Hari is infinite, and so are His stories

Once, Sage Shaunaka was sitting with his revered teacher, Sutaji. At that time, Suta began to speak about the greatness of Lord Ganesha.

He said,
“O Shaunaka! Always remember this – whatever happens in this universe takes place only by the power of Lord Ganesha. Even the greatest of gods, when faced with obstacles in their tasks, turn to Him for help. For only Ganesha has the strength to remove troubles and bring success.”

After a pause, Sutaji continued,
“Lord Shiva is known as Ashutosh – the one who is pleased in an instant. But Ganesha is even quicker to shower grace upon His devotees. One who worships Ganesha never remains trapped in troubles. And if fate brings sorrow to him, by devotion to Ganesha, that sorrow vanishes, and peace and happiness take its place.”

Hearing this, Shaunaka’s curiosity grew. He said,
“O Sutaji! I wish to know the stories of Ganesha – His deeds, His divine plays. In which scripture can I read about them? If you narrate them to me yourself, it will be the greatest blessing of my life.”

Sutaji smiled and said,
“Ah, Shaunaka! The stories of Ganesha are like an endless ocean. They are countless. No tongue can ever narrate them all. That is why the wise sages say: ‘The Lord is infinite, and so are His stories.’

Since Ganesha was honoured with the first worship, connected to the tales of every other deity, his presence and influence are everywhere. He is all-powerful, and indeed, the affairs of all three worlds move according to His will.”

Then Sutaji added,
“About this, Ganesha Himself has declared:

Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Surya and I –
the one who sees no difference among us,
That person is the true yogi.

Thus, O noble sage, all the gods are but forms of Ganesha. They take different names and roles according to the work they perform, but the essence remains the same – Ganesha Himself. And though His stories are endless, and some of the best are written in the Ganesha Purana.”

The Story of King Somakanta

Once, Sage Shaunaka asked Sutaji,
“O revered one! How did the Ganesha Purana begin? Please tell me.”

Sutaji replied,
“O Shaunaka! The Ganesha Purana is very ancient because Lord Ganesha Himself is the primordial deity. His deeds and divine acts are endless, so many that their collection alone could form a great Purana. Once, Lord Narayana narrated these stories to Narada, and Lord Shiva narrated them to Parvati. Later, Brahma told them to Sage Vyasa, who in turn passed them to Sage Bhrigu. Finally, Sage Bhrigu shared them with King Somakanta of Saurashtra. From then on, the Ganesha Purana spread in many forms among the people.”

Hearing this, Shaunaka grew curious and asked,
“O master! Who was this King Somakanta? Where did he hear the Purana? And what blessings did he receive from it?”

Sutaji then narrated,
“In the land of Saurashtra, there was a great capital city called Devnagar. Its ruler was King Somakanta. He cared for his people as if they were his own children. He was wise in holy knowledge, fearless in war, and powerful like a lion. His wealth was so vast that even Kubera, the god of riches, would have felt ashamed in comparison. Through his might, he conquered many lands.

His queen was Sudharma, a woman of great beauty, virtue, and devotion. King Somakanta followed the vow of one wife. Together, they had a son named Hemakanta – wise, brave, and noble.

Yet, as time passed and the king grew older, fate struck. He was afflicted with the dreaded disease of leprosy. Despite countless treatments and remedies, the illness only worsened. The king became deeply distressed. Finally, he called his ministers and said,
‘O faithful ones! Surely this disease is the result of sins from my past life. I can no longer rule. My son Hemakanta will be your king now. Support him and help him govern righteously.’

On an auspicious day, Somakanta crowned Hemakanta as king. Then, with his queen Sudharma and two trusted ministers, he left for the forest.

When they reached the borders of the kingdom, the people wept bitterly, begging him not to go. But the king consoled them, saying,
‘O people! This world is ever-changing. What exists today may not be tomorrow. Do not grieve my departure. My son will rule in my place. Stay loyal to him and stand by him.’

Turning to his son, the king said,
‘My child, every person must one day renounce. Our ancestors, too, left for the forest in their old age. If I go a little earlier, what harm is there in that? Never abandon the duty of a Kshatriya, and always keep your people happy.’

With these words, King Somakanta entered the forest with his queen and the two ministers. They found a peaceful, beautiful spot and rested there.

Just then, a young sage appeared before them. The king asked,
‘Who are you, child? Where do you live?’

The boy smiled and replied,
‘I am Chyavana, son of Sage Bhrigu. Our ashram is nearby. But who are you?’

The king answered,
‘I am Somakanta, king of Devnagar. I have given my throne to my son and come to the forest. I suffer from leprosy. Please tell me if there is any cure.’

Chyavana said,
‘I shall ask my father.’

He ran to the ashram and soon returned.
‘O king,’ he said, ‘my father has asked you to come to our ashram. There he will speak to you about a cure for your disease.’

King Somakanta’s Past Life

King Somakanta, along with his queen and ministers, went with young Chyavana to Sage Bhrigu’s ashram. Bowing respectfully, the king said,
“O revered sage! I have come to your shelter. Please have mercy on me, for I suffer from this dreadful disease of leprosy.”

Sage Bhrigu replied,
“O king, this is not without cause. It is the result of sins you committed in a previous birth. I will think of the remedy for you. But for now, bathe, eat, and rest for the night.”

As instructed, the king and his companions performed their ablutions, took food, and spent the night there. The next morning, after their daily rituals, they came to serve the sage.

Bhrigu looked at the king and said,
“O king, I have come to know of your past life, and I also know which sin has led you to this miserable disease. If you wish, I will tell you.”

The king folded his hands and said eagerly,
“O great sage, it would be a great kindness! I long to hear it.”

Bhrigu then began to narrate:
“In your previous birth, you were the pampered son of a wealthy merchant who lived in a village called Kolhar near the Vindhya mountains. His wife’s name was Sulochana, and you were born to them as their son. Your name then was Kamanda.

You grew up surrounded by love and care. After you came of age, your parents arranged your marriage with a beautiful young woman named Kutumbini. She was gentle and virtuous, always wishing that you would follow the path of dharma. But your nature was reckless and overcome by passion. Day by day, you became more unrestrained.

While your parents were alive, you kept your misconduct somewhat hidden. But after their death, you became completely lawless. You stopped listening to your wife, and you no longer cared for her words. Your behaviour saddened her, but she was powerless to stop you.

Your arrogance grew to its peak. You became cruel even toward your own people. Murder and violence became common for you. Killing others seemed to you an ordinary thing.

The people, suffering from your actions, appealed to the king. The king judged you and then sent you away from the kingdom.” Cast out, you went to live in a lonely forest. There, your life turned to robbery and murder.

One day, around noon, a learned Brahmin named Gunavardhaka passed that way. He was on his way to fetch his wife from her parents’ home. You caught hold of him and robbed him. When he resisted, you attacked him. The poor man cried out,
‘Do not kill me! Please, do not kill me! I am newly married and am going to bring my wife home!’

But you, blinded by anger, did not listen. Even as you struck, final words became a curse upon your fate,
‘O murderer! For the sin of my death, you shall suffer in the terrible hells for a thousand ages!’

Still, you paid no attention, and you cut off his head.

O king, it was not only this one life you took. You slaughtered many innocent people. So many that even to count them would itself be a sin.”

The sage paused, then continued,
“In that life, you committed countless sins. And when old age finally weakened you, the wicked companions who once followed you abandoned you. They thought, ‘Now we would have to feed him as well – better to let him die here.’ And so, they left you to perish.”

The Power of Ganesha’s Worship

Sage Bhrigu continued,
“O King, after your sinful life in your past birth, you became helpless. You could not walk properly, hunger tormented you, and sickness surrounded you. People who passed by looked at you with disgust.

One day, struggling for food, you stumbled into an old, broken temple. Inside was the idol of Lord Ganesha. By the grace of some unseen merit, devotion for Ganesha awakened in your heart. You began to worship Him, even while fasting. Through that worship, you found peace, your suffering lessened, and your illness grew lighter.

In time, death came. The messengers of Yama seized you and brought you before the Lord of Death. Yama said,
‘O soul, you have performed both sins and good deeds. You must suffer and enjoy both results. Which will you choose first—the fruits of sinful actions or of merit?’

You replied, ‘Let me enjoy the fruits of my merit first.’
So you were sent to be born in a royal family. Because you rebuilt Ganesha’s temple with love, you were reborn with a shining form and the glory of a king.”

At this point, Sage Bhrigu stopped, noticing doubt on King Somakanta’s face. At once, countless fierce birds sprang out of the sage’s body and rushed at the king. Their sharp beaks tore at his flesh, causing unbearable pain.

The king cried out in agony,
“O revered one! Your ashram is pure, free of faults and hatred. I have come seeking your shelter. Why then are these birds tormenting me? Save me, O sage!”

Hearing his desperate plea, Bhrigu calmly replied,
“O king, you doubted my words. When someone doubts my words, these birds come to eat him. But with my thunderous sound, they turn to ashes.”

Then Bhrigu roared, and instantly, all the birds vanished in smoke and ash.

The king, filled with tears and reverence, bowed and said,
“Master, please tell me how I can be free from my sins.”

The sage thought for a while and said,
“O king, Lord Ganesha’s grace rests naturally upon you. He alone has the power to destroy your sins. So, listen carefully and faithfully to His stories. The Ganesha Purana contains the holy tales of His deeds. Fix your mind upon them with faith.”

The king pleaded,
“O great sage! I had never even heard the name of the Ganesha Purana before today. How shall I be blessed to hear it? Who else but you is wise and learned enough to narrate it? Please have mercy on me.”

Seeing the king’s humility, Bhrigu sprinkled sacred water from his holy pot upon him. At once, the king sneezed, and from his nose came out a tiny black figure of a man. The little figure began to grow larger and larger until it stood tall and terrifying. The king trembled in fear, while the other residents of the ashram fled.

The dark figure, however, folded his hands before the sage and said,
“I am itself. I dwell within the bodies of sinners. Because of your holy water, I have forced out of the king’s body. Now I am hungry. Tell me, what shall I eat and where shall I live?”

Sage Bhrigu replied,
“Go and live in that mango grove, and survive by eating its leaves.”

The figure did as he had told, but the moment he touched the mango tree, it burned up and turned to ashes. With no place to stay, Sin himself vanished into nothingness.