Click here for the previous question
Question - 5
If Lord Ganesha was the scribe for Vyasa, it presupposes that Ganesha was worshiped in Mahabharata times. What is the evidence for it?
Answer:
Those who oppose the Ganesha part opine that He was not a Vedic God. I am no expert in Vedas, but can say with certainty that Ganesha worship was prevalent during the Mahabharata period.
Proof 1:
Vyasa compiled the 18 Puranas long before he wrote the Mahabharata. Puranas begin with obeisance to Sri Ganesha.
Proof 2:
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Bhadrapada month that we celebrate today can be traced to the time of the Mahabharata. This Vrata was recommended by Yudhishthira to Krishna when he was implicated for the loss of Syamanthaka gem. It was thought that sighting the 4th phase of waxing moon (Shukla Chaturthi) would bring obstacles and Krishna had sighted it and so was blamed for the loss of the gem. To come out of the evils of such sighting, Yudhishthira suggested to Krishna to do Siddhi Vinayaka Vrata. This Vrata being observed in the Bhadrapada month indicates that Krishna had sighted the moon in the Bhadrapada month.
This information is contained in an astrological text called "Jyothida Varushaadhi Nool". This is also recorded in The Madras Journal of Literature and Science in 1834.
Click here for the next question
