Ganesha

Known by various names, Ganesha is a divine force, a remover of all hurdles and one who is worshipped before doing any good work. The story of Ganesha here is based on Brahmavaivartha Purana. Lord Sri Krishna was born as Ganesha to Siva and Parvathi after she completed the Punyaka vratha, the king of all vrathas. As dakshina, Sanatkumara asked Parvathi for her husband if she wanted to enjoy the fruits of the vratha completely.

It is said that Shaneshwara who was under his wife's curse was forced to look at baby Ganesha when the baby's head got severed from his body. Lord Vishnu got an elephant's head, stuck it to the baby's body and breathed life into it. Once when Parasurama came to have a darshan of Siva and Parvathi, Ganesha refused to allow him inside as his parents were resting. Incensed, the sage cut off one of Ganesha's tusks with his axe. Ganesha and Tulasi once had a duel during which Tulasi offered to marry Ganesha and when he declined she cursed him saying that he would be married one day. He in turn cursed her but felt sorry and comforted her saying that as a plant, she would be a favourite of Lord Sri Hari.

Ganesha beat his brother Karthikeya in a competition when they were asked to go round the world to visit holy places in order to win the divine modaka and the promise of getting married. While Karthikeya actually went round the world, Ganesha went round his parents as he believed that everything holy lay at his parents' feet. He was then married to Siddhi and Buddhi. Ganesha was once abandoned in a forest. Sage Parashara recognized the divine being in the baby and took it home. Due to sage Saubhari's curse, Krauncha was cursed to become a rat, but one that would enjoy the status of being Ganesha'a vehicle. The legend of the Moon laughing at Ganesha and the latter cursing the Moon is quite well known. One must note that it was because of Ganesha's wisdom and blessings that he was chosen to be Vedavyasa's scribe and thus the world got a great epic, the Mahabharatha.