Why was Ganesha beheaded?: Story behind the story

Image: Isha Foundation

Ganpati Bappa, Vinayaka, Vighnaharta, Mangalkarta and many others. These are the names of one of the most popular Hindu Gods, Ganesha. Our favourite, childhood hero, cute, smart, intelligent and powerful, are the attributes related to Ganesha. He loves modaka, sits on a rat, has a snake in his waist and is the son of Shiva and Gauri. Ganesha is also the first deity to be worshipped of all Hindu deities and not only in Hinduism but also Jains, Parsees and Buddhists even admire him and in Buddhism and Jainism we can even find traces of stories related to their form of Ganesha. Ganesha is a husband of two, RIddhi and Siddhi, in North India while a bachelor in South. Ganesha symbolises knowledge, intelligence, prosperity, positivity, focus, and an inseparable connection
between Prakriti and Purusha. 

Art by Devdutt Pattanaik

Since the popularity of Him, I don't need to tell you that in his childhood days he was killed by his father, Shiva, himself. Many of us have watched the 'Bal Ganesha' or 'Oh My Friend Ganesha' or many other documentaries, movies or animations about him. I also watched one of them. I was 5 when this question first arrived in my mind, "why should a father kill his own son?".  

Now after so many years we have not one but many stories that tell us why exactly Shiva killed Ganesha. We are here to go beyond those stories and ponder on the story beyond the stories. But for that, we must first know the various stories about the incidence.

Birth of Vinayaka: The Supreme

There are various stories, even various versions of the stories, that tell us about the birth of the child, Ganesha. Some tell us that he was created by Shiva, some tell us that creation was done by Parvati. But the most famous story comes from Puranas which tells us that once, for some reason, Shiva was out from Kailasha. One day when Gauri was going for a bath she told Nandi, the sevaka of Shiva, to take care that no one enters the cave where she was taking bath. Shiva came while Gauri was inside and was going inside when Nandi told him Gauri's statement. Shive, being the husband of Gauri, continued to the cave. Nandi, being more loyal to Shiva, kept his mouth shut. When Gauri saw Shiva, along with being happy that her husband arrived she had also thought that she should also have someone who is only loyal to her. Next time when Shiva went out of Kailasha, Gauri, from the dust of her body, created a child. Ganesha was born.

The Elephant Head story

Continuation of the story

Image: The Indian Express

When Shiva again came back to Kailasha and again tried to enter the cave. It was Ganesha's responsibility to stop him. Ganesha did not recognize Shiva and got into a discussion with Him. Shiva, furious at the child, cut his head and continued to the cave. When this time Parvati saw him she already knew what has happened with her son. She was out of her mind and decided to destroy the whole world. Brahma, the creator, tried to calm her down. She put two conditions:

a) Ganesha must be alive again.

b) He will be worshipped by all the deities.

All agreed. Shiva sent his Ganas to find a head. They brought an elephant head which then Shiva put on the body of the child and the child was breathing again.

Another story of the same incident: Shiva and Gajasura

There was an asura named Gajasura. He looked like an Elephant. He was a big devotee of Shiva. He performed austerities(Tapasya) to please Shiva. Shiva appeared before him and told him to wish for anything he wanted. He asked Shiva to reside in his stomach. Shiva agreed and went to his stomach. Parvati, tensed about her husband went to her brother Vishnu, the preserver and seer of all three times. Vishnu knew where Shiva was and assured Parvati that he will bring Shiva back. He performed a play where he became a flutist and transformed Nandi into a dancing bull. They went to perform in front of Gajasura. Gajasura was very impressed and asked the flutist whatever he wanted. The flutist, Vishnu, told, "Release Shiva from your stomach". Gajasura, at the very moment, knew that the flutist was none other than Vishnu himself. He agreed and released Shiva but requested that he always be remembered and that Shiva wears his skin. Shiva agreed. 

When they reached Kailasha the cave incident happened and Shiva, who had the head of Gajasura, put that very head on the child's body.

The story beyond these stories

Mythology is not to be read literally. It has symbolism.

When Ganesha got involved with Shiva, it was his ignorance, which resides in the head. Shiva cut off his head, in other words, made him free from his ignorance and gave him a giant head, elephant head, symbolically having more space for the mind.

Also that in the birth of Ganesha there was no contribution of Purush(Shiva) and the child was created only by Prakriti(Parvati). When Shiva placed the elephant head on the child's body the child was alive again, this time with the contribution of both, thus complete.

Let us keep the deep symbolic story in our minds.