Once Mahadevji went to the banks of Narmada along with Parvati. There, at a beautiful place, Parvati expressed her desire to play Chaupar with Mahadevji. Then Shivji said- Who will be the witness of our victory or defeat? Parvati immediately made a doll by collecting straws of grass from there and after infusing life into it, said to him- Son! We want to play Chaupar, but there is no one here to witness our victory or defeat. Therefore, at the end of the game, you will be the witness of our victory or defeat and tell who among us won and who lost?
The game started. By chance, Parvati won all three times. When the boy was asked to decide the victory or defeat, he declared Mahadevji as the winner. As a result, Parvati ji got angry and cursed him to become lame in one leg and to suffer by lying in the mud there.[5] The boy humbly said- Mother! I have done this due to ignorance. I did not do this due to any wickedness or malice. Please forgive me and tell me the way to get rid of the curse. Then the mother full of love felt pity for him and said- Snake girls will come here to worship Ganesh. By their advice you will observe Ganesh fast and get me. Saying this she went to Kailash mountain.
One year later in Shravan the snake girls came there to worship Ganesh. Snake girls observed Ganesh fast and told the method of fasting to that boy also. After that the boy observed fast of Shri Ganesh ji for 12 days. Then Ganesh ji appeared before him and said- I am pleased with your fast. Ask for the desired boon. The boy said- Lord! Give so much strength to my feet that I can reach Kailash mountain to my parents and they become pleased with me. Ganesh ji disappeared saying 'Tathastu'. The boy reached the feet of Lord Shiva. Shiva ji asked him about the means to reach there. Then the boy narrated the whole story to Shiva ji. On the other hand Parvati became displeased from that day and turned away from Shiva ji also. Thereafter Lord Shankar also kept a fast for 21 days like the child, due to which a desire to meet Lord Shiva himself arose in Parvati's mind.
She soon reached Mount Kailash. Reaching there, Parvati asked Lord Shiva - Lord! What remedy did you adopt due to which I have come running to you. Lord Shiva told her the history of 'Ganesh Vrat'. Then Parvati, with the desire to meet her son Kartikeya, worshipped Ganesha with 21-21 Durva grass, flowers and Laddus for 21 days. On the 21st day, Kartikeya himself came to meet Parvati. He also kept a fast after hearing the significance of this fast from his mother. Kartikeya told the same fast to Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra, after keeping a fast, asked Ganesha to be free from birth and become a 'Brahma-rishi'. Ganesha fulfilled his wish. Such is Shri Ganesha, who fulfills everyone's wishes. Ek baar mahaadevajee, paarvatee sahit narmadaa ke taṭ par ga_e. Vahaan ek sundar sthaan par paarvatee jee ne mahaadevajee ke saath chaupad khelane kee ichchhaa vyakt kee. Tab shivajee ne kahaa- hamaaree haar-jeet kaa saakṣee kaun hogaa? Paarvatee ne tatkaal vahaan kee ghaas ke tinake baṭorakar ek putalaa banaayaa aur usamen praaṇa-pratiṣṭhaa karake usase kahaa- beṭaa ! Ham chaupad khelanaa chaahate hain, kintu yahaan haar-jeet kaa saakṣee koii naheen hai. Atah khel ke ant men tum hamaaree haar-jeet ke saakṣee hokar bataanaa ki hamamen se jeetaa, kaun haaraa? Khel aarnbh huaa. Daivayog se teenon baar paarvatee jee hee jeeteen. Jab ant men baalak se haar-jeet kaa nirṇaay karaayaa gayaa to usane mahaadevajee ko vijayee bataayaa. Pariṇaamatah paarvatee jee ne kruddh hokar use ek paanv se lngadaa hone aur vahaan ke keechad men padaa rahakar duahkh bhogane kaa shraap de diyaa.[5] baalak ne vinamrataapoorvak kahaa- maan! Mujhase agyaanavash aisaa ho gayaa hai. Mainne kisee kuṭilataa yaa dveṣ ke kaaraṇa aisaa naheen kiyaa. Mujhe kṣamaa karen tathaa shaap se mukti kaa upaay bataa_en. Tab mamataaroopee maan ko us par dayaa aa ga_ii aur ve boleen- yahaan naag-kanyaa_en gaṇaesh-poojan karane aaengee. Unake upadesh se tum gaṇaesh vrat karake mujhe praapt karoge. Itanaa kahakar ve kailaash parvat chalee ga_iin. Ek varṣ baad vahaan shraavaṇa men naag-kanyaa_en gaṇaesh poojan ke lie aaiin. Naag-kanyaa_on ne gaṇaesh vrat karake us baalak ko bhee vrat kee vidhi bataa_ii. Tatpashchaat baalak ne 12 din tak shreegaṇaeshajee kaa vrat kiyaa. Tab gaṇaeshajee ne use darshan dekar kahaa- main tumhaare vrat se prasann hoon. Manovaanchhit var maango. Baalak bolaa- bhagavan! Mere paanv men itanee shakti de do ki main kailaash parvat par apane maataa-pitaa ke paas pahunch sakoon aur ve mujh par prasann ho jaa_en. Gaṇaeshajee 'tathaastu' kahakar antardhaan ho ga_e. Baalak bhagavaan shiv ke charaṇaon men pahunch gayaa. Shivajee ne usase vahaan tak pahunchane ke saadhan ke baare men poochhaa. Tab baalak ne saaree kathaa shivajee ko sunaa dee. Udhar usee din se aprasann hokar paarvatee shivajee se bhee vimukh ho ga_ii theen. Taduparaant bhagavaan shnkar ne bhee baalak kee tarah 21 din paryant shreegaṇaesh kaa vrat kiyaa, jisake prabhaav se paarvatee ke man men svayn mahaadevajee se milane kee ichchhaa jaagrat huii. Ve sheeghr hee kailaash parvat par aa pahunchee. Vahaan pahunchakar paarvateejee ne shivajee se poochhaa- bhagavan! Aapane aisaa kaun-saa upaay kiyaa jisake falasvaroop main aapake paas bhaagee-bhaagee aa ga_ii hoon. Shivajee ne 'gaṇaesh vrat' kaa itihaas unase kah diyaa. Tab paarvateejee ne apane putr kaartikey se milane kee ichchhaa se 21 din paryant 21-21 kee snkhyaa men doorvaa, puṣp tathaa laḍaḍauon se gaṇaeshajee kaa poojan kiyaa. 21ven din kaartikey svayn hee paarvateejee se aa mile. Unhonne bhee maan ke mukh se is vrat kaa maahaatmy sunakar vrat kiyaa. Kaartikey ne yahee vrat vishvaamitrajee ko bataayaa. Vishvaamitrajee ne vrat karake gaṇaeshajee se janm se mukt hokar 'brahm-rriṣi' hone kaa var maangaa. Gaṇaeshajee ne unakee manokaamanaa poorṇa kee. Aise hain shree gaṇaeshajee, jo sabakee kaamanaa_en poorṇa karate hain.
