Divine Whispers: The Mythological Tale of Sri Uchishta Maha Ganapati
Once upon a time, a demon named Vidyakaran was doing severe penance toward Brahma. All the other devas tried to dissolve the penance but failed. They created many obstacles. They said that if Vidyakaran were to get boons, a demon kingdom would be formed. Due to their inability, they requested Brahma not to grant him the boon he was asking for. But he pointed out Vidyakaran’s severe penance. He said that no one can refuse the boon he asked for due to penance. As a result of severe penance, Brahma appeared before him to give him a boon. He promised to give any other boon except immortality. Then Vidyakaran got angry, thinking his plan had not worked. “This is the conspiracy of the gods! I will not let them go unscathed,” he said. “I will make them my servants.” Then, carefully considering the deaths of his immortal ancestors and the subtle secret behind them, he asked for a boon equal to immortality. “Brahma! I abide by your words. I do not want immortality. This one boon is enough for me to ask, sir! He who defeats me in battle must not be a man or an animal. He must not be ugly or beautiful. Without the help of anyone in this creature, without the use of any weapons including his claws and teeth, without fighting with me before the assembly of devas and demons, he should kill me while doing radikiriya. He asked for a rare boon that no one could kill him. Brahma smiled inwardly at his ignorance and granted him that rare boon. The demon, who received the rarest boon, in his arrogance that none could defeat him, enslaved all the gods and sages of the three worlds and subjected them to various sufferings. All the victims gathered and surrendered to the Trinity.
All the three together invoked Sri Raja Rajeshwari, the mother of Parashakti and performed a great yagya. Sri Raja Rajeshwari appeared from the Yaga Kund and gave instructions to destroy Vidyakaran. On the coming Chaturthi, she invoked Maha Ganapati and instructed him to continue performing the yagya. Saying, “Sri Uchishta Maha Ganapati appearing from the Yaga Gundam will destroy that demon,” she disappeared looking at Lord Brahma meaningfully. Understanding the meaning of the vision of the Universal Mother, Brahma secretly met Patanga Muni and ordered him to perform a yagya to Goddess Adishakti without anyone knowing. The Trinity, the Devas and the Sages came together and performed a grand fire ritual for Lord Ganesha. At the end of the fire ritual conducted, Sri Uchishta Maha Ganapati appeared from the Yagya fire on Ashtami Tithi. At the same time Neela Saraswati emerged as Brahma’s daughter from the Yaga fire performed by Sage Padanga at the behest of Brahma. (Neela Saraswati is a powerful mystical form of Goddess Tara in Tantric traditions. Unlike Goddess Saraswati, who embodies calm wisdom and learning, Neela Saraswati represents a more intense and spontaneous form of knowledge. She herself transforms into Raja Matangi, Raja Syamala Devi after engaging in Radhikriya with Uchishta Maha Ganapati). Neela Saraswati Devi and Sri Uchishta Maha Ganapati got married on Navami Tithi.
The triplets called Indra and asked him to summon Vidyakaran to the battle after gathering all the three worlds at one place on Navami Tithi. Indra, the king of the gods, did the same. Being called to battle by Indra, Vidyakara, who was at the peak of his ego, roared with the asuras with a terrible fury and rushed to kill Indra, entering the battlefield without any information as to whom he was going to fight. His roar shook the three worlds. Among the living beings in the three worlds, he saw a great figure carrying a bow and arrow, pasam, and ankusam in his hands, seated on his left thigh, embracing a woman with one hand and engaged in the radhikriya lila with her with his special trunk. Seeing this, Vidyadhara screamed threateningly with great anger. Unheeding his threat, he tried to attack the great creature, indifferent and oblivious, with ignorant profusion, with the lashing of his tongue. Then the figure looked at Vidyadharana with a bright light like tens of thousands of suns united. Shocked by the bright light that suddenly appeared, Vidyadhara bit his own tongue in shock. He bled to death after his tongue fell off. According to his boon, Shri Uchishta Maha Ganapati appeared as neither human nor beast, ugly or beautiful, without the help of anyone in this creation, without using any weapon including his claws, teeth, without fighting with him in front of the assembly of devas and asuras, performing radhikriya, killing him and fulfilling his avatar purpose on Dasami Tithi.
When Vidyadhara died according to his boon, everyone in the three worlds rejoiced and worshiped Sri Uchishta Maha Ganapati. Also, near the Rishi Teertha on the banks of the Tamiraparani River on Earth, with Goddess Neela Saraswati, an incarnation of Parashakti, seated on her lap, from this same kolam, they begged for the blessings of the universe. At the same time Lord Surya, the king of the planets, worshiped Lord Ganesha and sought his blessings, asking for permission to shower his sunlight on them on the first day of every Chitrai month. And, on that day, he prayed that those who worshiped him inwardly would be blessed with all wealth. Sri Uchishta Maha Ganapati also agreed and got up near the Rishi Theertham at Manimurtheeswaram on the banks of the river Tamirabarani to bless the cosmic beings. This place is located in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India. (In Rudrayamala Tantra, the history of this temple is told in the Ganapati Tantra section).
