Yudhishtra looks at Krishna guiltily and says, “I know I have made several mistakes O Krishna. But is there any way in which we can regain all that we have lost?” Krishna smiles and says, “The Bhavishya Puran clearly states that people who are overwhelmed by mental turmoil benefit immensely when they religiously observe the vrat of Sankashti. In another age and time, Parvati asks the same question to Narada because she wants to marry Shiva. So Narada asks the Goddess to worship lord Ganesha.
Parvati does so. And lord Ganesha appears before her instantly and says, “O mother, like the other devatas I too take different avatars from time to time to help mankind. Please observe a fast on Sankashti, the Karwa Chauth Chaturthi that falls in the Krishna Paksha of Karthik. Married women pray and fast for the long lives of their husbands on this day. And I bless them with all the siddhis. I remove all the obstacles from the lives of my devotees, fulfil their desires, give them the courage to walk on the path of Dharma, bless them with wealth, knowledge, health, help them regain their reputation and grant them ananda and moksha too.
Place my Ganadipa Maha Ganapati form on a Shiva Peetha. Mix some ghee and urad and offer it in the havan. Perform all the other rituals perfectly. Break your fast only after offering arghya to Chandra. Feed a few brahmins and eat only one meal that day in silence. Then listen to this Vrat Katha with total devotion.”
In an age beyond Time, a daitya called Matsarasur performs a severe penance. Shukracharya, the guru of the asuras blesses him with the Panchakshar mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” and asks him to meditate upon lord Shiva. Matsarasura does so and Shiva blesses him with invincibility.
Matsarasur expresses his gratitude to his guru Shukracharya who crowns Matsarasur the king of daityas. For a while, Matsarasur rules over his kingdom in Patala peacefully. The daityas sing his praises and feel he now has the powers to rule over the cosmos itself.
Fuelled by his powers and these praises Matsarasur forgets that he owes his powers to Shiva’s grace. He overthrows Yama, Kubera, Varuna and Indra and conquers their lokas. Sesha too agrees to pay him the tax he demands. Indra seeks Brahma’s and Vishnu’s help. But they know that Shiva alone can help them for it was Shiva who had granted that daitya all these powers.
When Shiva hears about Matsarasur’s misdeeds He becomes furious. He engages in a fierce battle with Matsarasur. But Matsarasur releases a Pasha shaped arrow from his bow which instantly binds Shiva’s cosmic form. Shiva watches Matsarasur rule over Kailash in mute horror. “The daityas have become too powerful. They need to be sent back to their rightful place” says Shiva and starts meditating.
The very next instant Lord Dattatreya manifests before them in a flash of blinding light. He gives them the Ekakshari mantra of ‘Gan’ and asks them to fast as it was a Sankashti that day and tells them to worship the Ganadipa Maha Ganapati form of Ganesha since it was the month of Kartik. All the devas hymn this mantra in unison, observe a fast, meditate upon the Ganadipa Maha Ganapati form of lord Ganesha and pray to him with fervour.
Lord Ganadipa Maha Ganapati appears before them and says, “O devas. Fear not. I will conquer Matsarasur’s kingdom and shatter his ego to smithereens.” The devas heave a huge sigh of relief and watch the war that Ganadipa Maha Ganapati wages with Matsarasur from a safe distance.
Ganadipa Maha Ganapati’s ganas surround Matsarasura’s palace from all sides and engage in an intense battle with him. The battle lasts for 5 days. Ganadipa Maha Ganapati’s ganas manage to kill Sundarpriya and Vishapriya – the two sons of Matsarasur. Matsarasur comes out of his palace shrieking with rage determined to kill Ganadipa Maha Ganapati.
He laughs aloud when he sees the form of Ganadipa Maha Ganapati and insults him using abusive language. So Ganadipa Maha Ganapati reveals his fierce cosmic form to Matsarasur and says, “If you wish to live in this world, drop your weapons and surrender to me. Else be prepared to die.”
When Matsarasur sees this fierce cosmic form of Ganadipa Maha Ganapati, he can feel his powers draining away from his body. He starts shivering with fright and sings hymns in his praise. Lord Ganadipa Maha Ganapati feels pleased by his sincerity and in his infinite kindness forgives him instantly. He orders Matsarasur to return to Patal loka which is his rightful place and asks him to live a peaceful life there.”
Krishna looks at Yudhistra and says, “Vritrasura, another daitya too tries to usurp the abodes of Indra and the other devas. Like Matsarasur, Vritra too had performed an intense penance to please Brahma who grants him several powers. But instead of using all his powers to take care of his kingdom and subjects, Vritra – like Matsarasur misuses his powers and tries to gain control over the entire cosmos.
The devas were almost always caught unawares by Vritra’s surprise attacks after which he and his entire army would disappear without a trace. Every time. So Vishnu tells them to first create a weapon made out of the adamantine bones of sage Dadhichi. Rishi Dadichi willingly sheds his body so that Indra can shape his mighty thunderbolt, the Vajra. Brahma then tells the Devas that the daityas are hiding under the sea bed and asks them to take rishi Agastya’s help to empty the waters of the sea.
Rishi Agastya agrees to help the devas but wonders how he can empty the vast waters of the sea. Rishi Agastya decides to perform the vrat of Sankashti with utmost care. Lord Ganadipa Maha Ganapati appears before rishi Agastya after three months and blesses him with all the siddhis. Using these siddhis rishi Agastya drinks the waters of the sea in a single gulp.
Now Indra manages to kill most of the daityas with his Vajra. They are shocked out of their wits because they are taken unawares by Indra’s surprise attack. Only a few daityas manage to escape with their lives to Patal loka.”
Krishna narrates these stories to Yudhishtra and says, “Seek refuge in lord Ganadipa Maha Ganapati O Yudhishtra. Perform the vrat of Sankashti every month with utmost devotion. The month of Kartik is fast approaching. Lord Ganesha never fails his devotees.” Yudhistra follows Krishna’s advice and observes the fast of Sankashti from then on. The rest is history.
Like Matsarasur and Vritra, we often take Ganadipa Maha Ganapati’s blessings for granted. We feel we are superior and know more than the rest of the world put together. Ganadipa Maha Ganapati, in His infinite kindness, allows us to make umpteen mistakes. He takes very good care of us and helps us learn from our mistakes. But when we misuse His blessings, He also puts us firmly in our place. And that is the most important lesson that we can glean from both these stories.
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