Storytelling: Week 9, Ganesha the Bottomless Pit

Kubera, the god of wealth, one day travels to Mount Kailash in order to request the presence of Shiva, the supreme god, in hopes of gaining the darshan or vision of Shiva. As he arrives, Shiva's handmaiden escorts him to the chambers of Shiva where they begin to sit and discuss his travels and future plans. It is at this time that Kubera invites Shiva to a large spectacle that he will be holding in his city the following day. Kubera does so in order to show Shiva the wealth he possesses and hopefully gain his approval. Shiva is uncomfortable with such an idea and decides that he must decline the invitation. However, he presents to Kubera the idea of allowing his son Ganesha to go in his stead but warns of his voracious appetite. Kubera shrugs off such a comment, believing that his wealth could feed all of the gods for a lifetime and accepts Shiva's proposal. The following day, Ganesha accompanies Kubera to the city of Alakapuri, arriving just in time for the beginning of the banquet. As the serving of the first few dishes begins, Kubera starts realizing that he may slightly be in over his head. Ganesha not only eats the plates set in front of him but also those of the guests around him. He now even begins walking down the lengthy table, grabbing and guzzling the plates of all those in sight. Kubera orders all of his servants to bring out as much food as they can possibly carry and only serve it to Ganesha. This action was moot, for as Kubera turns his back to tell them this, Ganesha makes his way to the kitchen and polishes off every piece of food in sight. As he reenters the dining hall, Ganesha even begins to consume the plates, cutlery, and now even a few of Kubera's esteemed guests. Knowing that things can only get worse, Kubera immediately leaves the city, frantically making his way toward Mount Kailash. As he arrives back at the mountain, Shiva is awaiting him at the base.

Shiva laughs to himself saying, "I told you the boy had quite the little appetite, did I not?"

Kubera stares awestruck at the god, not knowing whether to laugh at this statement or return to his city in hopes that it may still be standing.

Shiva once again snickers and says, "I will give you the one solution to your problem if you promise that you will always be loyal to my son and me."

Kubera agrees to the terms presented by Shiva and in turn Shiva hands him one single laddoo, a traditional indian sweet. He wonders to himself how such a small item can possibly fill the appetite of that boy but he doesn't question the actions of Shiva. He bows his head in thanks and then dashes back to his chariot, hoping that upon his return the walls of his city may still be standing.

As he pulls up to the city gates, nearly half the city has already been destroyed and Ganesha is on the path to finishing it all off. Kubera finally finds Ganesha within the ruins and kneels at his feet. He dare not make eye contact with the ravenous boy yet he extends his hands with the offering tucked neatly between them. Ganesha takes the laddoo, tosses it up in the air and scarfs it down just as he had everything else that night. However, at this point, he takes a seat next to Kubera, places a hand on his bulging stomach and exclaims, "What a meal! I haven't eat like that in ages. I don't think I ever could again." At this comment he regains his feet and begins to strut out of the city as if nothing has happened, returning to his father's side and offering to always take his father's spot at dinner parties whenever Shiva feels that it is necessary.

Ganesha holding a plate of laddos

Wikipedia

Author's note: This story comes from the Puranas, a set of ancient Indian texts that discuss all of the well known Hindu gods. I have tried to maintain a theme of food within my portfolio stories so although many of you will have never read the original, I figured this would be better suited for that purpose. I have also included a laddoo recipe for anyone who is interested in trying the Indian sweet. The original story uses the same setting that I used and includes the same characters. Basically Kubera hopes to have Shiva attend his grand feast but in turn gets the presence of Shiva's son, Ganehsa. Ganesha is said to be quite the voracious eater but Kubera assumes that his palace will be able to handle any appetite. As the feast commences Kubera begins to realize that Ganesha cannot be satisfied and that if he is not quickly stopped, the entire city will be consumed. He travels back to speak with Shiva and is given grains of roasted rice to give to Ganesha. He cannot believe that such a small offering could possibly fill the boy but he knows he must trust Shiva's advice. Once the grains are given to Ganesha in true humility, his rampage ceases and he is full at last. I chose to change from the rice grains to the laddo in order to incorporate a traditional Indian sweet. By doing so, I was able to include a recipe for the preparation of laddos and hopefully expand the knowledge of the class. I really enjoyed this story and the message that is intertwined throughout.

Laddoo Recipe and Cooking Instructions

Wikipedia: Ganesha