Week 14 Story: Parvati's Ganesh

Ganesh. Source: Zedge.

It was a gorgeous day outside. The wind was flowing through the household, and the birds were chirping happily. It was quite wonderful. I decided to take advantage of this day and work around the house. I cleaned, prepared food, and even tended to the garden. By mid-afternoon I was exhausted. A bath would be refreshing, I thought. So I told Nandi to look out for anyone who may enter to prevent any invasion of privacy. Without realizing, however, Nandi is devoted to my Lord. I was bathing and had just finished. I turn around and my Lord appeared in front of me! How embarrassing. Although he is my husband, I asked solely for privacy. This frustrated me to no end. He thinks he can get his way no matter the cause, even with me! There is no such thing. We are equal. My demands are as effective as his. I could not figure out, however, how to obtain one of these devoted ganas.

I went to speak with my friends in hopes that they would give me an idea. One of them suggested creating one! I do have that power, as it was bestowed upon me by my Lord. I covered myself in turmeric paste, and used that as the paste I would make my gana out of. I formed a small boy. He had simple, yet defining, clothes that emphasized he was of importance, but it was not clearly obvious. He had a dainty nose and bright eyes. He was adorably, truly. I could not believe my eyes. He was my son! Made from my own hands. His boyish smile was contagious, and I informed him that he must guard me and not let anyone in. He did so, but Shiva was confused and could not handle another authority in the way. So stubborn he is! He even fought with my dear son just to force his way into the house. With his own ganas! Absolutely ridiculous. He called to Brahma and Vishnu to assist as well. My friends have continued to inform me of his actions to get into the house.

One friend, Soniya, came running into the house. She was yelling, "Parvati! Parvati! Shiva has slain you son." I could not believe my ears. He was that stubborn to get into the house he would kill his own son? I was furious. I paced back and forth trying to decide what to do. Meanwhile, Shiva better fix this! A while later, once I calmed down, Shiva reentered with the body of my son but with an elephant's head. I took him in my arms and wept. I could not believe he would do such a thing to you. His anger is just too much! Shiva explained to me how he got our son back, and I accepted. Shiva blessed our son and named him Ganesh, remover of all obstacles. My dear son was back in my arms, but I still need to keep an eye on my Lord. He is too much for me some days, but I sure do love him.

Author's Note:

I wanted to tell the story of Ganesh from Parvati's perspective. She was mildly introduced in the beginning, but I think her equality is important to her, which is what I wanted to emphasize in this retelling of the story. She is a strong woman who called in on Durga and Kali, so her equality is very apparent. However, it took Shiva fighting his own son to realize this. I also wrote it in the first person! I hope that it was entertaining. I also added in details that were not accurate to make it more interesting.

Bibliography:

"Ganesh" by Amar Chitra Katha. Literary Source.