Lord Shiva Did not Sever the Head of Lord Ganesha

     According to one legend related to the birth of Lord Ganesha .One day, when Lord Shiva, the ascetic was away, Goddess Parvati, wanted to take bath in the river. To guard against any unsolicited interference, she took a little turmeric paste from her body and created a young boy named “Vinayak” means “Vi+Nayak”, the boy without male intervention. She gave him clear instructions to tolerate no one intrusion. Unfortunately, at this time Lord Shiva returned. Both Shiva and Vinayak were unaware to one-another. Lord Shiva tried to cross the threshold and Vinayak tried to stop Him. Both of them became aggressive and violent. Vinayak refused to entertain Him, though lord Shiva told him that he is the husband of Parvati.  Infuriated Lord Shiva severed the head of Vinayak and threw it away using his trident.

   Parvati came out now, by seeing the sight, she started crying and demanded to make alive of her created progeny Vinayak. All the gods and goddess became apprehensive. Parvati became adamant, at any cost she wanted Vinayak life back. She threatened, if Vinayak would not be brought back to life, she would took the form of Kali and destroy the existence. Lord Shiva wanted to console Parvati.

    There were no options before Lord Shiva than bring Vinayak life back. It also happened that they could not find the Vinayak`s original head.  So Lord Shiva dictated His army, to bring the head of that kid, whose mother is sleeping keeps her kid at her back. They found an elephant matched those criteria. They brought the elephant head from the Jungle and fixed that on the body of severed Vinayak. In this way, he was brought back to life with elephant head. He also adopted him as his son and made him the chief of his army, the Gana. Since then Vinayak became Ganesha “god of Gana”.

   Some may argue that Lord Shiva is “AntarYaami”, knower of the internal thought of others, then how it is possible that he could not understand the episode of Parvati and Vinayak?  There was no scar on Lord Ganesha`s body in the fight between Lord Shiva and Vinayak. Lord Shiva merely severed his head, and head got despaired not the body. He is “Tri Netra Dhari”, the God with three eyes, and able to peep in everywhere in the universe, then how it is possible that the severed head could not be found? Although Lord Shiva told Vinayak that He is the husband of Parvati, Vinayak disrespected Shiva, he was only stuck to his mother`s words. This reinforce that this myth wants to convey something strong message.

    At the first place, Lord Shiva did not want to involve in worldly life. Parvati, in absent of Lord Shiva, created Vinayak from her body. Hence, there was no lord Shiva`s involvement in creating Vinayak, which was against the nature. That is why; He could not accept Vinayak as His son. Vinayak became impertinent toward Shiva. This behavior of Vinayak represent the dearth of intellectuals, thus Shiva severed his head. Parvati cried, and she did not want to lose none of them, son or husband.

     Lord Shiva is the embodiment of Spirituality and detachment, and Shakti (Parvati) is the embodiment of materials and attachment.  Lord Shiva dictated His army to bring the head of that kid whose mother is sleeping keeps her kid at her back, it suggest the detachment of that  creature. It happened to an elephant. Lord Shiva fixed the severed body of Vinayak with elephant head. In this way, Parvati contributed towards body of Ganesha, and Lord Shiva towards the head (intellectual and spirituality). The big head of elephant is the symbol of big thought. In this way, both lord Shiva and goddess Parvati  contributed in creating  lord Ganesha; hence he became the son of both lord Shiva and Parvati, not only Parvati. From the above it is the clear indication that lord Shiva severed the head of Vinayak and helped in creating lord Ganesha .Lord Ganesha became the god to be worshiped prior to any other gods, and god of Gana, the army of lord Shiva, as well. Lord Ganesha became one of the prominent gods among households.

    Lord Ganesha got the equal contribution from lord Shiva and Shakti, means, spirituality and materials. In this way, he became more powerful in quality; hence he got the ability to lead the Gana, and got the first place in any worship.

    To get initiated anything, we need both intellectuals and materials, and who could be the best suited god to start with rather than Lord Ganesha.