Mada. The Sanskrit word means pride. In Hindu mythology, it comes under one of the Arishadvargas. When a person with power becomes blind with arrogance, it could become a cause of great destruction. In this story, we see how Ganesha took the form of Ekdanta and won over Madasura, who personified pride.
Mada is mentioned in Mahabharata, the great Hindu epic, as a massive demon who could swallow the entire world. Humans and gods alike feared him. Even Lord Indra, the king of gods, was terrified of him. He was created by sage Chyavana.
With his age, Chyavana had become weak and lost his vision. He barely survived without his strength. Once, the Aswins, the twin deities, came to him, asking for help. Since they were associated with mortals, Lord Indra prevented them from drinking Soma, the elixir of immortality. They felt insulted by Indra’s actions. Aswins asked him to perform a sacrifice in their name. In exchange, they offered to return his youth and vision. Chyavana readily agreed and started the preparations.
This news enraged Indra as he did not think Aswins were worthy of a sacrifice that was meant for gods. So he attacked their ceremony with a mountain in one hand and a thunderbolt in another.
Without batting an eye, Chyavana produced Madasura from thin air to ward off Indra. Mada, with his giant set of teeth and jaws, was terrifying. Seeing the gigantic beast consume heaven with all the gods in it, Indra surrendered. He also agreed to give Soma and their rightful place among gods to Aswins.
As time went by, Mada’s arrogance grew. He indulged in madira (alcohol). Drunk on madira and power, he thought he could rule the whole world. His uncle Shukracharya fueled this thought by giving him the Shakti mantra, Hrim. For thousands of years, Mada performed penance and pleased the goddess. She rewarded him with many powers. Armed with these powers, he became invincible. His journey to conquer the three worlds began.
Gods grew impatient as Madasura wreaked havoc everywhere on land. They knew that soon enough he would come for them. They approached sage Sanat Kumara for guidance. He advised them to invoke lord Ekdanta. They prayed to him.
Ekdanta emerged before Madasura on the battlefield. He had four arms, one tusk, and his vehicle was Mushaka(mouse). He was no match for the gigantic demon, Madasura. So, Ekdanta used his intelligence in this war.
Eventually, Madasura started losing. To save his skin, Madasura surrendered. Ekdanta let him go and stopped his terror. Ekdanta winning over Madasura’s pride shows us how dangerous it is to get intoxicated with power.
Symbolism Of Ekdanta
Ganesha is referred to as Ekdanta due to his single tusk. Different versions tell how his tusk was broken. Skanda Purana says that he broke it himself. Other texts say that it was his brother Kartikeya who broke the tusk.
It is said that an elephant with both his tusks in a forest represents aggression. With his single tusk, Ganesha shows a milder size of his. Some speculate that Ekdanta depicts Ardhanarishvara, a composite of Shiva and his other half Parvati.
Click here to know about Ekdanta – The Tale Of A Broken Tusk.
