Ganesha He sees, He listens, He cares. Practices Version 1.0 Naganath (editor, author)
With very special thanks to ShantiMayi, my beloved Guru.
:+<*$1$3$7,+$6$1(/(3+$17)$&( LORD SHIVA AND PARVATI LIVED ON THE MOUNTAIN KAILASA. MANY A TIMES SHIVA USED TO GO TO THE FOREST AND STAYED THERE DOING PENANCE FOR MONTHS. MEANWHILE PARVATI HAD TO STAY ALONE AT HOME. ONE DAY, AS USUAL LORD SHIVA WENT TO THE FOREST, LEAVING PARVATI ALONE AT HOME. PARVATI THEN W ANTED TO TAKE A BATH. HOWEVER THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE TO LOOK AFTER THE HOUSE. SO,PARVATI WAS WORRIED. BUT SUDDENLY SHE HAD AN IDEA. PARVATI RE MOVED THE SANDAL PASTE FROM HER BODY AND CREATED A BOY FROM THE PASTE. PARVATI THEN MADE THE BOY STAND AT THE DOOR AND INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO LET ANYONE ENTER THE HOUSE TILL SHE FINISHES HER BATH. THE BOY STOOD AT THE DOOR AND STOPPED EVERYONE WHO VISITED THE HOUSE. SHORTLY, LORD SHIVA RETURNED HOME AND TO HIS SURPRISE, SAW THE BOY WHO STOPPED HIM FROM ENTERING THE HOUSE. "YOU CAN NOT ENTER THE HOUSE, MOTHER IS TAKING A BATH",SAID THE BOY TO LORD SHIVA. SHIVA GOT ANNOYED AND ASKED THE BOY TO MOVE ASIDE. BUT THE BOY DID NOT MOVE, BUT STOPPED LORD SHIVA FROM ENTERING THE HOUSE. LORD SHIVA LOST HIS TEMPER AND HE CHOPPED OFF THE HEAD OF THE BOY WITH HIS TRISHULA. LATER, PARVATI FINISHED HER BATH AND CAME OUT TO SEE THE BOY BUT TO HER SURPRISE, SHE SAW THE HEADLESS BODY OF THE BOY. PARVATI STARTED WEEPING. OH MY LORD! WHAT YOU HAVE DO- NE YOU HAVE KILLED MY SON!!! LORD SHIVA FELT VERY SORRY FOR HIS SHORT TEMPERED ACT. LORD SHIVA WISHED TO BRING BACK THE BOY TO HIS LIFE AND HE STARTED SEARCHING FOR THE CHOPPED HEAD OF THE BOY. BUT SURPRISINGLY THE HEAD HAD DISAPPEARED AND THE SEARCH WAS IN VAIN. THEN HE CALLED HIS SERVANTS, CALLED "GANAS" AND INSTRUCTED THEM, GO TO THE FOREST AND GET THE HEAD OF THE FIRST LIVING BEING YOU COME ACROSS. THE GANAS IMMIDIATELY RUSHED TO THE JUNGLE AND CAME ACROSS AN ALONE ELEPHANT. THEY IMMEDIATELY CUT OFF HISHEAD AND BROUGHT IT TO LORD SHIVA. LORD SHIVA PUT THE HEAD ON THE BODY OF THE BOY AND BROUGHT HIM TO LIFE. PARVATI WAS OVERJOYED TO GET BACK HER SON THE GANAS HAD HELPED TO BRING BACK THE LIFE OF THE BOY, THEREFORE, HE WAS NAMED "GANESHA" IURPZZZVKUHHGDUVKDQFRP
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(Literature) Satsangs, newsletters ShantiMayi (www. ShantiMayi.com) Intensives, literature Siddha Yoga Meditation (www.siddhayoga.org) Ganapati, Song of the SELF, John A. Grimes (ISBN 0-7914-2440-x) Loving Ganesha, S.S. Subramuniyaswami (ISBN 0-945497-77-x) Ganesha, Removing the obstacles-james H. Bae (ISBN 1-886069-66-x) Music: Great Mantras-Vrindavan (www.vrindavan-music.com) Ganesh Mantra Inner Voice (www.oreade.com) Suggestions for improvement: naganath (at) aarjavam.com