Why did Shri Ganesh make mouse his vehicle?

Every god has a vehicle. Someone has lion, someone has Garuda and someone has bull etc. That is, all of them are special in themselves. A lion means a strong, fast-moving vehicle faster than a man and a bull means a dedicated devotee.  So it makes sense that all the Gods choose their special vehicles. But why did Ganpati Bappa make a mooshak (mouse) his vehicle?  Has this question ever come to your mind… So let's know its secret…

All the worshipers of Lord Ganpati have been surprised to see his unique vehicle as per his wonderful form. It is also natural to wonder why Lord Ganesha with such a big and heavy body chose a mouse as his vehicle from a small.

In Hinduism, there is a law to worship Lord Ganesha on Wednesday.  It is said that by worshiping him, all the sufferings of a person go away. Being the lord of the ganas, he also has a name Ganapati. Let me tell you that Lord Ganesha had chosen his vehicle as a mouse, but hardly anyone knows the secret behind it.  So today we will tell you why he chose the mouse. 

Everyone is convinced of the wisdom of Ganesha. Everyone lost in arguments by Shree Ganesha. It is his passion to get to the deep of every single thing or problem, to do it consideration and reach to conclusion.  The mouse also does not lag behind in arguments. The job of a mouse is to scrape anything, whatever the mouse sees, it rips it and analyzes its part by part.  Perhaps Ganesha may have chosen the vehicle as his own given the same characteristics of the mouse.

Ganesh as we know is the son of Shiva and Parvati. His vehicle is a mouse named Dink. Being the lord of the ganas, he also has a name Ganapati. Ganapati is the god of wisdom and learning.

But have you ever noticed that his vehicle is not according to his physical structure?  If your attention has gone towards this, then you must also have thought that his vehicle should have been a strong animal.  Then why did he choose the mouse as his vehicle? Looking for a logical answer to this, it is known that even the mouse has a lot of passion(curiosity), due to which they try to find out what is inside it by bite off everything. And Lord Ganesha also gives him wisdom, in which the curiosity has great desire. And he is equally agile and also gives the message of being aware.

But this is not the only reason, there are some interesting stories behind the mouse as the vehicle of Lord Ganesha. Today in this article we will tell you why Lord Ganesha chose a mouse as his vehicle and who he was.

First Story:------

Once upon a time, Devraj Indra was talking to all the gods in his meeting on a serious matter.  Along with the gods, Gandharvas and Apsaras were also present in his meeting.  All the other people here were listening to Devraj Indra and were also giving their valuable views. But a Gandharva named Krounch was also present in the meeting, whose attention was not visible at all in the discussion happening there. His attention was only on the Apsaras present in the meeting, as well as by flickering nature he started joking with those Apsaras.

At first Devraj Indra ignored his antics, but when his actions increased to a great extent, he explained Krounch in gestures.  But at that time the Krounch was engulfed in frenzy, he ignored his point and kept on in his antics. Enraged by his audacity, Devraj Indra cursed him to become a mouse. Due to the curse, the Krounch Gandharva turned into the mouse and as soon as the mouse was formed, it started to run around and create havoc. Devaraj Indra's anger was further aggravated by his antics, and immediately ordered to throw him out of heaven. On receiving his orders, the gatekeepers threw the mouse out of the gate of heaven.

As soon as he was thrown from there, he fell directly into the ashram of Parashar Muni, where he shattered all the grain's pot in anger.  At the same time, all the food and food items kept in the pot he started eat, after that he also destroyed all the plants of Parashar Muni's garden.  Along with this, also destroyed all clothes and religious texts of sages in ashram.

Parashar Rishi became very sad due to all the useful things of the ashram being destroyed and started cursing the deeds of his previous birth that the misdeeds have resulted in disturbing the peace of my ashram.  Now how to get rid of this mouse's terror?

Then Parashar Muni called upon Gajanan and urged him to save my ashram from the terror of this mouse.

Then Ganesh ji told Parashar ji that I just make this mouse my vehicle.  Ganesh ji threw his stunning loop, the loop followed the mouse and went to the patal loka and tied his throat and dragged him out and presented him in front of Gajanan.  The mouse fainted by the loop's grip.

As soon as his unconsciousness ended, Mouse started worshiping Ganesha and started begging for his life.  Ganesh ji was pleased with the praise of Mouse but told him that you have given a lot of trouble to Brahmins.  I have incarnated only for the destruction of the wicked and for the welfare of saintly men, but the protection of the refugee is also my ultimate dharma, so ask for whatever boon you want.

Hearing this, the arrogant of that mouse woke up and said, 'I don't want to ask for anything from you, you can plead with me.' Ganesha smiled and said, 'If your word is true then you become my vehicle.  Ganesh ji immediately mounted on him as soon as  when the mouse told so be it .

Now, under the weight of heavy Gajanan,  the mouse felt life-threatening crisis.  He then prayed to Gajanan to make his load affordable for him.  In this way Ganesh ji made him his own vehicle by destroying the pride of mouse.  In this way, this vehicle of Ganesha also indicates from the interpretation of worldly life to spiritual life.

Second Story:------

In ancient times there was an asura(demon) named Gajmukh.  Gajmukh had a dream that he should take possession of the earth and the heavens as well.  To fulfill this desire, he made a plan to please Lord Shiva one day.  He went to a dense forest where he started penance of Shiva.  Many years passed but he still stood on one leg and indulged in the penance of Shiva and kept chanting his name.

Bholenath was pleased with Gajmukh's penance and told him to ask for a boon.  In the boon, Gajmukh said that no weapon of the universe could kill me, give me such a boon.  Lord Shiva approved the boon by saying so be it.  Gajmukh was very happy after getting a boon from Lord Shiva, he started to fulfill his wish.  Soon he took possession of the Earth and Hades, after which he invaded heaven.  Lord Shiva had a boon that no any weapon could kill him. That is why he did not suffer any damage from the divine weapons of the gods.

Gajmukh drove the gods out of Devaloka, after which all the gods reached the shelter of Trideva Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.  After listening to the problem of the Gods, Bholenath told Lord Ganesha to fight with Gajmukh.  Following the orders of Lord Shiva, Ganapati ji fought with Gajmukh.

Due to the boon of Bholenath, Lord Ganesha's weapon was not being effect on Gajmukh. So all the weapons of Ganapati also ended and became ineffective.

Meanwhile, Ganpati broke his one tooth and hit it on Gajmukh when he became unarmed for a moment.  The tooth was not really an weapon, so it was proved infallible and Gajmukh was seriously injured.  Despite this, Gajmukh did not give up. He took the form of a giant mouse from his maya(illusion) and started running towards Ganapati with full speed.  When Ganpati saw Gajmukh coming towards him, he too started running towards Gajmukh at full speed and jumped & sat on his back.  And Shri Ganesh transformed Gajmukh into a mouse for life.

Gajmukh tried his best to beat Ganpati and Ganesh also rode on his neck with full force.  Gajmukh finally gave up after a long struggle.  Even after this, Ganesh ji did not leave him.  He said that you are a wicked by nature.  That is why it would be better that you always remain my vehicle in the same way, so that I will always ride you and control your wickedness .  Gajmukh accepted his command and became the vehicle of God.

Third Story:------

There is a story in the Ganesh Purana on how Mouse became vehicle of Lord Ganesha.  Which is somewhat similar to the first story.

In ancient times, there was a very beautiful ashram of the Saubhari Rishi on the Sumeru mountain.  His very beautiful and loving wife was named Manomayi.  One day the sage went to forest to get wood and Manomayi was engaged in housework.  At the same time a wicked named Krounch Gandharva came there and was distraught when he saw amazing  pretty Manomayi. Wicked Krounch held the hand of the sage-wife.  The sage wife weeping and trembling started begging him for mercy.  At the same time Saubhari rishi came.  Due to anger,  his eyes turned into red .

He cursed Gandharva and said- 'O vicious!  You have come like a thief and have caught the hand of my wife, so you will fill your stomach by stealing under and around the earth. So you will be a mouse.

The trembling Gandharva prayed to the sage - 'O rishivar, I only touched your wife's hand due to indiscretion.  Please forgive me. '  The sage said - 'My curse will not be in vain, however Ganapati Dev Gajmukh will appear in the form of Maharishi Parashar's son in Dwapar. Then you will become his vehicle, so that the gods will also respect you.

After many year , that Krounch Gandharva becoming a mouse and started to destroy the ashram of Maharishi Parashar on earth.  That mouse was very huge and terrible like a mountain. His teeth were very big, sharp and frightening. Then his son Gajmukh grabbed that mouse by a stunning loop and started playing with him and sat on top of him.  Then mouse came to know that this is Tarnahar(Saviour) Devadhidev Prabhu Gajmukh.

Then the pride of the mouse ended and he became very small.  And he prayed that! 'O'  Lord you may be so light for me, so that I can bear your weight.  Hearing his humility, the Lord was pleased with him.  From then onwards Mooshak (mouse) started getting respect and got fame as the vehicle of Sriganesh.

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Gods chose their rides very specifically.  Their vehicles also describe their characteristics. Mouse is the vehicle of Gauri putra Ganesha.  The word Mushak(mouse) is derived from the Sanskrit Musha which means to rob or to steal. Symbolically the brain of a human is like a rat. It is surrounded by selfishness.  Ganeshji sitting on a rat is a sign that he has conquered selfishness and has awakened the sense of public welfare within himself.

People say their wish in the mouse's ear.

It is said that if you want to complete your vow or wish soon, then you can tell your complaint with Mooshak(mouse), it is believed that mouse is very close to Ganesh ji and if you tell him your wishes . Then he will quickly help you and tell all things to Ganesh ji . Ganeshji is the lord of knowledge and wisdom and is unmatched in logic, the same qualities are also in mouse.  For this reason, he is the vehicle of Ganapati and is considered very close to Ganapati.  People believe that if you say something in the ear of a mouse, it reaches Ganpati very quickly.  Ganapati does not postpone the words of mouse due to being dear and the wish is fulfilled.  This is the reason why a large idol of mouse is placed in all the big temples and people worship him.  On Ganesh Chaturthi too, some people bring a statue of Mouse with Ganpati and keep it in the house.

Ganesh Purana also describes that in every era, the vehicle of Ganesha keeps changing.  In Satyuga, the vehicle of Ganesha is Lion.  In Treta Yuga, Ganesha's vehicle is Mayur (Peacock) and in the present era i.e. Kali Yuga, his vehicle is horse. The present form of Lord Ganesha is worshiped in the form of Gajanan in the form of Parvati-Shiva son, this is the incarnation of his Dwapara era, Lord Ganesha in the Satyuga became famous as Mahotkat Vinayak, whose vehicle was lion.  In Treta Yuga, he was known as Mayureshwar, whose vehicle was Mayur (peacock).  His famous form of Dwapara Yuga is Gajanan, whose vehicle is a mouse and at the end of Kali Yuga, the Dhumraketu form of Lord Ganesha will be revealed. His vehicle will be horse. Lord Ganesha is also wealth giver.  

Lord Ganesha is very glorious and inspiring.

Lord Shree Ganesha is very glorious and inspiring.

Vighnaharta, Pratham Pujya, Ekadanta Lord Shri Ganesh is known by many such names.  Be it to start any auspicious work or to pray to remove any disturbance, Gajanan name is the first to come remember.  Any siddhi or sadhna is not considered complete without the Vighnharta Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great pomp on the Chaturthi of Bhadraprada Shukla Paksha.  Vishnu as Ganesha was born as the son of Shiva-Parvati.  All the gods came to bless him on his birth. Vishnu blessed him with knowledge, Brahma blessed fame and worship, Shiva blessed with generosity, intelligence, strength and self-control.  Lakshmi said that where Ganesha will live, I will stay there. ”Saraswati provided speech, memory and oratory.  Savitri gave wisdom.  The Tridevas gave Ganesha the boon of Agarpujya, the first god and the provider of Riddhi-siddhi.  Therefore he is gods with universal, everlasting and universal popularity.

The story of the birth of Ganesha is very interesting .  In ancient time, when the terror of demons had increased on the earth, Mahadev Shiva had gone away from Shivaloka to help Gods.  Mother Parvati was alone in Shivlok.  When Parvatiji wished to take a bath, she was worried about Shivalok's safety. Although no one could enter Shivlok without Shivji's permission, but she feared that any other could be easily enter in Shivaji's absence.  Therefore, as a protection, she created a child with her power and named him Ganesha. She appointed Ganeshji with great powers and gave strict instructions to prevent anyone from entering the house.  Here the gods were start to defeat to the demons.  Shivji won the battle and happily walked towards Shivaloka.  Upon reaching Shivlok, he first desired to tell Parvati Mata the news of his victory. But unaware of Shiva's dominance, Ganesha stopped him from entering the house.  Shivji's anger gone to the peak point when he was prevented from entering his own house.  He severed Ganesha's head and entered inside the house.  When he told this story to Maa Parvati, she was very angry to hear the news of Ganesha's death.  She blamed Shivji for killing his own son and requested him to revive Ganesha immediately. Apart from persuading worried Parvati Mata, Shivji had no other way.  Then Shivji said that the head of Ganesha cannot be connected to torso again, but the head of a living creature can be installed.

According to Shivji's instructions, Shivaganas set out in the forest to find such a creature, who was sleeping with his head towards the north.  One such elephant was sleeping in the forest facing north.  Shivji's ganas brought him up.  Shivji connected the elephant's head with the trunk and Ganesha's body, and thus the life of Ganesha was revived.  Not only this, Shivji also announced that the people of Earth would worship Lord Ganesha before starting any new work.

Lord Shiva's thought is extensively behind the entire anatomy of Ganesha.  All the qualities of a skilled, just and strong ruler and god have been included in him.  Ganesha's forehead is of elephant, that is, he is the god of wisdom. He is intelligent .  His memory power is very sharp.  His memory power is very sharp.  Like the elephant, his instincts are the origin of inspiration in the steady, serious, calm and calm consciousness. Elephant's eyes are relatively small and it is very difficult to understand the expressions of those eyes.  Actually Ganesha is the ideal form of the leader .  The leader of the gana should have gravity and seriousness.  That gravity lies in his gross body. His huge body also inspires to be alert and ready to face all situations and difficulties.  His Lambodar's form teaches the secrecy of others, evils, weaknesses in themselves and inspires them to stick to their duty path by keeping all kinds of condemnation, criticism in his stomachs.  The small face is indicative of being low, logical and soft-spoken.

Since then Ganesha is the presiding deity of happiness-prosperity, Riddhi-Siddhi, fame, knowledge, and auspiciousness.  In the world unfavorable with favorable, inauspicious with auspicious, ignorance with knowledge, unhappiness happens with happiness.  Ganesha is the only savior for a person troubled by adverse, inauspicious, ignorance and sorrow. He is the Satvik deity and is the Vighnaharta. He is not only permeate every aspect of Indian culture and lifestyle, but are also present in abroad's home-cars, offices and factory.  Ganesha is prevalent everywhere. Ganesha is first remembered and worshiped for his success in daily activities, wishes for happiness, prosperity, development of intelligence and knowledge, and for any smooth functioning of auspicious work.  Along with being the first god, his personality is multi-faceted, the character of Loknayak(leader), he is the god of wisdom.

All types of cosmic works, big and simple, begin by remembering his divine nature.  Traders start the new year by writing 'Shri Ganeshay Namah' on their books.  Each work is started with Ganpati Pujan and Ganesh Vandana. Ganpati is first remembered in the temple, whether it is a celebration of the (Pran Pratishtha) life of the idol or the theme of the Shodas(Shodas Sanskar) ceremony in life.  According to Skanda Purana, who worships Ganesha devotionally, there is no hindrance come in front of him.  Ganapati Ganesh or Vinayaka All words mean Lord or Leader of the Gods.

Ganesha is a sattvik deity, his feet are small, which are symbolic of the sensory and sattva qualities of the senses.  Mooshak is the vehicle of Ganapati, which is a motivator to control the tendency of fickleness and perforation of others.  Actually the Mooshak is a very small and weicked animal.  By making him own vehicle, Ganapati has enhanced his dignity and has given the message that the Gannayak(leader) should also have affection for a person who is insignificant.  The four arms of Ganesha impart knowledge of four types of devotees, four types of creation and four (Purusharth) efforts.

Riddhi-Siddhi is Ganesha's wives.  She is the daughters of Prajapati Vishwakara.  If worshiped Ganesha is duly worshiped, his virtous wives Riddhi-Siddhi are also happy and give happiness-peace-prosperity in the house and family, and pure wisdom and intelligence to the children. Siddhi had son named 'Kshem i.e.  Shubh(auspicious)' and Riddhi had son name Laabh(Benefit). Where Lord Ganesha is Vighnharta, then his wives Riddhi-Siddhi makes devotees to famous, magnificent and prestigious.  At the same time, with good luck and good fortune, keep it permanent and safe.  Mankind will always be indebted to him for the welfare of the people, for giving practical principles of Dharma and for establishing happiness-prosperity-smooth governance.  Today's rulers(leaders) need to follow in the footsteps of Ganesha.

Ganeshji is considered to be the first writer(Proof reader), he wrote the Mahabharata composed by Ved Vyasji on the prayers of the gods.  Ganesha worship is also practiced in Jain and Buddhist religions.  Ganesha is also considered as Adidev in Hindu culture.  Since eternity, Ganesha has been worshiped by many names as the destroyer of sorrow, fear, anxiety etc., and has been destroy the suffering of human beings.  In present times, the worship of Ganesha for the protection of freedom, national consciousness, emotional unity and integrity and to celebrate the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi enthusiastically has its own special significance.

To write the Mahabharata of Ved Vyas, Lord Ganesha had laid this condition and got a name Ekadanthari,

To write the Mahabharata of Ved Vyas, Lord Ganesha had laid this condition and got a name Ekadanthari, know the whole story

Ganapati Bappa is the most popular deity among the deities, who is worshiped by devotees in many beautiful forms and names, and the stories associated with his name are equally interesting.  One such name of Lord Ganesha is Ekadanthari, behind which there are not one, but three stories.

A story of his being called Ekadanthari is found in the Bhavishya Purana, according to which his elder brother, Kumar Karthikeya, broke his teeth in childhood due to his naughty behavior .

 The second story is that he had a broken tooth due to Parashuram ji's ax .. Apart from these, there is a third and interesting story.

Ganesh ji made a pen by his teeth 

According to the third legend, all the gods were troubled by the terror of a monster named Gajmukhasura.  After which they requested Gajanan to kill that monster.  According to beliefs, Ganesh broke his teeth and challenged Gajmukhasura for the war.

Gajmukhasura, upon seeing his death near, took the form of a rat and started running here and there.  Then, holding him, Ganesh made his vehicle.

Apart from these, there is a fourth and interesting story

 Whose context is related to Mahabharata.  Everyone has known this writing of Mahabharata by Sri Ganesh, but before writing Mahabharata, he had placed a condition in front of Maharishi Ved Vyas, but few people know about it.  This condition is related to the interesting subject of Shree Ganesh being called Ekadanthari….

For the creation of an epic named Maharishi Ved Vyasa Mahabharata, he was looking for a writer who would not interrupt the pace of his thoughts.  In this sequence, he remembered Lord Ganesha, the lord of wisdom, and insisted that Shri Ganesh be the author of his epic.  Ganesh ji agreed to him, but also placed a condition.

Sriganesh had told Maharishi Ved Vyas that if my pen does not stop even for a moment while writing, then I can become the author of this book. Then Ved Vyas ji would say some such verses that it would take some time for Shree Ganesh do not write without understand them .. Meanwhile, Maharishi Ved Vyas used to do other things.

In this way, two maharathis started to play their roles sitting face to face together.  But in the meantime, an incident happened .. Maharishi Vyas started speaking the story at a very fast pace just to break the pride of Ganesha .. And at the same speed Lord Ganesha continued to write the epic, but due to this speed immediately  Ganesh ji's pen broke, he failed to keep pace with the speed of the sage.

Giving up in this situation, Ganesh ji broke one of his teeth and continued to write it by dipping it in ink. Seeing this, the sage understood that Gajanan's quick wit and dedication was no match and he gave Ganesha a new name Ekdanta.  At the same time, Ganeshji also understood that he had become a little proud of his writing speed and he was underestimating the ability of the sage.

After both sides accepted each other's strength, ability and intelligence, the work of writing the epic began to take place with equal passion and energy.  It is said that this epic took three years to complete. In these three years, Ganesha did not stop the sage even for a single moment, while Maharishi also fulfilled the condition.

Why do Lakshmi and Ganesha worship together on the occasion of Diwali ??

Why do Lakshmi and Ganesha worship together on the occasion of Diwali ??

Diwali is celebrated as an auspicious occasion for Lord Rama to return to Ayodhya, although Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are welcomed in every house on this auspicious day.  Worshiping the forms of Goddess Mahalakshmi is the most important part of Diwali. It is said that on the night of Diwali, Goddess Lakshmi goes to each house and blesses everyone with great wealth.  The festival of Diwali is mainly the festival of the goddess of wealth Lakshmi, and the worship of Lord Ganesha, a symbol of auspiciousness. It is well known that Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, fortune, luxury and prosperity (both material and spiritual), while Lord Ganesha is known as the destroyer of obstacles, the protector of intelligence, art and science . We all have seen that it is always a tradition to worship Lord Ganesha with Lakshmi. Both are always worshiped simultaneously.  In such a situation, many people are eager to know why this is so?  What is the reason for worshiping Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha together?  Today we are making this revelation in this article.  Let's know why this happens-

Since no celebration is considered complete without invoking Lord Ganesha, it is no exception.  Ganesha is considered the deterrent of all obstacles.  Therefore, he is worshiped first to get rid of all the obstacles that hinder our development.  Along with this, the forms of Goddess Mahalakshmi are worshiped. It is said that on the night of Diwali, Goddess Lakshmi goes to each house and blesses everyone with wealth.  But the question is why Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshiped together.  There is an interesting story behind worshiping Lakshmi and Ganesh together on Diwali.

According to the religious scriptures, Goddess Lakshmi once fall in arrogance about her wealth and powers.  While in conversation with her husband, Lord Vishnu, she continued to praise herself, claiming that she is the only who one worthy of worship.  Because she bless all the worshipers with wealth and property. Thus on hearing non-stop self praise, Lord Vishnu decided to overcome her ego.  Very calmly, Lord Vishnu said that despite having all the qualities, a woman remains incomplete if she is not the mother of children.

Motherhood is the ultimate bliss a woman can experience and since Lakshmi ji did not have children, she cannot be considered complete.  Goddess Lakshmi was very disappointed to hear this . With a sadly heart, Goddess Lakshmi went to Goddess Parvati to ask for help. Since Parvati had two sons, she requested the goddess to allow her to adopt one of own sons to experience the joy of motherhood.  Parvati ji was not ready to give her son to Lakshmi . Although she was known that Lakshmi ji does not stay in one place for long time.  Therefore, she will not be able to take care of her son. But Lakshmi assures her that she will take care of her son in every possible way and that she will be blessed with all happiness.  Realizing Lakshmi's pain, Goddess Parvati let her adopt Ganesh as own son. Goddess Lakshmi became very happy and said that whoever worships Ganesha with me, I will give them all my siddhi and prosperity.  Therefore, since then those who worship Lakshmi for wealth should first worship Ganesh.  Those who worship Lakshmi without Ganesha do not receive the grace of Goddess in full, it is believed. Hence, Ganesha as well as Lakshmi are also worshiped on Diwali.  Also, it is also believed that getting wealth without intelligence will only lead to misuse of wealth.  Therefore, one must first acquire intelligence to spend money properly. In order to gain wisdom, Lord Ganesha is worshiped and prayed for good wisdom and after this, Shri Lakshmi ji should be worshiped in scriptural manner.

Another relevant question - why Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshiped, not Lord Rama?

Since time immemorial, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshiped on Diwali.  However, many devotees still have a relevant question in their mind and that is - why Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshiped on Diwali, not Lord Rama. This seems an obvious question as Diwali reminds Lord Rama returning to his kingdom Ayodhaya with mother Sita and brother Lakshmana  after own 14 year of exile.  During his exile, Lord Rama conquered the ten-headed demon Ravana. To explain this question, we have to refer to Hindu mythology.  According to popular belief, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after his exile, he first worshiped Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi.  Since then the tradition of worshiping Lakshmi and Ganesh started on Diwali. It evolved into a "Diwali Puja" to worship Lakshmi and Ganesh on the night of Diwali. If you look closely, you too will appreciate the concept of Lakshmi and Ganesh worship on Diwali.  Lord Rama himself was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu - the protector of the universe. His worship Lakshmi and Ganesha remind us that we should always remember God first on this earth.  Being the king of Ayodhya, he worshiped Lakshmi and Ganesh to pray for the goodness, happiness and prosperity of the masses. He believed that due to their blessings there would be all-round happiness in his kingdom.  People will be healthy, intelligent and wealthy and will move on the path of truth and righteousness.  As Lord Rama represents "Ram Rajya", he gives the message to follow his ideals and follow his tradition.

That is why by worshiping Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, we not only worship Lakshmi and Ganesh, but pay our true tribute to the King of Kings - Lord Rama.

By worshiping Lakshmi and Ganesha, we invoke wisdom, intelligence, health, wealth and prosperity in our lives.  Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of all wealth and prosperity.  Whereas Lord Ganesha is considered as the god of learning, intelligence and success and prosperity. He remind us that money is useful and blessing is only when someone has the wisdom and knowledge to use it.  It also reminds us that wealth is only a means of acquiring material things in this world. Ultimately spiritual wealth is needed to attain eternal happiness.  So, we should worship Lakshmi and Ganesh religiously on the night of Diwali and welcome their blessings in our lives.  We sincerely hope that our explanation will clear any confusion in your mind as to Diwali Puja,  and why Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshiped on Diwali and not Lord Rama.

Additionally we have seen that Lakshmi, Saraswati and Ganesh are depicted together.  People are also eager to know about the relationship in them.

When there is no Saraswati (knowledge, skill), Lakshmi (wealth, prosperity) also departs .  When Lakshmi is not there, the person starts working on skill and knowledge improvement to attract contemplation and Lakshmi. We have called this a deviation in our lives.  Even in this case, we should not be interrupted, because one goddess then comes another, and both are important in our lives.  In both cases, whether you have an abundance of Lakshmi or Saraswati, you can be arrogant if you lack knowledge and wisdom (Ganesha).

These go on in our lives, if we are not able to manage both Lakshmi and Saraswati to experience ecstasy and eternal happiness and achievement.  To keep the two together, intelligence and knowledge are required. Lord Ganesha is the god of wisdom and intelligence .  With the presence of knowledge and intelligence, we pay equal respect to both Lakshmi and Saraswati.  Both Lakshmi and Saraswati are associated with knowledge and intelligence, and therefore they never go into the presence of knowledge and intelligence.  The message conveyed to the people through illustration, to maintain Lakshmi and Saraswati, requires knowledge and wisdom (Ganesha).

Know how Naradaji helped Shri Ganesh ji.

Know how Naradaji helped Shri Ganesh ji.

Ganesha, the second son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, has been called Vighnaharta and Vinayaka. Therefore, Ganesh ji is about to remove from every dilemma.  Then what happened that he had to take help of Narada ji?  Let us know: -

Once there was an atmosphere of ecstasy in heaven.  It was the festival of the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi.  All the gods started busy in preparations.  Lord Vishnu started sending invitations to everyone.  In order to impress Maa Lakshmi, all the gods thought that the procession should be taken to Kundanpur with great pomp.

When all the gods started gathering Lord Vishnu's Vaikuntha, everyone saw that Ganesha is also coming to Vishnu's abode.  Everyone got worried after seeing this.  Because they did not want Ganesha to attend the procession.  They said that Ganesh ji eats a lot of food and looks strange.  Strangely, it meant Ganesha's head and his body was big.

Due to this, the gods were hesitant to walk with Ganesha in the procession.  Therefore, they all  said to Lord Vishnu to ask Ganesha to take care of the heaven.  Although Lord Vishnu did not like this thing, but after insisting on everyone, he requested Ganesha to stay in heaven.

Ganesh ji felt very bad about this, but he agreed to stay in the heaven.  Then Narada Ji put the whole thing in front of Ganesha and suggested a plan.  The plan was that Ganesh ji's ride i.e. Mooshak (the mice) were the head of all the rat species.  If the army of rats dig the path through which the procession is to be passed and spoil the way, then the procession will be hindered.

Ganesh liked his plan and then something like that happened.  Rats had spoiled the way and when the procession came, Lord Vishnu's wheel of the chariot got buried inside the earth.  The balance of the horses also deteriorated and the procession stopped there.  Even after many attempts of the gods, the wheel did not come out.

A farmer saw the gods while trying and wanted to help them.  The gods gave him a chance, although they knew that with the help of the farmer there would be no solution.  When the farmer caught the wheel, he chanted Jai Ganesh and the wheel went out.

Everyone was surprised and one of the processions asked the farmer why did you say Jai Ganesh.  Then the farmer replied that Ganesh ji is going to remove from every dilemma and he takes his remember before starting any work.

Then all the gods became ashamed and realized that by not giving importance to the external beauty of any creature, give importance to their thoughts, conduct,character and goodness.  Then all the gods went back to heaven and prayed to Lord Ganesha.  In this way Ganesha joined the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Mother Lakshmi with the help of Narada.

Why there was a dispute between Shree Ganesh and Devi Tulsi.

Why there was a dispute between Shree Ganesh and Devi Tulsi.

Who does not know Lord Ganesh, the younger son of Mahadev Shiva Shankar and Goddess Parvati.  But hardly you will know about a secret associated with him that Lord Ganesha had vow to be a lifelong brahmachari. You must be thinking that if this is the case then who is Riddhi Siddhi.  And if he was married to Riddhi Siddhi, why he not obey to own vow?

But this is not true, there is a very interesting story behind it, which will make you stunned, so let's know about this hidden aspect of the life of Lord Ganesha. When his head was cut off by Lord Shiva in anger, Mahadev came to know about his being the son of Goddess Parvati.  Knowing this, he was very sorry for his actions and asked him to go to his vehicle Nandi bull and cut the head of a child.

On getting his permission, Nandi set out in search of a new born child and his search ended by going to an elephant child.  In a hurry, he cut the head of the elephant's child and Lord Shiva attached the head to Ganesha's torso and brought him alive.  After getting a new life, Lord Ganesha decided that he will remain a lifelong brahmachari because no woman will be ready to marry him after seeing his appearance.  Lord Ganesha went to the forest with this desire and became engrossed in hard penance. As time went on, so his influence was increasing due to his tenacity.  Gradually, his intensity increased as if it seemed that other sun had risen in the forest.

Seeing the same bright light, Tulsi reached near him and proposed marriage to him.  But Ganesha had pledged to be a lifelong brahmachari, so he politely refused Tulsi.

On hearing him, Tulsi's anger cross the limit and cursed Gajanan that he would be married not to one but two women.  Now because of getting curses, he had to marry two women.
But being enraged by this action of Tulsi, Ganesha cursed her to turn into a plant and also removed her leaves from his worship.  Even then, his anger did not subside, so he cursed Tulsi for suffering terrible pains.

Rakshabandhan-The festival of brother and sister

Rakshabandhan-The festival of brother and sister

How Raksha Bandhan festival started

Historical and mythological significance behind Raksha Bandhan Festival

Many festivals are celebrated in India. Each festival is related to different occasions like some festivals are based on seasons, crops harvesting, some depending on the rainy season or full moon. These festivals allow us to live together and embrace and express those moments of love and appreciation for each other.  This festival plays an important role in developing positive values ​​in our society. India is full of attributes like enthusiasm, love, appreciation, tradition etc. due to innumerable festivals.  One such festival is Raksha Bandhan.  This festival is a famous festival of brother-sister relationship.  Raksha Bandhan literally means the bond of protection and love. There are many stories and folklore related to this holy festival such as the historical story of Queen Karnavati of Mewar, Rajasthan, which we will discuss further in our post.

This sacred festival is celebrated on the last day of Shravan month in full moon day according to Hindu calendar.  This date usually falls in the month of August.  As the name itself suggests, the meaning of the name "Raksha Bandhan" lies in its name itself which means "bond of safety and care".

We fight with them, no matter how much they fight, but in the end, any valuable thing in the world is useless in front of the love we love them .... This says the heart of every sister for her brother. Sister-brother love does not diminish even from childhood to growing up and later when the sister separates after marriage.  A sister's love is such that even if her brother does not listen to her, she will want to her last breath that her brother will always be happy.
The festival of Rakshabandhan symbolizes the sacred love of brother and sister.  On this day, the sister ties rakhi with love to her brother and makes many wishes for him.  The brother gives gift to his sister as much as possible. The memory of a childhood gone by starts dancing in front of the eyes of brothers and sisters.  Indeed, the festival of Rakshabandhan reminds every brother of his duty towards his sister.
The festival of Rakshabandhan is a sign of unwavering love of brother and sister, which has been celebrated for years.  This festival, which maintains the faith of siblings, is celebrated on the full moon day of Shravan month.  Both brothers and sisters are eagerly waiting for this festival. Many brothers go to their sisters who are staying away to get Rakhi tied, while some sisters also come to tie Rakhi to their brothers.  While tying the rakhi, the sisters wish for the brother's long life and healthy life, and the brothers give her gifts and vow to protect her.
But there is a different tradition in many places.  In many places, daughters also tie rakhis their father or family elders, Brahmins and Gurus.  The basic feeling behind tying rakhi is assurance of love and protection.  The girls tie rakhi to their brother and father for this reason.

 But there are many stories behind why it is celebrated.

** Goddess Lakshmi celebrated Rakshabandhan festival to get Vishnu **

The first story is related to Lord Vishnu, according to which the fear of the gods increased when King Bali completed 110 yajnas.  They started to fear that with the power of yajnas, King Bali would also capture the heaven, so all the gods reached Lord Vishnu with a request to protect the heaven.
After which Vishnu, taking a Brahmin form appeared in front of King Bali and asked for alms.  In alms, the king promised to give him three steps of land.  But then Shree Shukracharya , the Guru of Bali, recognized Vishnu holding the Brahmin form and cautioned Bali about it but the king did not turn away from his word and donated three steps of land. During this time, Vishnu measured the heaven in one step and the earth in the second step in the form of Vamana.  Now it was the turn of the third step, but where should he put it?  On seeing the third step of Vamana moving, the king got upset, he could not understand what to do now and then he went ahead and put his head at the feet of Vaman Dev and said that you may put the third step here. In this way the king's right to live in heaven and earth was taken away and he was forced to live in the abyss.  It is said that when Bali went into the abyss, then with his effect of devotion, Bali took the promise of God being in front of him night and day and Lord Vishnu had to become his gatekeeper.  Due to this, mother Lakshmi, who was the ardhangini(Wife) of Vishnu, got upset.

Troubled by God's abyss residence, Lakshmi thought that what would happen to the Baikuntha loka if Swami(Lord) would reside as a gatekeeper in the abyss?  Narada suggested a solution to Lakshmi to solve this problem. Narada Muni suggested her to tie rakshasutra to Raja Bali as his brother and ask for Lord Vishnu as a gift. Goddess Lakshmi reached Patal Lok in disguise as a poor woman and tied rakshashutra to Raja Bali's wrist as suggested by Narada.

Then King Bali said, "I have nothing to give you."

 Then Goddess Lakshmi came in her real form and said, "You have Lord Vishnu.  I want the same. "
Lakshmi went to King Bali and tied rakhi and made him her brother.
King Bali allowed Lord Vishnu to accompany Goddess Lakshmi and maa Lakshmi brought her husband Lord Vishnu with her as a gift.While leaving, Lord Vishnu granted a boon to King Bali that he would reside in Patala loka for four months every year.  This four month is known as Chartumas which ranges from Devshayani Ekadashi to Devauthani Ekadashi. That day was the full moon day of Shravan, Raksha Bandhan started to be celebrated from that day itself.  Even today, Rakshabandhan is celebrated in many places as the basis of this story.

** Stories related to Raksha Bandhan related to Yama and Yamuna. **

According to the story of  mythological history, Yamraj, who we also know as the God of Death.  His sister was Yamuna ji. Yamraj ji used to be so busy with his work that once he did not come to meet her for the whole 12 years.Yamuna told Mother Ganga her problem, then  mother Ganga told Yamraj, why don't you meet your sister, she has been waiting for you for the whole 12 years and not once did you go to meet her.
Yamraj apologized for his mistake and said, "Okay, I go to Yamuna".  Yamraj went to Yamuna's house and asked for his sister's care. Yamuna made many dishes for her brother and for this greeting love of Yamuna, Yamraj ji asked, sister "What do you want to me ?"  I want to give you a boon.
On this, the sister told her Yamraj brother that brother, all I need is that you keep coming to my house again and again.
Yamraj ji, seeing his sister's love and loyalty, gave her the boon of becoming long life.  Since then, the festival of Rakshabandhan, the festival of brother and sister's love, is celebrated.

**Should husbands also tie Rakhi by wife on Rakshabandhan **

The festival of Rakshabandhan is generally considered a symbol of affection between brothers and sisters. But you will be surprised to know that this festival is not only about affection between brothers and sisters, but also related to husband-wife relationship and their well being. Perhaps you too have been surprised to hear this, so today I will tell you, what is the reason for this.The Bhavishypurana mentions a surprising story in this context. In the Satyuga there was an asura named Vritrasura who defeated the gods and captured heaven. It was a boon that there would be no effect on him any weapon made till that time. Due to which the Gods were facing defeat. After this, at the insistence of the gods, Maharishi Dadhichi gave up his body and Indra made weapons from his bones.

Devraj Indra met Guru Brihaspati before going to war with this weapon and said, 'I am going to battle Vritrasur for the last time. In this war, either I will be victorious or I will return only after attaining death in battle . Hearing this, his wife Shachi became worried after listening to her husband's words and tied a rakshashutra to Devraj Indra's wrist, after which Indra won this battle. It is clear that Shravan Purnima i.e. Rakshabandhan Rakshasutra can protect to husband and well being. Let us tell you that according to tradition, Purohit,Brahmin,Pandit also tie Rakshasutra.

**Krishna and Draupadi - A Sacred Relationship**

This story of Mahabharata about Rakshabandhan is very interesting.

Draupadi was the wife of the five Pandavas.  Sri Krishna was his friend and guru.  Once during Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yajna, Shishupala, son of Shri Krishna's aunt started insulting Krishna and many others including Bhishma in assembly full of great kings and emperors. When he did not keep quiet even after refusing Shishupala, Sri Krishna eventually killed him with his Sudarshan Chakra.  However, while doing so, his finger got hurt and started bleeding. Seeing this, Draupadi quickly tore a part of her sari and tied it on Krishna's finger.  Seeing this, Shri Krishna was overwhelmed and told Draupadi that it is her debt on me and whenever she calls him, he will come to protect her. Shortly after some year , the Pandavas suffered a great defeat and humiliation at the hands of their cousins, the Kauravas, in the game of gambling . They lost everything including his kingdom by Duryodhana. On Duryodhana's orders, his brother Dusshasan forced Draupadi into the court and tried to undress her.  Draupadi, weeping with humiliation and shame, remembered Sri Krishna and to his miracle something happened that Dushasan kept pulling the sari but that had become a never ending garment. In this way, Draupadi was survived to undressing.  According to his promise, Shri Krishna protected Draupadi, and kept her shame.  Draupadi tied the piece of her sari on Krishna's finger, it was her rakhi.

The mythological history of Raksha Bandhan tells the story of Krishna and Draupadi that it is perhaps the most popular folklore in Hindu culture behind this festival.

Once during the care of the sugarcane, Lord Krishna's finger was cut off, which caused a lot of bleeding.  Seeing this scene, Rani Rukmani immediately sent someone to tie the bandage. Meanwhile Draupadi was with him, after this Draupadi cut a cloth and tied it on Krishna's bleeding finger, after which the blood stopped flowing.  After this, Lord Krishna blessed, pledged to protect her whenever needed, and once the non-cooperation incident with Draupadi was happening, it was Krishna who helped save his honor.

**Importance of Rakshasutra - Yudhishthira tied Rakhi to his soldiers.**

 It is about the time when the war of Mahabharata was going on.  Then Yudhishthira once asked Lord Krishna - "O Madhusudan!  Is there any way to ensure our victory? "
Then Lord Krishna said - “O Kunti son Yudhishthira!  You should tir rakshashutra to all your soldiers, victory will be yours. ”  Then Yudhishthira did the same and emerged victorious. "
The day Yudhishthira tied the Rakshasutra to his soldiers was also the day of Shravan Purnima.  Therefore, a rakhi is also tied to soldiers on this day.

**Story on Rakshabandhan related to Santoshi Maa**

Lord Ganesha had two sons, Shubh and Laabh ..

These two brothers used to suffer the desire of a sister.  Both Shubh and Laabh expressed their wish in front of Lord Ganesha and said, O God, please show your's kindness to us and we wish a sister, please give us a sister. Sages-Saints and Narada ji also asked Ganesha to produced a daughter.  Ganesh ji  thought and Ganesh ji expressed the wish of a daughter to his two wives Mata Riddhi-Siddhi.

Mother Riddhi Siddhi then gave birth to a daughter with her power.  Her name is Mother Santoshi.  Mother Santoshi listens to all the devotees, she is born for human welfare. With the apperance of mother Santoshi, both Shubha and Laabh got a sister from whom they completed the festival of Rakshabandhan and even today, the worship of mother Santoshi ji is done all over India .

**Story of Mewar's Rani Karnavati and Humayun**

 Among the many stories of Raksha Bandhan, the story of Rani Karnavati and king Humayun is also prevalent, which gets our attention the most, perhaps because of its historical significance.  Maharani Karnavati was the queen of the princely state of Mewar, after the death of  Rana Sanga, she was appointed to perform the duties of administration.  Maharani Karnavati was ruling in the name of her elder son - Vikramjit.  After this, when Bahadur Shah attacked Mewar for the second time, Rani Karnavati lost her everything and went to other rulers for the protection and support of her subjects. When the queen saw no choice, she sent a message to Humayun.  Rani Karnavati considered Humayun as her brother.  So to deal with this problem, Rani sent a rakhi along with the message to Humayun, in this message she requested for help. But the Mughal king himself was stranded in the midst of a military campaign in Bengal, so unfortunately this message reached him late as if he got this message from the queen, he assured that he would reach there on time to help her. But unfortunately, he could not reach on time and by the time the army arrived, there was victory of Bahadur Shah and queen finished her life jump into the fire. However, it is interesting to know that Himayun's father Babur once defeated her husband Rana Sanga when he led a confederation of Rajput armies in the year 1527.

**Alexander the ruler of Greece and Rakhi**

These two brothers used to suffer the desire of a sister.  Both Shubh and Laabh expressed their wish in front of Lord Ganesha and said, O God, please show your's kindness to us and we wish a sister, please give us a sister. Sages-Saints and Narada ji also asked Ganesha to produced a daughter.  Ganesh ji  thought and Ganesh ji expressed the wish of a daughter to his two wives Mata Riddhi-Siddhi.

Mother Riddhi Siddhi then gave birth to a daughter with her power.  Her name is Mother Santoshi.  Mother Santoshi listens to all the devotees, she is born for human welfare. With the apperance of mother Santoshi, both Shubha and Laabh got a sister from whom they completed the festival of Rakshabandhan and even today, the worship of mother Santoshi ji is done all over India .

**Ravindranath Tagore gave new meaning to Rakhi**

The great poet and Nobel Laureate Ravindranath Tagore gave a new meaning to this festival of Rakhi.  He believed that Rakhi is not only a festival of brother-sister relationships, but it is a festival of humanity.  During the partition of Bengal, Vindranath Tagore had organized Rakshabandhan to increase the feeling of brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims. Ravindranath Tagore encouraged Hindus and Muslims to tie rakhi to each other.  So that peace remains.  He organized a public awareness on this festival to protest against the partition of Bengal and made this festival a symbol of unity and brotherhood.  In the Indian freedom struggle of 1947, this festival was also taken for public awakening. From this perspective, in a sense it has become our national festival.

**Story of Chandrashekhar Azad**

The struggle for independence was going on all over India.  The British were behind Chandrasekhar.  Chandrashekhar Azad was looking for a place to escape from the British.  He then reached a house where a widow lived with her daughter.  Chandrashekhar Azad was strong & healthy with his body.
Seeing him, the widow woman felt that any robber had arrived.  Thinking the same, the widow refused to give him a place.  When the woman came to know during the conversation that he was Chandrashekhar Azad, the widowed woman respectfully gave him a place in her house.  Chandrashekhar Azad while living there realized that the widow's daughter could not get married due to poverty.
Then Chandrashekhar Azad said to the woman, “The British have placed a reward of five thousand rupees on me.  You can get those rupees by giving my information and marry your daughter. "

Hearing this, the widow wept and she told to Azad,“

Brother!  You are always ready to sacrifice own life for the freedom of the country, and do not know how many daughters have respect for you. ”

Saying this, the woman tied the thread on the wrist of Chandrashekhar Azad and get promised to serve the country.  When the widowed woman woke up in the morning last night, she got five thousand rupees under her pillow.  A paper was placed on it, on which it was written: - "A small gift for my dear sister - Azad."

Raksha Bandhan festival is a part of the tradition of thousands of years in Indian society.  While many mythological stories are prevalent behind this festival, on the other hand there is a feeling of love, trust and protection between brother and sister. This festival is the most beautiful symbol of the sanctity of relationships in the Indian tradition.  This festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravan to build the trust of brothers and sisters in the families.  On this day, every year the sister ties a rakhi to the brother's wrist and brother pledges to protect the sister. In fact, our ancestors have organized many festivals in Indian civilization to preserve the sanctity of relationships and to increase mutual goodwill and love among family members.

These festivals have kept alive the dignity and moral obligation between human relations within Indian society and tradition till date.  The society has been living a dignity tied in these festivals of blood relations.  The importance of festivals like Rakshabandhan has been the balance between nature and society.