Prem Purana

by Usha Narayanan

  ‘Is anything the matter?’ she asked anxiously.

  Ganesha transformed before her eyes into Gajamukha and in his hand pulsed the mystic danda. ‘I see a powerful warrior near my father’s cave and am waiting to see what his intentions are,’ he said. ‘I hope he will not attempt to enter forcibly and disturb Shiva.’

  ‘Shall I leave then?’ asked Buddhi. ‘Siddhi will probably come looking for me, for she is more protective than my mother who is often immersed in her learning!’

  ‘No,’ he replied, unwilling to let her go. ‘Please stay awhile. Nandi has stopped the intruder and I may not be needed.’

  As if Buddhi’s thoughts had conjured her up, Siddhi came down the forest path, looking agitated. Riddhi came with her, prattling about the charms of her Sumukha. She looked shyly at Ganesha as if to say, I know that you and my Sumukha are one and the same, but somehow I love him more!

  Ganesha replied with a smile that lit up his face.

  ‘What is it?’ Buddhi asked Siddhi, sensitive as she always was to the moods of others.

  ‘There is word that Kamasura is camped within a few days’ ride of this forest,’ said Siddhi. ‘His army ravages all the ashrams on the riverbanks, and our guru is anxious for our safety.’

  Riddhi gave a little cry of fear, her beautiful face clouding over. Ganesha’s eyes glittered and his fists clenched but he stayed silent, listening. Buddhi placed a gentle hand on Siddhi’s shoulder to calm her down, and turned to Ganesha. ‘You must be careful, my friend,’ she said. ‘Kapila says that the asura cannot be killed by Shiva or Vishnu, by yaksha or gandharva, by man or beast. Even Indra has fled the heavens and hides in patala, his lustre dimmed and his grace destroyed. Having subdued devaloka, Kamasura has descended to earth to bring all the kingdoms under his sceptre. Many evil kings have sold their souls to him in exchange for occult powers and weapons with which they torment the righteous.’

  Ganesha nodded. ‘Earth is in turmoil, except for small regions such as ours that are protected by the tapasya of great sages,’ he said. ‘Virtue declines and only the wicked prosper. The rains fail and people starve and prey on their neighbours. Men’s hearts are overcome with greed and depravity. Families are torn apart by envy and pride. Lust reigns supreme and anarchy claims the world.’

  Shiva’s son had been born on earth only to kill Kamasura and re-establish peace. But he did not wish to say so, as it would seem boastful to make such a claim.

  ‘I have resolved to kill this monster Kamasura even if it means sacrificing my life!’ declared Siddhi, her face set in grim resolve.

  ‘Though the thought of war and bloodshed revolts me, I realize that sometimes there is no option except to fight,’ said Buddhi softly. ‘Maybe Ganesha can help in your battle.’

  ‘I will protect you all!’ Ganesha exclaimed, unable to remain quiet any longer.

  ‘We do not need your protection!’ Siddhi shot back, her eyes spewing fire.

  He nodded, knowing that he could have expected nothing else. ‘Nevertheless, you can call on me if you should need me,’ he said. ‘At this moment though, I am needed at Kailasa to stop the intruder who is too powerful for Nandi.’

  ‘A battle?’ asked Siddhi, her eyes lighting up. ‘Who is this intruder?’

  ‘It is Parasurama, Vishnu’s avatara and an ardent devotee of my father,’ he replied. ‘He is armed with my father’s parasu which makes him invincible.’

  ‘I have heard tales of this mighty warrior and would like to see him, even if it is only from a distance,’ Siddhi said, looking expectantly at Ganesha.

  ‘You could come with me and witness our encounter,’ he offered, eager to use any opportunity to spend time with her.

  ‘I would like that. Maybe I will learn something from him when he overpowers you!’ Siddhi laughed.

  ‘Or maybe I will surprise you with my skills!’ Ganesha chuckled. ‘Let us leave for Kailasa then.’

  Buddhi frowned. Why was he encouraging her sister who showed him no respect? If he had wanted someone to come with him, he could have chosen Buddhi. Did they not share a special relationship already? She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. Why was she reacting so violently? Anyone watching them would think that she was jealous that Siddhi was getting closer to Ganesha. Nothing can be further from the truth, Buddhi told herself firmly.

  Ganesha stood with Siddhi on the sacred soil of Kailasa, offering worship to the linga that Parvati had installed. He glanced at his companion’s proud face, knowing that he had embarked on a rough path in attempting to win her over. For now, however, he had to focus on his confrontation with Parasurama whom Shiva had blessed with his great axe.

  Siddhi watched from a safe distance as Ganesha bowed to the warrior and requested him to wait until Shiva granted him permission to enter. But Parasurama angrily pushed him aside and strode towards the cave. Ganesha intercepted him, causing the angry warrior to raise his axe to threaten him.

  Finding that his antagonist would not listen to mere words, Shiva’s son extended his trunk by many lengths and wound it around Parasurama 100 times. He then raised the warrior into the skies so that he could see the seven mountains, the seven oceans and the seven islands of the earth below him. Then he whirled him around and showed him all the lokas including Vaikunta, where Lord Vishnu presided on his lotus throne with Devi Lakshmi. With his yogic power, Shiva’s son granted Parasurama a vision of Goloka, the purest of realms, where blue-hued Krishna resided with Radha and his gopis.

  After showing Parasurama how insignificant he was when compared to the primordial universe spanning endless time and space, Gajamukha dropped him gently on the ground outside Shiva’s cave. He smiled at Siddhi who stood dazed, clinging to a tree for support, as she too had been granted the supernal vision by Ganesha’s grace. She realized now that her cheerful friend was called Vakratunda not because of his crooked trunk, but because he was the one who straightened out the crooked.

  Parasurama recovered from his stupor and saw that he was lying on the ground at Ganesha’s feet. Incensed by this humiliation, he sprang to his feet and took up his mighty axe. The parasu hurtled towards Ganesha with a deafening roar. Siddhi trembled, certain that her friend would not survive the dire power of his father’s weapon.

  5

  Fiery Durga

  Strangely enough, Gajamukha made no attempt to counter Parasurama’s axe. Instead, he joined his hands in worship to the parasu and stood calmly as if reconciled to his death.

  Siddhi heard a horrific crack as the parasu struck one of Ganesha’s tusks and severed it completely. It fell to the ground with a crash, smeared in blood, looking like a crystal mountain covered in red chalk. Shiva rushed out of the cave, followed by Parvati, who turned into fiery Durga when she saw that her son had been wounded. She discerned what had happened and raged at the warrior who stood before her with the axe that had returned to his hand.

  ‘O Parasurama!’ she said. ‘You may be learned and wise and the son of a great sage, yet you have allowed wrath to overcome you. You received your parasu from your guru, Shiva, but abused your gift by using it to wound his son. Ganesha, on the other hand, allowed the axe to sever his tusk due to his respect for his father’s weapon. What next will you do, Parasurama? Will you assail mighty Shiva himself? Presumptuous warrior! I curse you this day that though you are an avatara of my beloved Vishnu, no one on earth or heaven will ever worship you!’

  Parasurama cowered before the angry goddess whose fury grew by the moment. ‘It is only due to Ganesha’s forbearance that you are still alive, for he can kill a hundred thousand Parasuramas in the blink of an eye,’ she said. ‘But I am unwilling to be so tolerant and will end your life today!’

  Durga rushed towards him, with her trident aimed at his head. Parasurama stood unarmed and unresisting. He closed his eyes, joined his hands together and surrendered to Krishna.

  ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!’ Parasurama chanted, invoking his god with his last breath.

  At once, Krish
na appeared before him, lustrous and omnipotent, granting him protection with one raised hand. Durga stopped mid-stride and gazed at Krishna. Her wrath vanished, dissolving like mist in the light of the sun. A beatific smile adorned her face. She offered him a reverential welcome along with Shiva.

  Krishna addressed them gently, a calm smile on his face. ‘I have come here to rescue my devotee,’ he said. ‘Though Parasurama has committed a grievous sin, I request you to forgive him, Parvati. He is your son too, for you are the divine mother, the refuge of all creation. As for you, Parasurama, you have to undertake a severe tapasya to attain forgiveness. Worship the Devi who animates the three realms in the form of the gentle Gauri and the fierce Durga. Seek the blessings of Ganesha who is now Ekadanta, the lord with one tusk.’

  Having offered his counsel, the lord returned to Goloka. Parasurama prostrated himself before the gods and laid his axe at Ganesha’s feet in tribute. He then retreated to a distant mountain to begin his worship. Parvati took her son into her mansion, to coddle him after his fierce encounter.

  Siddhi resolved to return to Kapila’s ashram, only to find that her sisters had followed her to Kailasa, anxious about Ganesha’s encounter with Parasurama. She assured them that all was well and that they should return to earth. But before they could leave, they were confronted by an irate Durga.

  ‘You must be Brahma’s daughters with whom my son spends all his time!’ she exclaimed, casting a jealous eye on the three of them. They bowed to her and looked at her warily.

  ‘Do you not realize that it is unlikely that my son will ever marry? He has promised me that he will only consider marriage with someone as beautiful and virtuous as his mother,’ said Durga. ‘But who in the universe can equal me?’ Her eyes glittered in challenge.

  ‘I have no desire to marry your son or anyone else!’ retorted Siddhi, unable to stop herself. ‘I regard marriage as a bond that traps a person in a world of meaningless pleasures.’

  ‘Hush!’ said Buddhi to her sister before turning to the Devi. ‘She means no insult,’ she said to her. ‘It is just that she wishes to remain unmarried like Goddess Kanyakumari.’

  This appeared to amuse Durga and she began to laugh, her mood changing abruptly. ‘Come with me now,’ she said. ‘I will show you how my son is revered by men and gods alike. You are fortunate to be able to witness this.’

  Night had fallen, and a brilliant moon shone down on Kailasa. Ganesha’s mansion seemed to float in the air like an opal, taking on the colours of myriad gems. One moment, it appeared to be spun from pure white marble, for Parvati’s son embodied the light of the divine. The next, it gleamed like a giant ruby, symbolizing the muladhara chakra over which he presided. Around the mansion there were scented gardens with iridescent flowers unseen on heaven or earth. Inside, his vast court dazzled with its silver columns and turquoise floors. The walls and ceilings bore exquisite paintings, for the young god was the patron of art, music and dance. Buddhi gasped as she studied the paintings of Krishna preaching the Gita, his son Pradyumna confronting Yama in order to save mankind and Parvati holding the young Gajamukha on her lap.

  Ganesha sat on a throne set on a crystal dais within the Prabhavali, an arch of flames that represented creation, preservation and dissolution. On top of the arch resided Mahakala, the god of time, offering worship to the young god who was radiant in yellow silk. A white mouse wearing a golden necklace saluted Ganesha by joining its tiny feet together.

  ‘Krauncha seems to have taken a snow-white avatara here,’ whispered Buddhi, nodding to Ganesha who welcomed them with a beaming smile.

  ‘He is more than just a small mouse worshipping a huge god,’ said one of the rishis attending on the young god. ‘Krauncha represents our ego and animal instincts that we must subdue with the help of Gajamukha. Parvati’s son enlarges our spirit, opens up our hearts and shows us the way to bliss. Look down on earth and you will see how his grace falls upon his devotees like gentle rain on scorched land.’

  They saw below an aged woman offering prayers to the tusked god in mellifluous Tamil verses. ‘This woman, Avvaiyar, sought a boon from Ganesha to be rid of her youth so that she could devote herself to his worship,’ said the rishi.

  ‘My big ears help me hear not just her prayer, but her every thought!’ chuckled Ganesha. ‘She is anxious now because two other devotees have started their journey to Kailasa already and will reach me before she does. One is Sage Sundara who rides on a celestial elephant, and the other is King Cheraman whose horse moves swiftly, imbued with the power of the mantra Om Namah Shivaya.’

  ‘I yearn to travel with them to meet my lord, but how can I do so when I am merely a poor old woman?’ Avvaiyar cried out aloud.

  The next instant, Avvaiyar heard Ganesha’s voice in her ear. ‘Complete your prayer in peace, mother,’ he said. ‘I will take you to Kailasa myself.’ Her face broke into a delighted smile and she finished her worship calmly. Then Ganesha appeared before her, lifted her up gently with his trunk and conveyed her to Kailasa. The king and the sage gasped when they reached their destination and saw her there before them, adoring the young god with blissful song.

  The girls gazed with awe at their whimsical friend from the forest who was now seated on a throne, holding a string of prayer beads, an axe and a goad in three hands, while granting boons with his fourth hand. ‘Bless us, Vighnaharta!’ prayed his devotees, worshipping Ganesha in his many forms.

  ‘Sumukha!’ whispered Riddhi with a smile.

  ‘Adi Vinayaka!’ said Buddhi.

  If I ever felt any fondness for him, I would call him Ekadanta, thought Siddhi, recalling his encounter with Parasurama. He proved his valour that day, showing me that he knows a trick or two. Perhaps he is not only interested in eating modakas and flirting with girls!

  The three maidens watched as Indra came to Ganesha seeking his blessings before embarking on a battle. Kama sought his help in composing a new verse extolling the beauty of his wife, Rati. On earth, students prayed for his help in their studies, and travellers invoked him before setting out on their journey. They performed aartis and offered him laddoos and fruits. Some devotees broke coconuts before his image, signifying the breaking of the ego’s hold on their mind. Others adorned him with garlands of durva grass.

  ‘I have seen that Sumukha too likes offerings of durva more than gold necklaces or gems. But why is that?’ asked Riddhi.

  ‘The rich bring me diadems of gold,’ Ganesha replied. ‘But I prefer durva grass as it is often the only offering that the poor can afford. You may wonder why they offer this grass and none other. To explain this, we must go back to a time when a wicked asura was born from Yama’s uncontrollable desire for the apsara Tilottama. This asura became known as Analasura because he emitted fire from his eyes, burning everyone he encountered. Not even the devas could destroy him as the fierce heat made it impossible for them to stand before him.

  ‘The asura prowled undeterred, his raucous laughter echoing between earth and heaven. The devas ran to Shiva. “Ganesha is the only one with a belly large enough to contain the asura!” Shiva laughed. When Indra sought my help, I took the form of a young boy and confronted the demon.’

  Ganesha paused to quench his thirst and then continued. ‘Considering me easy prey, Analasura assailed me with huge fireballs. When I continued to advance, he decided to devour me whole. I showed myself to him as Gajamukha and expanded myself to enormous proportions. While he stood dumbstruck by my giant form, I opened my mouth wide and swallowed him. The devas rejoiced on seeing this and Indra came to shower me with rare gems in thanksgiving. But alas, their fight for survival had not ended.’

  ‘Why? What other threat did they face now?’ asked Riddhi.

  ‘The gods soon realized that though the asura no longer lived, his heat remained unquenched. It rose in waves from my belly and burned all the lokas. The ganas anointed me with sandalwood and showered me with huge pots of milk and a hundred thousand lotus flowers. Indra placed the crescent moon on my for
ehead hoping that his silvery rays would douse the heat. Shiva removed the cobra from around his neck and tied it to my hip. Varuna submerged me in his cooling torrents. But all their efforts were in vain. Analasura’s heat remained unabated.’

  Brahma’s daughters listened wide-eyed, wondering how the tale would end. ‘Then, 88,000 sages came to me, each carrying a bunch of durva grass,’ Ganesha continued. ‘They placed the grass on my head and body and chanted potent slokas to quell the heat. Miraculously, the burning subsided and the realms were finally at peace. I declared then that anyone who offered me durva garlands with true devotion would receive my blessings. Since then, the durva grass remains close to my heart!’

  Seeing that his pretty friends were overwhelmed by all that they had seen and heard that day in Kailasa, Ganesha attempted to lighten the mood. ‘Now that you have seen my world, maybe you wish to join me here,’ he joked. ‘I promise that I will consent to marrying the three of you, provided you can show me that you can make delicious modakas like my mother!’

  Buddhi smiled politely but the other two remained silent. ‘I will try to ignore the fact that none of you is really perfect,’ he continued, trying to provoke them. ‘You are too quiet, Buddhi. Siddhi is difficult to please. I do love Riddhi, but I find that she is too fond of rich clothes and ornaments!’

  This caught their attention and they gazed angrily at him. But before they could retaliate, the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati appeared before them. Lakshmi wore a resplendent red silk while Saraswati was clad in a white sari woven with sparkling stars.

  ‘Blessings, my children!’ said a smiling Lakshmi, as they bowed to them in worship. ‘I heard what you said, Ganesha. But I would advise you not to disparage Riddhi who unites my shakti with yours!’ she laughed. ‘It is natural that each of us should have our own likes and dislikes. Why, my lord Vishnu himself is an alankarapriya like Riddhi and delights in adornments. As for Shiva, he is an abhishekapriya who is happy when devotees shower him with milk and honey.’