GanesaTheAllayerOfSuffering Ganesa used his broken tusk as a weapon Published:06 Sep 2021 8 PMUpdated:06 Sep 2021 8 PM  Sakthi Vikatan C. Raju, Anjugramam

Magadha Muni and Vibhūthi, the Asura woman had a son, an Asuran, named Gaja Mukhan. His teacher Shukracharya instructed him to do Tapas to Siva, and Gajamukhan received a boon that guaranteed against his death by any weapon. By the strength of his boon, he tortured the Devas. God is the refuge for the helpless. Indra went to Pillaiyar in Kailas and sought his mercy. Vinayakar decided to alleviate the problems faced by the gods.

Ganesa went with his army to battle Gajamukhasuran. The Asura launched multiple weapons on Vinayaka, who wielded and broke them with his cudgel. He hit him on his chest with his cudgel but could not kill him.

Vinayakar broke his tusk and launched it on the Asura, realizing he could not kill him with his weapons. The Asuran came in the form of a bandicoot. Defeating the bandicoot, he used him as his transport. There is another story about it.

When Gajasuran was flying in the sky, he smashed the shell-wall of the universe. The celestial Ganges broke and flooded and submerged the earth. It was water everywhere, and the gods suffered discomfort. Only one place in the world was above the water. That was where Vinayakar was sitting. The gods supplicated to him.  Immediately, he sucked up the water with his proboscis and restored the shell-wall of the universe.

Later, he defeated Gajasuran in the battle and took him as the Mūshika Vāhanam.  From that day on, he went by the name Dismay-allaying Vinayakar. The gods performed Toppukkaranam before the Gajasuran. Now they did Toppukkaranam before Ganapathy at his worship. His temple is in Alangudi

Ganapathy sported a form known as Herambha Ganapathy, one face each for the four directions and the fifth face looking up. He goes by the name Panchamukha (five-faced) Vinayakar. People worship him in this form.

The east face is the sun’s aspect, for health and agriculture; the west face, the Vishnu aspect for protection of lives; the north face, Ambal’s aspect for victory; the south face, Brahma’s aspect for marriage, progeny, and power in speech; and the sky face, Siva aspect for granting the best boons.

.

  Heramba Ganapathy

  Ganapathy sported a form known as Herambha Ganapathy, one face each for the four directions and the fifth face looking up. He goes by the name Panchamukha (five-faced) Vinayakar. People worship him in this form.

The east face is the sun’s aspect, for health and agriculture; the west face, the Vishnu aspect for protection of lives; the north face, Ambal’s aspect for victory; the south face, Brahma’s aspect for marriage, progeny, and power in speech; and the sky face, Siva aspect for granting the best boons.

C. Raju, Anjugramam