05-10-2007, 04:50 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-sengotuvel+Apr 29 2007, 03:59 AM-->QUOTE(sengotuvel @ Apr 29 2007, 03:59 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Does anyone recall why Lord Shiva has a snake wrapped around his neck, or why his face is blue?
Why does Shiva have a crescent moon depicted over his head?
Why does he have a fountain of water flowing out of the top of his head?
Does anyone recall how Ganesha came into being?
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I was back in India last couple of weeks. Here is what I remember from the stories narrated by my grandmother:
Shiva's blue face - During the samudra manthan (sura and asura were fighting over something and they decided to churn the ocean. The instrument that was used was the Mandar parvat and they used vasuki (a serpent) to tie around the parvat and the two sides churned the ocean vigorously. One of the products of the churning was 'halaahal' an extremely potent poison. In order to destroy the poison Lord Shiva drank it which turned his body (in my narrative it was just the neck and face) blue.
The fountain of water is river Ganga.
Chandamama magazine used to have several serial stories that explained many of the Hindu folklore.
About Ganesha, again reverting back to my Grandma's narrative:
Lord Shiva was itinerant and this caused boredom to his consort Parvati. So she made an earthen idol of a little boy and put life in it. She appointed him to guard the entrance to her chamber when she went to take a bath. Just then Lord Shiva appeared and was promptly denied entrance by the little boy. In a fit of rage Lord Shiva beheaded the boy. Upon hearing this Parvati became disconsolate and wanted the boy back. Lord Shiva instructed his disciples (ganas) to find the first head (I don't remember if it was the head of a living being or a dead one and also why the severed head could not be put back). The ganas found an elephant head and Lord Shiva bestowed life on the boy with an elephant head - Lord Ganesh.
Why does Shiva have a crescent moon depicted over his head?
Why does he have a fountain of water flowing out of the top of his head?
Does anyone recall how Ganesha came into being?
[right][snapback]68019[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was back in India last couple of weeks. Here is what I remember from the stories narrated by my grandmother:
Shiva's blue face - During the samudra manthan (sura and asura were fighting over something and they decided to churn the ocean. The instrument that was used was the Mandar parvat and they used vasuki (a serpent) to tie around the parvat and the two sides churned the ocean vigorously. One of the products of the churning was 'halaahal' an extremely potent poison. In order to destroy the poison Lord Shiva drank it which turned his body (in my narrative it was just the neck and face) blue.
The fountain of water is river Ganga.
Chandamama magazine used to have several serial stories that explained many of the Hindu folklore.
About Ganesha, again reverting back to my Grandma's narrative:
Lord Shiva was itinerant and this caused boredom to his consort Parvati. So she made an earthen idol of a little boy and put life in it. She appointed him to guard the entrance to her chamber when she went to take a bath. Just then Lord Shiva appeared and was promptly denied entrance by the little boy. In a fit of rage Lord Shiva beheaded the boy. Upon hearing this Parvati became disconsolate and wanted the boy back. Lord Shiva instructed his disciples (ganas) to find the first head (I don't remember if it was the head of a living being or a dead one and also why the severed head could not be put back). The ganas found an elephant head and Lord Shiva bestowed life on the boy with an elephant head - Lord Ganesh.