Ganesa 13 - Ashtavinayaka 3 - The Legend Of Mayureshvara Vinayaka Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

Mayureshvara temple situated in Morgaon Village,
Is built with black stones and guarded by four gates.
There are four minarets that stand distinctly
Around the temple enclosed within the fifty feet tall walls,
A cover to protect the temple from intruders.
The name Mayur or Mor means peacock.
It is believed that the village was full of peacocks
And shaped like a peacock too, in ancient times,

According to the legend recounted in Ganesa Purana,
Queen Ukra, wife of King Chakrapani,
Gave birth to a son on the banks of river Sindhu.
The child was born with strange and frightening features.
The boy named Sindhu grew up with extra-ordinary powers,
Like leaping up from ground to the sky,
Trying to catch the moon and squeeze it,
Flying to devaloka to catch Airavat -the elephant.

Sindhu moved in all directions,
Shook and rocked the mountains,
Splashed and mixed the waters of the oceans.
These were not valorous acts
But violent acts that threatened
To destroy the serene nature of this world.
Shukra- the preceptor and guide of all demons,
Noticed Sindhu and his treacherous ways,

Shukra befriended and trained Sindhu
To perform all wrong actions.
He instructed him to do penance and
Meditate on Siva to become the most powerful king.
Likewise, Sindhu prayed to Siva and obtained
A boon that no one in this world could ever defeat him.
He returned home and snatched the throne from his father
And crowned himself as King Sindhuraja.

Now, began a reign of terror!
Sindhuraja rampaged and destroyed
The regions of all the three worlds -
Devaloka, Nagaloka and Bhuloka.
The Devas and the Gods rushed to Guru Brihaspati
Requesting for help and guidance to vanquish the evil King.
Guru Brihaspati advised all to meditate on Lord Vinayaka.
Ganesa was the only one who could save them.

Following Brihaspati's advice,
The Gods and Devas meditated on Lord Vinayaka.
Pleased with their meditation, Ganesa appeared before them.
They pleaded to be relieved from their miseries. Lord agreed to help.
Lord Vinayaka, incarnated Himself as a child
Seated on his mother's lap and came riding on a peacock.
A series of demons were killed by the child Vinayaka
Finally, Sindhuraja was pierced on the chest and killed.

At last, a terrible period of fear and violence came to an end.
The deity of Mayureshvara in this temple is seen
In the form of Ganesa riding a peacock.
The shrine signifies the victory of Mayureshvara.
The idol has a cobra seated on it poised and ready to strike
As a guard of protection.
Flanked on either side of Ganesa are Siddhi and Riddhi-
A symbol of efficiency and intelligence respectively.