Lord Vakratunda - First Form of Lord Ganesha

Lord Vakratunda

This incarnation of Lord Ganesha embodies the essence of the Deha-Brahma. According to the Mudgala Purana, a powerful demon named Matsara was born due to the negligence of Lord Indra, the King of the Gods. Matsara received the Diksha of the Panchakshara Mantra from the Daityaguru, Shukracharya. By performing its rituals correctly, he earned a boon from Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, granting him fearlessness. Overcome with arrogance due to his boon, Matsarasura was made the king of demons by Shukracharya. Subsequently, he conquered the Earth and the Patala. Thereafter, he attacked the Swargaloka, defeated Lord Indra and other Gods, and declared himself the ruler of heaven. Distressed by Matsarasura, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu approached Kailashapati Mahadeva. Lord Shiva, enraged by Matsarasura's actions, engaged in a fierce battle with him. However, since Lord Shiva Himself had granted the demon fearlessness, He was forced to withdraw from the battlefield as part of His Lila.

After conquering Kailasha and Vaikuntha, Matsarasura handed over the rule of these realms to his sons and chose to reside in Matsaravasa. His governance was extremely cruel, causing immense suffering to the Gods. Witnessing their plight, Lord Dattatreya imparted the powerful one-syllable Mantra "Gam" of Lord Vakratunda and encouraged them to perform its ritual. The Gods, along with Lord Pashupati, duly performed the ritual with utmost devotion. Pleased by their dedication, Lord Vakratunda manifested and assured the Gods that He would destroy the pride of Matsarasura.

At the mere invocation of Lord Vakratunda, an immense army of divine attendants assembled, initiating a fierce and unrelenting battle against Matsarasura and his forces. The clash, lasting five days, yielded no decisive victory for either side. Eventually, two attendants of Lord Vakratunda overcame and vanquished Matsarasura's sons, Sundarapriya and Vishayapriya. Stricken by the loss of his children, Matsarasura submitted and prostrated himself before Lord Vakratunda. Touched by his surrender, Lord Vakratunda, in His infinite compassion, granted the demon the boon of devotion. This act freed the Gods from their suffering, reinstating harmony and returning their kingdoms to rightful order.

It is believed that, after the cosmic dissolution, when obstacles arose in the creation of the universe, Lord Brahma, the creator of all realms, undertook severe penance to appease Lord Vakratunda. While chanting the six-syllable Mantra "Vakratundaya Hum," Brahma devotedly worshipped Lord Ganesha. Pleased with His penance, Lord Vakratunda manifested before Him and granted the desired boon. Only then was Brahma able to successfully proceed with the act of creation.

During the creation of the universe, "Dambha" was born from the vibrations of Lord Brahma. He performed intense penance for Lord Brahma, who, impressed by his devotion, granted him fearlessness across all realms. Empowered by this boon, Dambhasura, with the assistance of the Daityaguru Shukracharya, conquered the three worlds and established his rule. The Gods, distressed by his tyranny, sought guidance from Brahma to defeat Dambhasura. Lord Brahma advised them to worship Lord Vakratunda through the Ekakshara Mantra. Pleased by their devotion, Lord Vakratunda appeared and pledged to protect the Gods. Lord Vakratunda then sent Lord Indra as a messenger to Dambhasura, warning him to free the Gods or face complete annihilation by Vakratunda's divine powers.

The Daityaguru Shukracharya explained to Dambhasura about Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the embodiment of Brahman. Listening to this, Dambhasura was filled with fear. Upon understanding the divine form of Lord Vakratunda, reverence began to arise in his heart. He then decided to seek refuge in Lord Ganesha instead of waging war against him. Lord Ganesha, being compassionate and merciful, forgave Dambhasura and granted him devotion, thereby restoring peace across the Trilokas.