Ganesh chathurdhi/vinayaka chavithi….stories to be read

vighneswaras story runs like this.... sage Suthamahaamuni started telling other sages about the story of vighneswaras birth,reason behind people looking at moon being cursed and suffer hardships on that day and its remedy. long long ago,there was a demon named gajaasura,with the body of an elephant.he did great penance ie thapa for Easwara.Parameswara was satisfied with his penance and came to him.He said he would give boon to him.Then Gajaasura praised the great lord and told about his wish.He requested Shiva to stay in his stomach and live there.Parameswara accepted his request happily and stayed in his stomach. Lord Shivas wife,Parvathi Devi was in mount Kailash.She was searching for her husband. Somehow she came to learn that Shiva was residing in Gajaasuras stomach.She did not know how to bring her husband back from there.So,she went to Sre Hari and requested him to help her in bringing back her husband.Earlier also,SriHari helped her in saving Shiva from demon,Bhasmaasura.Sri Hari consoled her.He told her that he will do the needful and sent her back to Kailash.He called all the deities and told them of the latest problem.He told them that all of them should have one or the other musical instrument and march to Gajaasura.They would take Nandi,Shivas vaahanam,also along with them. They decorated Nandi.Sri Hari had trumpet and jingle bells to play with.They all went to the town of Gajaasura.They played sweet and beautiful music with the instruments they carried.Nandi danced to their music beautifully and gracefully.Gajaasura learnt about this and sent them message to come to his mansion and play before him.So,they all went there and played fantastically before him.Gajaasura was so fascinated by the whole act.He told them that whatever they wanted he would sanction them.Then Sri Hari went to him and explained.Gajaasura,this is Nandi,Shivas vahanam.It came in search of its master.So,please give back his master.Gajaasura was shocked!After some time,he came to his senses.He realised that Sri Hari has come to him.His death is inevitable.He addressed Shiva to make his head famous in all the three lokaas and to wear his skin.Then he gave permission to take away Shiva from his belly.On Sri Haris approval,Nandi killed Gajaasura with his horns.Shiva came out.He praised Sri Hari for bringing him out. Sri Hari admoished him from giving such risky boons to demons and bad natured people and left for Vaikuntam.Shiva also left for Kailash. creation of Vinayaka -------------------- Parvathi was waiting for Shivas arrival.She learnt about Vishnus succesful act in bringing out Shiva from Gajananas stomach.She was happy.She went to take bath and get ready in the mean time.There she made a boy with nalugupindi ie powder made of rice and green grams which is used to cleanse our bodies.She gave life to that doll and kept him near the entrance of her house as guard.After taking bath,she got ready and bedecked her self with jewelry.She was eagerly waiting for her husbands arrival.Then,Shiva came on his Nandi.He tried to eneter in to the house.But the boy at the door stopped him from entering.In spite of repeated requests,he declined to let Shiva enter.Shiva lost his temper and killed the boy with his thrishool,his weapon.He went inside. Parvathi was very very happy to see Shiva after a long time. They spent their time happily.As they were talking,subject of the boy at the door came up.She told him that she made that boy.Shiva was aghast to learn that news.He was very sorry for his unpardonable act.Boys head was crushed. So,Shiva attached Gajasuras head to the body of the boy and gave him life.He named him Gajanana.They loved their son.Gajanana was also very good son and was serving them with utmost respect and love.He had a rat named Anindyudu as his vahana ,animal mount,to move from place to place. After some time,Parvathi and Parameshwara had Kumara swamy as another son.He was very strong.He had peacock as his animal mount to move from place to place.He was very famous as army chief for the deities. Vighnesaadhipathyamu ----+++++---------- One day,deities and sages went to Shiva.They requested him to give them a God who can ward off obstacles,impediment,hindrance or crisis.Gajanana putforth his wish to be given that post to him because he is the eldest son.But Kumaraswamy intervened.He said,Gajanana is short and stumpy.He is not capable of doing anything worthwhile.He is incompetent to hold any powerful post.So,that post should be given to me. Then Shiva addressed both his sons thus.I am directing you to go and take a dip in all the rivers of these three worlds.in totality they amount to three crores and fifty lakh rivers.Who ever comes first is going to be given that post.As soon as Kumaraswamy heard these words of his father, he mounted the peacock and left to take in dip in those holy rivers at jet speed. Gajaanana was sad.He went near his father, touched his feet with reverence.He pleaded.You know my weakness and my incapacity.Still you told me to participate in this competition.I am always at your feet,serving you.You only should help me to come out of this hardship with flying colors.you have to save me. Shiva was kindhearted and happy.He told him Narayana manthra and told him to repeat it as many times as possible. Sakruth naaraayanethyukthyaapumaan kalpasathathrayam gangaadi sarva theerdheshu snaatho bhavathi puthrakah! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------++-+++--------------- Gajanana was happy.immediately he started reciting that manthra continuously and stayed at Kailash only.That manthra was very powerful.Kumaraswamy went to river Ganges to take holy dip and there he saw Gajanana coming drom the river after taking bath.Same situation happened in all the three crore and fifty lakh sacred rivers.He could not understand how it was all happening.He went back to Kailash and saw Gajanana sitting beside his father,Shiva.He prayed Shiva and cursed his strength.He told his father thus.I could not assess my brothers strength.So,I tried to belittle him.You can give that Vighnaadhipathyam to my brother. Then Shiva bestowed Vighnaadhipathyam to Gajanana on Bhadhrapada Sudhdha Chathurdhi.Everyone prayed Vighneswara on that day and gave him so many eateries like kudumulu.appamulu,coconuts,milk,honey,bananas and many others.Vighneswara was very happy and ate them all along with his mount,the rat.By evening he started to walk back slowly to his home in Kailash.He tried to take blessings from his parents by lying down on the ground flat.But he could not make it properly because his belly was bloated with excess food and was coming in between and both his feet and hands could not touch the ground in the right manner properly.He was straining to do properly but failed to do so.Watching his plight,the moon residing on Shivas head laughed aloud condescendingly.Because of the vicious looks of moon,Vighneswaras belly burst and all the eateiries scrambled everywhere on the ground.Vighneswara lost his life.Seeing all this,Parvathi was aghast.She started crying for her son.She saw moon and all her fury came out.She cursed him that who ever looks at him would become sinners and face unwarranted hardships. wives of sages in grave problem ------------ ------------------ At that time,sapthamaharshulu ie seven sages were doing yajna.They were going around the sacred fire along with their wives.God of Fire saw the wives of the sages and he wanted them.But he was afraid that if they knew about his bad intentions,they would curse him.So,he was losing his power and strength.But his wife,Swaahadevi understood her husband.So excepting Arundhathi,she pleased her husband disguised as wives of the sages.But the sages thought their wives were not loyal to them.So,they sent them away.this calamity and hardship to the wives occured just because they saw moon on the day when Parvathi cursed moon. The wives of sages came to Shiva and pleaded him to save them.Shiva understood what exactly had happened.He called the sages and explained them what exactly happened and their wives were really loyal to their husbands.Brahma also went to Kailash along with them.He prayed Shiva.He gave back life to Vighneswara and made Shiva and Parvathi happy. Then all the sages and deities requested Parvathi to take back her curse because all the people are adversely affected as a result of her curse to moon.Then Parvathi also percieved their reasoning and minimised the curse to single day, the day when moon laughed at Vighneswara and caused his temporary death. Everyone was happy and left for their houses.They were careful not to see moon on that particular night. Samanthakopaakhyaanamu ---------------++++++---- It was Dwaaparayugamu.Sree Krishna was in Dwaaraka.One day Narada came to visit Krishna. They spent time happily.In no time,It was evening.Narada stood up and told Krishna.Today is Vinayaka chathurdhi.Parvathi cursed Moon today.So,we should not see moon today.He told what had really happened at the time curse was given.He went home. Sri Krishna told his people not to see the moon that night.But by night,he craved for milk.So,he sneaked outside and into cowshed.There he started to get milk from the cow.But unknowingly he saw the reflection of the moon in milk.He was sad thinking that he might get into trouble pretty soon. After few days,King Sathrajith came to see Krishna.He brought Samanthakamani,a rare and powerful diamond,gifted by,Sun,and showed it to Krishna.Krishna wanted to have it.But Sathrajith refused to give him because that Samanthakamani would give large quantity of gold daily.Krishna said it was ok and he does not want it. after few days,Prasenudu,brother of Sathrajith,went to the forest for hunting.He wore Samanthakamni as a pendant.A lion mistook the diamond for flesh.So,it killed prasena and took the diamond.On its way,a bear saw it and fought and killed the lion.It took the diamond to its home and gave it as a play thing for its daughter.Next day,Sathrijith came to know of his brothers demise.He blamed Sri krishna saying that Krishna killed his brother to grab the diamond,which his brother was wearing. Krishna understood that the main reason behind all this was the negative effect caused by seeing the moon on the fateful night.To clear the accusations made by Sathrajith,Krishna went into the forest. There he saw Prasenas dead body.He could see the foot prints of a lion there.He followed the foot prints of the lion and came across the dead body of the lion.There he found the foot prints of a bear.He followed the foot prints of the bear and they took him to a cave in the mountain.He told his people to stay back and he went inside the cave.There a girl was playing in the cradle.The diamond was tied to the cradle to enable the child to play with it.Krishna went and took the diamond and started to move out of the cave.But the girl started to cry and the servant there also cried out that a stranger entered the cave. The bear was Jambavantha.He came there and he was very angry.As soon as he came he started to fight with Krishna.They fought for twenty eight days in totality.They fought with tree trunks,stones and wrestling.Slowly,Jambavanthas strength depleted.He was scared.Then he realised that he was fighting with sree Rama.He stopped fighting and folded his hands in humility and reverence.Then he told Krishna.Hey Bhagavan!Now I realise that you are Sree Rama.At that time,I asked you a favor.it was so stupid but I could not realise it then.I said that I wanted to fight a duel with you.You sanctioned it but said that my wish would be fulfilled at a later date.Now my wish is fulfilled.Now I am at the fag end of my life.I do not have the inclination to live longer.Please excuse my faults and drawbacks. Sri Krishna was filled with kindness towards Jambavantha.He gently stroked his entire body so that he would be relieved of pain and bruises.Then,Jambavantha gave him Samanthakamani along with his daughter.Sree Krishna came into the city and told everyone what has happened.He tried to give the samanthakamani to Sathrajith.But Sathrajith was ashamed of his rash and unthoughtful accusations.He pleaded Krishna to forgive him.He gave Sathyabhama and Samanthakamani to Krishna.Krishna gently refused to take the diamond.He married Jambavathi and Sathyabhama on an auspicious day. Many sages,deities came to attend the wedding.They said.Krishna,you are a great man.So you could prove your innocense and come of the bad effects of seeing the moon on Bhadhrapada sudhdha chavithi.But what about the plight of common man!you should show a way out for us too.Then Sri Krishna told them to do pooa or prayer of Vighneswara on that day and take his blessings.Then nothing bad will come your way.Every one was happy and left for their abodes. Chandra darsana dosha saanthi sloka ..................................... One should not see the moon on Vinayaka Chathurdhi.If at all by accident you see it,there is a remedy.We have to recite this sloka.Then we are above any sin or sinister upcomings. Simhah prasena mavadheeth simhojaambavathaa hathah/ Sukumaaraka maarodeeh thava heshassya manthakah//