Hindu God Ganpati's Family

By Author: Chip Tolaney
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Elephant-headed Ganesh, Hindu's most popular deity, is a study in dichotomy. He is held in awe and respect as a powerful energy who removes complications in people's lives. But Ganpati also evokes a very down-to-earth love. Some of this warmth emanates from his immediate involvement in our everyday lives and from the mythological stories about Ganesh and his family. The legends about Ganpati depict him as a devoted son and a loving sibling.

There's no Hindu grandmother who doesn't love reciting the story of Ganesha's parentage and birth. Many versions abound, but here's the popular one. Officially, Lord Ganesh's father is Shiv the Destroyer, one of the holy trinity in the Hindu pantheon, a rather fearsome figure with matted locks and an ash-smeared body who spends eons meditating in the Himalayas. Parvati, his beautiful consort, presides over all of creation. Without her, the earth would be barren and perennially cold. During her husband's lengthy absence, Parvati created a young boy for herself from a mass of clay - none other than Ganpati. When Lord Shiva, unaware of his 'son's' existence, returned back, Ganesh refused ...
... him from access to Parvati, who was bathing and had directed her son to guard against intruders. Shiv, whose anger could ruin the universe, chopped off the child's head. When he realized his mistake, he replaced the boy's head with that of an elephant. Shiva also granted little boy a boon - that he would be worshipped prior to the start of any earthly enterprise. Notwithstanding this dramatic event in childhood, Ganesh grew up to be regarded as the epitome of filial devotion.

Hindu mythology has many stories about Ganesh and his younger sibling, Karthikeya. Where Ganesh is popular all over India, Karthikeya's influence is predominant in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, where he is also known as Murugan, Subramanya or Arumugham. You couldn't find two more different personalities. Ganesh is comfortably chubby, gentle, and patience personified; brother Karthikeya is all radiant energy and an impulsive lad. Ganesha has the lowly mouse as his vehicle while Karthikeya prefers the flashy peacock.

Like many Hindu sagas, stories of the Ganesh-Kartikeya interactions are possessed of a childlike simplicity, yet imbued with lessons for human race. One time, a mango infused with divine knowledge was brought to Mount Kailas in the Himalayas, where Shiva and Parvati hold court. Since only one individual could consume the fruit, a competition was suggested between their two sons - whosoever circumambulated the earth thrice and returned first would win the fruit. Convinced that his peacock would outrace Ganesha's mouse, Kartikeya went off into space. Ganesha, on the other hand, simply folded his palms in prayer and walked around his seated parents, returning to his starting point ahead of Kartikeya. His reasoning? Shiva and Parvati contain the world within them; walking around his parents is equivalent to actually going around the earth. He won the mango, but then magnanimously offered it to his sulking brother.

There are conflicting views regarding the marital status of Ganesha. Some parts of India worships Ganesha as a bachelor while the rest of India worships him along with his two wives. Ganesha is thought to be married to Siddhi (spiritual strength) and Buddhi (intellect) - the daughters of Brahma the Creator - one of the holy trinity in the Hindu pantheon. This is popularly taken to mean that where Ganesh is present, intellectual acumen and spirituality will follow. Legend also has it that Kartikeya grew up to marry Valli, a tribal maiden and Devayani, the daughter of Indra, the wind god. However, he is widely worshipped as a child-god possessed of a warrior's skills, one who protects his devotees against all harm.