A Blessing in Disguise

So how and where was I born? My mother Parvathi felt an absence in her life, and she was yearning for a child. While my father, Lord Shiva, was meditating on top of Mt. Kailash (our home), she decided to create me. How can she create me? Well, I’ll tell you how. While bathing one day, she started rubbing the sandalwood soap from her body with the clay she found at a nearby river.

Honestly, even I wouldn’t have thought of that! She was a genius, and I am sure I’ve inherited that gene from her! Might I add that sandalwood soap smells so phenomenal!

Ta-Da! I was born! A little baby boy with soft, rosy pink skin! That beautiful face of mine would only be there for a bit longer! My mom and I lived in the abode by ourselves, and since my dad was meditating, we made promises to look after each other.

I promised my mom that I would protect our home from any invaders. One day while she was inside the house, a man approached our house demanding to come inside. The man was my father, but neither I nor he were able to recognize each other. I denied him entrance, and he immediately became furious. I didn’t think it would escalate so fast and so far, but he cut my head off! Legitimately cut my head off for not letting him enter his home?! I screamed my head off... literally! This was so cruel. Immediately, hearing the commotion, my mom ran outside.

She came screaming, “How can you cut off our son's head?”

My dad was in shock! He was so embarrassed that he couldn’t even recognize me!

“I did not realize that he was our son!” my dad exclaimed.

She was so upset with my dad and demanded that he revive me.

My mother went to all ends to get me revived. She did the unthinkable! She called all the goddesses for help. My dad seeing her plight decided to go to Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma advised my dad to get the first animal they found facing the north direction. The first animal the servants stumbled upon was…can you guess? An elephant. That is right! My dad immediately got the elephant's head and put it on my lifeless body! Within a few seconds I was revived.

As I got up, I felt a sudden weight pulling me back down. I was startled and immediately tried to shake it off. As I did, I saw a long tube hanging from my face (little did I know that that was my trunk). I was so scared. I ran to the river nearby and saw my reflection in the water. I immediately shrieked!

"What happened to my face?"

My parents consoled me and walked me through what happened. I was very upset!

With this new face of mine I thought, what will people think of me? Will people make fun of me?

My mother was ecstatic, but that died down after a few minutes. She asked, “Will people make fun of him?”

My dad comforted her and said, “I promise you, no one will ever ridicule our son. They will only ever celebrate him!”

I was named Ganapati, the Lord of all beings.

At the time, I was so furious that my father cut my head off. But you know, everything happens for a reason! I am also very accustomed to my new and improved look! My brother doesn’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure he is jealous that I look way cooler than him!

During this quarantine, we are told to cover our mouths with masks! But I have to cover my trunk, 'cause I don’t have a human face!

Stay Safe!

Author's Note:

I decided to write the story of Ganesha’s birth in his point of view. After reciting how the original story went, I added how Ganesha would have probably reacted in the scenario. For example, his mother made him out of sandalwood soap and clay from a nearby lake. I thought it would be nice to include Ganesha’s thought to his mom’s genius idea. It really shows how when you put your mind to something, you are determined to complete it. I also decided to add some dialogue between Parvathi and Lord Shiva when Lord Shiva cut their son's head off. To make it seem like a real conversation, I added how Ganesha himself felt when his dad cut his head off. I think by adding how Ganesha felt initially, it adds more emotion to the story. At the end, I decided to add how everything happens for a reason. At the end of the story I added that because Ganesha has the head of an elephant, he must cover his “trunk” with a mask to comply with the mask mandates. This ending will create a modern twist to the story, and relate it to the current times we are living in.

Bibliography: Times of India Article ; AllAboutHinduism Article