The Elephant-headed God (Gaṇeśa)

Purāṇas narrate the story of the creation of the elephant headed God. At his birth Gaṇeśa was visited by Gods and Demi-gods only Śani did not visit. Pārvatī enquired the reason of his absence. She was told that he feared to harm her child, since it was matter of common knowledge that the head of one on whom Śani looked was likely to be burnt to ashes at his glance. With easy pride the mother smiled, and assuring him that her son could not be subject to his power, sent him warm invitation. Accordingly Śani came but to everyone’s horror when he looked at the baby Gaṇeśa his head disappeared in a flame. At this catastrophe the mother was profoundly disturbed, and commanded her guests somewhat sharply at once to restore the head of her child. But Śani smiled pleasantly, and pointed out that the head as such no longer existed. It lay in ashes before them. Pārvatī asked him to send forth a servant and replace the head of her child with the one he first meets. Śani had no option save to obey. He could only severe the head of a living being who was at fault or inadvertently was doing wrong. He came across an elephant sleeping with his head to the north. This trifling fault brought him under the jurisdiction, and hastily the servant cut off his head and returned to put it on the infant’s body. It is for this reason that Gaṇeśa wears an elephant-head.

Coomaraswamy and Nivedita discuss the significance of this narrative.^[1] What is interesting in this narrative is not the creation of an elephant headed God but to show the power of Śani, and consequently to generate a requirement of his propitiation to get rid of his evil eye.