Elements of Hindu Iconography v1.c9.58

v1.c9.58

Ēkadanta. The story here is that Paraśurāma, having destroyed the Kshatriyas with the paraśu lent to him by Śiva, went to Kailāsa to offer thanks to his divine benefactor. But, when there, he was stopped at the gate of Śiva’s abode by Gaṇapati, who told him that Śiva and Pārvatī were in conversation and that no stranger could then be allowed to enter. Not caring for the injunctions of this door-keeper, Paraśurāma tried to force his way into the house; a fight then ensued between him and Gaṇapati, in which Paraśurāma hurled his paraśu at Gaṇēśa in great anger. Gaṇēśa was able enough to resist the blow of the axe; but he did not do so, because he could not bear to see his father’s battle-axe, pass for a powerless weapon. He therefore received the blow on his left tusk, which thus became broken and lost. Accordingly he became a single-tusked god, *Ekadanta*. The authority for this also is the *Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa*. In a large number of sculptures, however, the figure of Gaṇeśa is represented without the right tusk, contrary to the description given in the *Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa*.