One of my favourite childhood tales is Gajasura and Shiva’s story. Gajasura is a combination of two words: Gaja and Asura. Gaja means elephant, and Asura means demon.
According to an epic, Gajasura was a powerful demon who could transform into an elephant. The demon performed severe penance to gain immense strength and a boon from the creator, Lord Brahma. In this article, we will explore Gajasura Shiva story.
Gajasura Shiva Story: The Elephant Demon
How did Gajasura get his boon?
Gajasura had performed intense penance to please Lord Brahma, the creator. He had a deep desire for strength and power. He underwent rigorous austerity, which required immense dedication and determination. His penance was so severe that it attracted the attention of Lord Brahma, who eventually appeared before him.
Impressed by Gajasura’s commitment, Lord Brahma granted him a boon. Gajasura asked for immense strength and the ability to transform into an elephant. He thought he would be invincible in this form.
Gajasura’s desire for supremacy
With the boon received from Lord Brahma, Gajasura became a powerful demon. He often turned into a ferocious elephant and attacked sages and devas (demigods). This stirred fear into the hearts of the gods and sages. As his power grew, Gajasura believed that he was invincible. One day, he heard that Shiva is the most powerful God.
Drenched in his ego and arrogance, he challenged Lord Shiva’s authority. For those who don’t know about Shiva, he is the supreme God in Hinduism and the embodiment of ultimate reality.
Gajasura had a desire for supremacy. He embarked on a mission to conquer heaven and kill all the gods, particularly targeting Shiva. He wreaked havoc on the celestial plane. His actions resulted in widespread chaos and despair among the deities, leading them to seek the intervention of Lord Shiva.
All the devatas requested Lord Shiva to intervene. In response to the escalating crisis, Shiva descended from the heavenly realms to confront Gajasura.
The Battle between Gajasura and Shiva
As the battle began, Gajasura took his terrifying form and unleashed a series of attacks against Shiva. However, little did he know that he was clashing against Shiva, the source of energy in the cosmos. Their clash was spectacular. Shiva nullified the demon’s raw power.
Gajasura eventually realized his mistakes. He acknowledges his foolish desires for power and supremacy. The divine presence of Shiva made him realize his ego. He gave up his fight and surrendered to Shiva.
Gajasura transformed back into his original form and acknowledged Shiva’s superiority. He sought forgiveness from Shiva.
Shiva, as always, showed compassion and understanding. He accepted Gajasura’s submission and transformed him into a protector. Gajasura was reborn as a guardian of dharma.
Textual references
The tale of Gajasura and Shiva is often found in ancient texts, especially the Puranas. The story is primarily found in the Varaha Purana, but references are also found in some other texts, including the Shiva Purana. A beautiful carving depicting this story is found in the Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebeedu.
Lessons learnt from this Story
This tale gifts several important lessons to us. They are:
The root cause of Gajasura’s downfall is his excessive pride and foolish desire for supremacy. The story highlights the importance of humility and warns us against the dangers of ego. Power often boosts our ego and makes us arrogant. It is necessary to keep a check on our ego.
Gajasura ultimately recognized his mistakes and idiotic desires. He eventually acknowledged his flaws. More often than not, we fail to acknowledge our flaws and work on them. Remember, change begins with acceptance.
The tale teaches that redemption is possible through genuine repentance. God is very kind and always accepts genuine repentance.
Shiva showed compassion towards Gajasura even after his horrendous mistakes. This teaches us to be compassionate towards others. We don’t know what they might be facing in their lives.
Last but not least, goodness always defeats evil. We should always follow the path of dharma.
Various Dramas made on Gajasura Shiva story
This tale has inspired various forms of artistic expression, including dramas, dance performances, and theatrical adaptations.
In Indian classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, stories from Hindu mythology are presented with unique moves. Gajasura Shiva story is often depicted in these performances. These performances utilize intricate movements, expressive physical and facial gestures, and storytelling through music.
Moreover, various theatre groups across India have produced plays on this story. Traditional puppet theatres also perform stories of deities and demons from Hindu mythology.
Gajasura Shiva story has also been featured in various television serials on Indian national television. These adaptations often dramatize the conflicts between gods and demons, including elaborate battle sequences and character developments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this tale is more than just a battle between divine and demonic forces. It teaches the essence of love, surrender, and the ultimate victory of good over evil. It highlights that every being has the potential for change, and it’s never too late to surrender yourself to Shiva!
FAQs
Who was the father of Gajasura?
Gajasura is often considered to be the son of the sage Shukracharya. Shukracharya was a renowned sage and the teacher of the demons (asuras). However, details about his parentage can vary across different texts and interpretations.
How did Gajasura die?
Gajasura did not die in a traditional sense. Instead, he experienced a significant transformation after his encounter with Lord Shiva. Shiva chose not to destroy him. Instead, he transformed Gajasura from a demon into a protector of dharma.
Who gave a boon to Gajasura?
After performing intense penance and demonstrating immense dedication, Gajasura received a boon from Lord Brahma. He asked for a boon of tremendous strength and the ability to transform into an elephant.
