth and inner peace. Ganesha’s unique family structure reveals how to achieve Shubh (Auspiciousness), Laabh (Profit) and Santoshi (Satisfaction).
Why Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) chose Ganesha (the god of wisdom) to be by her side. How wisdom plays an indispensable role to your lasting success.Your privacy is important to us and we will never rent or sell your information.
