Quarrel with the Ganas

Brahma said

Seething, the ganas set out at Shiva's order and put their question to Girija's son, who was now playing doorkeeper: who was he, where from, what did he want? If he cared to live, he had better go a long way off. Girija's son, unafraid, replied with the staff in his hand that they were the ones who should go, ugly as they were, and asked why they stood opposing him. All of Shiva's mighty ganas laughed and muttered to one another, and then, angry, answered that they were Shiva's own excellent doorkeepers, sent by their lord Shankara to deal with him. Taking him for a gana, they said, they would spare his life, which otherwise they would have taken; he should leave of his own accord and not court death. Still Ganesha was not afraid. He stayed at the gate and heaped scorn on them. The ganas carried this back to Shiva, word for word. Maheshvara, playing at being an ordinary worldly person, scolded his own people: why had the boy behaved so, why speak like an enemy, what was this fool up to? He plainly wanted to die. They should throw the new doorkeeper far away, he said; why did they stand around like eunuchs, and why report to him?

Their master was absorbed in his wonderful play, and so the ganas returned and told the doorkeeper that there was nothing for him to wait for, since posting himself there would cost him his life if he defied them. They were all doorkeepers; what was he talking about? A jackal on a lion's seat who hoped to be well! He would roar only until he had felt the ganas' valour, and then he would fall. This made him furious. He grabbed the ganas and struck them as they abused him. Shivaa's son Ganeshvara, quite without fear, told Shankara's valiant ganas to go far away or he would show them his own fierce valour, and if they stayed they would be laughed at.

The ganas conferred in dismay: what could they do, where could they go? They had kept to the limits that respect drew; otherwise he would never have spoken so. Shiva was standing a krosha from Kailasa, and Shambhu's ganas went and told him. Shiva, hard in his resolve, laughed, and the trident-bearer said to his ganas, who thought themselves brave: they were counted as eunuchs, not heroes whatever they boasted, and not fit to stand before him and talk. If they only scolded the boy he would answer in kind. If any one of them had real power, he should go and hit him; no more talk, the boy must be driven far away. Rebuked so by the divinity, all the fine ganas went back and said to the child, "Why do you talk as if you were strong? If you do not want to die, go far from here." Hearing the stern words of Shiva's followers, Shiva's son thought miserably, "What shall I do?"

Just then Devi, hearing the quarrel at the gate, sent her friend to look. The friend understood what was happening almost at a glance and reported it all to Shivaa. Their own gana, she said, was posted at the door, and Shankara's brave ganas were berating him fiercely. Since Parvati was not free, how could Shiva and his ganas push into her house? That was not good for her. Her doorkeeper had done well, refusing entry despite the grief and rebukes. And since the two sides were quarrelling, it was right that they not enter easily; they should get in only after beating him, not otherwise, because an insult to him was an insult to every one of them. So Parvati should keep her proud stand. Shiva, the friend added, always treated Sati like a plaything; what would he do now with his ahamkara? He had to be made to lean toward them.

Because Sati was used to obeying Shiva's wishes, she stood a while. Then, full of pride, Parvati said in anger that he had not waited a little; why was he so stubborn? What should be done now? Should she be humble? What was to happen would happen and could not be turned aside. Having said so, she lovingly sent the friend back to tell Ganesha that he had done rightly and that those ganas must not be allowed in by force. Who were they, next to him? Could they defeat one like him? Whatever the rights and wrongs, he should do his duty; and if he lost, there would be no cause for enmity. Hearing his mother's message Ganeshvara was filled with joy and his strength swelled. He armoured his sides, bound on a turban and slapped his thighs and calves. Without fear he told them all: he was Girija's son and they were Shiva's ganas, so the two sides were equal. Each had a duty: they were doorkeepers, and so was he, standing at the door as they did. They must carry out Shiva's command, and he Shivaa's. He had decided to do the task given him. Rashly or humbly, they would not enter that house again.

Hearing this, all the ganas were ashamed. They went to Shiva, bowed and stood before him with joined hands and lowered shoulders, and told him this extraordinary matter. Shankara heard it all and, following the world's ways, said to them: it might not be proper to fight, since all of them were his and the boy was Gouri's gana. But if he gave way, people would say Shambhu was always subject to his wife and he would be reproached in the world. The policy of answering an act with an act was better. The boy was a child, and alone; what valour could he show? They were known as skilled fighters; how could his side give up a fight and be thought inferior? How could a wife act by force, and in front of her husband at that? Girija must reap what she had done. So whatever happened, the battle had to be fought. Skilled in many pastimes, Shankara said this, showed the ways of the world, and stopped.