History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.594

v6.c81.594

About the antiquity of Gaṇeśa worship and of images of Gaṇeśa a good deal has been said in H. of Dh vol II. pp 213-216 and 725 A few matters not mentioned there may be set out here The Brahmavaivarta-purāṇa has a section called Gaṇeśa-khaṇḍa (in 46 chapters), wherein several legends about Gaṇeśa are dwelt upon. The Gaṇapatyatharvaśīrṣa³⁷⁸, imitating the style of such ancient Upaniṣads as the Taittirīya, Bṛhadāraṇyaka and Chāndogya, identifies Gaṇapati with the Highest Brahma. The Ahalyākāmadhenu quotes passages from Bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa on Gaṇeśacaturthī In I. A. vol 35 p. 60 an archaeological and mystic explanation is offered about the mouse being the conveyance of Gaṇeśa and his elephant head, which is fantastic and hardly convincing. Several legends are told about Gaṇeśa, his elephant head, his single tusk Vide Mukerji p 9 One of the most fantastic is the one in the Varāhapurāṇa (chap 23) where it is said that from the laugh of Śiva sprang a very handsome boy whom Pārvatī looked at with admiring eyes when Śiva’s jealousy was roused and he cursed the boy to be elephant-headed and pot-bellied and then he relented and made him the chief of all Vināyakas.