6. Gajamugasuran becomes Ganesha's Vehicle

Once there lived a demon named Gajamugasuran.

Gajamugasuran was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He did great penance for several years to please Lord Shiva. One day when Gajamugasuran was meditating Shiva's name, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked, 'Gajamugasuran, I am pleased with your penance. Ask for a boon and I shall grant it'.

Gajamugasuran asked for a boon to survive attack of any tool or weapon (astra-shastra) such as sword, axe; etc devised by Gods or man. He was blessed by Lord Shiva with the boon he asked for. 

Time lapsed and Gajamugasuran became very powerful. He won the rule over heaven from Lord Indra and started using his powers trouble Gods. Amusingly, he forced the Gods to do 1008 Thoeppukaranams in the morning, 1008 in the afternoon and 1008 in the evening. (Thoepukaranam is act of sitting down and standing up holding one's ears with crossed hand; ii.e. holding the left ear with right hand and right ear with left hand).

The God were extremely tricked and troubled by Gajamugasuran. But none of them had the powers to defeat Gajamugasuran. So Lord Indra and his fellow Gods, decided to approach Lord Shiva and ask for a way to pacify Gajamugasuran.

Hearing the plea of Gods, Lord Shiva asked his younger son, the witty elephant headed Ganesha to help the Gods.

Lord Ganesha tried to destroy Gajamugasuran by using various weapons such bow arrow, sword, axe; etc but he failed as Gajamugasuran was blessed to survive against all such weaponry.  So Lord Ganesha broke his right tusk to attack the demon. When Gajamugasuran saw this, he thought of tricking Ganesha by changing himself to diminutive mouse (mooshikam).

The little mouse ran towards Ganesh to play trick around him.  But Lord Ganesha was very witty. He jumped over and mounted the mouse immediately. Unable to balance and bear the weight of  paunchy Ganesha, the mouse gave a cry of mercy, pleading Ganesha to get off him. However, Ganesha wanted to control the demon in guise of mouse. He refused to unmount the mouse and said, 'Gajamugasuran, I can destroy you right away'.

Now, Gajamugasuran (turned mouse) was humbled. He said, 'O God of intelligence, I am defeated. I do not want to be destroyed, allow me to serve you as your vehicle. I shall always stay under your pious feet!'

Lord Ganesha was pleased with Gajamugasuran humbility. He was enjoying sitting on the mouse too, so he happily accepted Gajamugasuran in the form of mouse as his mount. 

Ganesha returned to his home on Mount Kailash riding on the mouse where he was welcomed and appraised by the Gods of Heaven for his intelligent victory. Since then Lord Ganesha is always accompanied by a mouse which sits besides him with Ganesha's favorite sweets, such as Modaks and Laddus.

It is said that Lord Vinayagar can be pleased by doing Thoepukaranam. In another version of this story, it is said that Gajamugasasuram's wife Priammada was a very pious woman. She observed the Gauri Vrat for well-being of her husband. Thus, when Lord Ganesha attempted to kill Gajamugasuran, Goddess Gauri rushed to the scene and held back Ganesha's right tusk which he hauled towards the demon. Ganesha was surprised and when asked his mother, Goddess Gauri explained, "Ganesha, Gajamugasuram's wife Priammada is my ardent devotee. She observes the Gauri Vrat and prays for merit of her husband. Hence it is my duty to protect her bond with Gajamugasuram. While Ganesha and Guar were engaged in conversation, Gajamugasuran guised as a mouse in an attempt to escape from Ganesha's wrath. However Ganesha jumped and mounted the mouse. The mouse then became Ganesha's steer.