Namasthe to everyone and wish you a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi....it is the auspicious day on which Lord Ganesha was born....so I thought on behalf of his birthday why not write something relating to him....

This story is about when Ganesha and his father Lord Shiva had a day out on his birthday. It depicts the young Ganesha who is curious about this new world and also confused.......it is fictional but all the characters and relations are from Mythology.....

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It was Ganesha's birthday. He completed his daily routine and went to the kitchen as he was very hungry but he didn't find his mother. He heard chantings from the shrine. He knew the voice. It was his mother and he was also aware of what she must be doing.

He walked towards the shrine only to find Goddess Parvathi praying to Shivling showing her back towards him. He slowly moved towards her and sat beside her praying along with her. As she was done with the rituals she opened her eyes and found her son sitting beside her praying. She couldn't hold but smile. The young Ganesha looked cute.

Soon Ganesha did his prayer and opened his eyes and found his mother who was smiling at him. As Parvathi got up taking the pooja thali,he too got up and touched her feet taking her blessings
"pranaam Maa"

she blessed him by putting her hand gently on his head....

"Ayushmaan bhava putra....."and wished him on his birthday.

"I have prepared your favorite dishes come you might be feeling hungry " she said as she started moving.

Ganesha exchanged glances between his mother and the Shivling. He was curious about something which he wanted to ask and today he decided to ask her.

"Maa... I have something to ask....Pithaji is your husband right!??,then why don't you offer Pooja to him directly rather than to a Shivling which is a resemblance of him??"

She knew her son's curiousity and his logical sense...she halt there and turned around. She came and kneeling down to his level keeping the thali aside,"Of course Putra.... I can but I don't want to. Because in physical form Mahadev is my husband, in the spiritual form he is my soul's counter part,in the emotional state he is my friend and guru but in Shivling he is God. I don't want to cross boundaries between a wife and a devotee. Thats why I love him as a wife in his physical form and I pray him as his devotee in the form of Shivling "

Ganesha then understood the reason behind why his mother prays to Shivling. He nodded his head in understanding.

"Maa...where is Pithaji??"

"He is in his penance....he would return soon"

Parvathi then took him to the kitchen and served him. He ate his mouth full. When its done he out only to be greeted by Nandi, Vaasuki and others .

He the went to visit his brother Karthikey who was practicing archery . When he observed Ganesha he kept the bow aside and went towards him .

"Pranipaad Bhratha shri" he greeted him.

His brother retured his pranam and went to hug him to wish him. Then came a damaru sound indicating Mahadev's arrival. The two boys retreated and started moving towards their father.

The two boys then went to their father and touching his feet
"pranam Pithaaji" they both said unison

"bless you "said Mahadev. Then both the boys. hugged their father.

"you arrived early Mahadev!??" Parvathi asked as she knew when he in his penance he will not return for ages.

Giving a look at his wife Mahadev smiled at her ,"how can't I Parvathi, when it is my son's birthday" saying he patted Ganesha's head.

"you came for me Pithaaji" Ganesha was beyond happy.

"yes putra" he gave a nod.

"then where is my present??" he asked .

"Present!! you want a present , " humming to himself Shiva replied again "yes I have a present for you. Come with me." he told him.

Ganesha jumped in joy nodding vigorously "sure Pithaji..." he moved as Mahadev started to move.

Parvathi who knew very well what Mahadev is upto so screaming at them, "Don't be late...come soon " she took Karthikey and went in.

Ganesha was excited as what his father might give him. They both reached a familiar place teleporting. Ganesha gave a glance at his Father's side yet didn't ask him.

As the guards Jaya and Vijaya observed who was coming they immediately folded their hands bending their head greeted Shiva and Ganesha. The doors were soon opened revealing Lord Vishnu and his consort Goddess Lakshmi on the Seshnag.

"Pranam Mahadev and welcome Ganesha" they both greeted Shiva and wished Ganesha. He folded his hands bending his head...
"Pranam Mamashri and Maami shri"
They both blessed Ganesh but the thing that took him by surprise was his father the MAHADEV folded his hands and greeted Naarayan(Vishnu). After taking their blessings Ganesh turned to go along with Shiva. When the doors of Vaikunt closed Ganesha turned towards his father and spoke..

"Pithaji...you are the Mahadev,the ultimate. I have never seen you folding your hands before anyone as you are the almighty but you only greet Mamashri why is that??"

Shiva expected his son to ask that, "To you we are your father and uncle but in spiritual sense there is no difference in both of us. we surrender to one another in the sense of surrendering to oneself. There is no difference in me or him. Surrendering to him is surrendering to myself and bound to the responsibilities that we have taken to run this entire universe" he said calmly as he always does.

Then they teleported to Swarg lok. Ganesha was greeted by everyone including Indra dev, Vaayu dev, Agni dev, Surya dev, Chandra dev. They all gave him blessings and prayed to Mahadev.

"Pithaji why are gods given the nector of immortality why not demons or humans??" he asked

"Nector of mortality is the reason for conflicts between gods and demons.It us just not given to release from the cycle of birth and death,It is given to the right. The devas are not leading life with luxuries they have responsibilities to be taken care of,As the Trinity Bramha dev, Narayan and I we balance and control everything...the devas make up the physical parts of the universe. Without Physical essence there can be nothing in this universe except void. Thats why they are given the nector of immortality so as to be able to continue their duties on the other hand the demons wanted the nector for power,to satisfy their greed,ego and arrogance to stop that Narayan had to involve as he is the operator"

They finally teleported to the Earth which is the centre for every physical attachment and illusion. As he started moving along with his father he observed many things people taking birth, leading life, facing problems, overcoming challenges, having greed,lust, ego and pride. He also noticed a very few witha pure heart who are free of them and the ones who are neither too good or too bad and finally he encountered people dying. Throughout his entire journey he was silent.

When they are finally going towards their home as the day started to end,he asked his father..

"Pithaji...we have different worlds and dimensions too but the Earth that we have just visited is too different. The people are very distant to truth and are in the hallucinations of the life.Why they have to take birth, live life, face problems,have attachments and finally die?? why can't they too have something like immortality??"

Shiva nodded his head smiling at his son's intelligence ,"Earth is not just a place Putra, it is the school,it is the school to all the souls who have to learn something. The soul when reached the Earth in the form of Human,they have to forget everything according to their contract because they have to start over ,they have to learn how to deal with situations there, handle them and master them. The people are born for their own specific reasons, after being born there comes a chance to recognize oneself and involve in something that he had come for. The one who recognizes it masters it and finally they reach their origins and the ones who don't they are stuck in the cycle of life and birth until their soul learns the lessons that it has intented to. Earth is a weird yet beautiful place Putra.......soon you will understand that...."

"now I understood your present Pithaji...you have taken me to different places so as to know and understand what is going on in the entire universe as you wanted to know the situations and the truths behind them. knowledge can be aquired when we see the roots of it and the present that you have given is the TRUTH which is the most precious and can never be changed for ages"

He was proud of his Son as he expected the same from him, "yes putra...you got that right!! I am proud of you and from today you will be the god of wisdom and intellect and those who pray you are shown the correct path towards wisdom and truth" he blessed him

He concluded as they both reached their home KAILASH.............

© Lasya Shaivite