A mix-up was made whole by a gift fit for a god.
Pārvatī shaped a little boy from earth and breathed life into him, asking him to guard her door while she bathed.
When Śiva returned and the loyal boy, not knowing him, would not let him pass, a great misunderstanding arose.
Grieved to find her son harmed, Pārvatī wept, and Śiva vowed to set things right.
He sent his attendants to bring the head of the first noble creature they met — a mighty elephant — and lovingly placed it upon the boy, restoring his life and making him radiant.
Honoured above all others, the boy became Gaṇeśa, lord of beginnings. From sorrow came blessing, and a wrong became a gift to the whole world.
Illustration: AI-generated (Vedha360)