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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Ganapati included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).

Story of Ҳṇa貹پ

Genealogy.

A son of Ś with face like that of an elephant. As Ś has appointed this son as chief of the ṇa (attendants) he is called Ҳṇa貹پ.

His birth.

While Ś and ī assumed the form of monkeys and enjoyed themselves in the forest ī got pregnant, and Ś took the semen from the womb and gave it to (wind God.) deposited it in the womb of ñᲹ, who delivered a son named Ჹū. Ś assumed the form of an elephant (tusker) and ī that of a she-elephant. ī delivered a son in the form of an elephant. That son was named Ҳṇa貹پ. (Uttara 峾ⲹṇa).

His tusk broken.

Once ʲśܰ峾 arrived at to meet Ś. At that time Ś was asleep. So Ҳṇa貹پ did not allow him to get in. A duel broke out between them. In that duel one of Ҳṇa貹پ’s tusks was broken. (Padma ʳܰṇa).

Ҳṇa貹پ turned into crow.

An exceptionally hot summer set in once in South India. The whole land became parched. So Agastya went to Ś and requested for some holy water, and the Lord put 屹ī who was worshipping him just then, in the ṇḍ (something like a teapot which sannyāsins carry with them) of Agastya and sent him back. Indra, who did not relish this action of Ś, asked Ҳṇa貹پ to some how or other upset Agastya’s ṇḍ of holy water, and Ҳṇa貹پ, in the guise of a crow went and sat on the brink of the ṇḍ and thus upset it. Agastya and the crow quarrelled with each other. Then did the crow assume its original form as Ҳṇa貹پ and blessed Agastya. Moreover, Ҳṇa貹پ filled Agastya’s ṇḍ with holy water, which the latter distributed among devotees in South India, and that is the present 屹ī river.

Other stories about Ҳṇa貹پ’s head.

The ʳܰṇa contain two different stories as to how Ҳṇa貹پ happened to have the elephant’s head. Once ī pointed out to Ҳṇa貹پ the planet Saturn, and his head got burned down due to the ocular power of Saturn, and according to one story Ҳṇa貹پ’s head thus lost was replaced with that of an elephant. The other story is more interesting. When once Ś tried to enter the room where ī had gone to take her bath clad in a single clothing Ҳṇa貹پ prevented Ś from doing so. Ś, enraged at the obstruction made by Ҳṇa貹پ, cut off his head, and when his anger was cooled down he replaced Ҳṇa貹پ’s lost head with that of an elephant. (Padma ʳܰṇa).

Wedding of Ҳṇa貹پ.

Ҳṇa貹پ has two wives called Siddhi and Buddhi.

When Ҳṇa貹پ and ܲ󳾲ṇy attained the age of marriage they were in a hurry to get married. Ś conducted a test. Ś and ī told them that he who returned first after going round the world would be married first. Accordingly ܲ󳾲ṇy mounted his vehicle (peacock) and set out for a tour round the world. Ҳṇa貹پ did nothing of the sort. But after a little time he went round his parents, viz., Ś and ī. Asked for an explanation about his action Ҳṇa貹پ replied that since the whole universe existed in Ś and ī, going around them tantamounted to touring round the world. Pleased at this reply his parents got Ҳṇa貹پ married first.

վԱśٱ.

(Power to remove all obstacles). Ҳṇa貹پ is called Vighneśvara because he is the god who removes all obstacles from the paths of men or creates them.

Ҳṇa貹پ has the power to get anything done without any obstructions as also the power to put obstacles in the path of anything being got done. Therefore, the custom came into vogue of worshipping Ҳṇa貹پ at the very commencement of any action for its completion without any hitch or hindrance. Actions begun with such worship would be duly completed, Indians believe. In support of that belief the following story from the 6th ٲṅg of Lāvāṇakalaṃbakam, ٳٲ岵 may be quoted.

The Devas decided to appoint ܲ󳾲ṇy as chief of the army to kill ܰ. When Indra took up the pot of water purified by mantras to anoint ܲ󳾲ṇy’s head with it, his hands became benumbed, and he stood aghast. Then Ś said that any action begun without Ҳṇa貹پ ū would meet with such obstacles. At once Indra worshipped Ҳṇa貹پ and his hands recovered from the paralysed condition. And, ܲ󳾲ṇy was duly anointed with the holy water.

Ҳṇa貹پ wrote the Ṃahābhārata.

After the death of the Kauravas and the ṇḍ sage ղ entered again into meditation. But, the whole story of the ٲ reflected in the mirror of his mind. He wanted to translate the story into a great poem and requested to suggest a suitable person to write the story on his dictation, and suggested Ҳṇa貹پ’s name. Then ղ thought about Ҳṇa貹پ and he appeared before the sage. But, Ҳṇa貹پ did not appreciate the idea of serving as ղ’s scribe. So he stipulated a condition that he would write down the poem provided ղ dictated it in such a manner that he had not to lay down his pen even once before the epic was completed. To this ղ stipulated the counter condition that when he dictated without the least interruption or pause Ҳṇa貹پ should not write down the matter without understanding the meaning of it. And, under such conditions the composition of the Ѳٲ was completed within three years. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 1, Verses 74-80).

Ҳṇa貹پ pūja.

Ҳṇa貹پ occupies the most prominent place among the Devas connected with Ś. In South India, Ҳṇa貹پ ū came into vogue in the 6th century A.D., and idols of Ҳṇa貹پ now extant might have been made at that period. In South India, temples dedicated to Ҳṇa貹پ are in no way less in number than those to ܲ󳾲ṇy. The idol of Ҳṇa貹پ is installed at the gateways of villages and forts, under the fig tree, at the entrance of temples and at the southwestern corner of Ś temples. Two types of idols are important: the Itaṃpiri (the proboscis turned to the left side) and the Valaṃpiri (the proboscis turned to the right side). It is stated that the enormously big belly of Ҳṇa貹پ contains in it the whole universe.

Synonyms of Ҳṇa貹پ.

"vināyako vighnarājo dvaimātura-ṇād󾱱貹� / apyekadanto heraṃbo laṃbodaragajānana�. (ś)." (վⲹ첹, վԲᲹ, Dvaimātura, Ҳṇād󾱱貹, Ekadanta, Heramba, Lambodara, ҲԲԲ).

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