The Story of Moon Viewing: Ganesha’s Curse and Krishna’s Syamantaka Gem

On a moonlit night after sunset, a strange and wondrous scene unfolded on Mount Kailash. Lord Ganesha, riding his beloved mouse, was returning from Lord Kubera's palace after a meal. His stomach was full of laddus and he was joyfully swaying as he walked. The beauty of Kailash was breathtaking under the moonlight and Chandra Dev (the Moon God) illuminated the entire sky with his sixteen phases. The mouse was prancing playfully when suddenly, a venomous snake appeared in front of it. Upon seeing the snake, the mouse jumped in fright, causing Lord Ganesha to lose his balance and fall to the ground. His laddus scattered and his crown rolled away.

The Mockery of the Moon God and Ganesha’s Anger

Lord Ganesha quickly looked around to see if anyone had witnessed his fall. He thought no one had seen him but suddenly he heard laughter from above. Looking up, Ganesha saw Chandra Dev mocking him.

The Moon God was laughing in derision, as if saying, "Look, the leader of the gods has fallen to the earth!" Seeing this, Ganesha became extremely angry. He thought that Chandra Dev, in his pride over his beauty and radiance, was mocking him during his misfortune.

In his fury, Lord Ganesha cursed the Moon God, saying, "O arrogant Chandra, you are so proud of your beauty and shine? From now on, your sight will be inauspicious. Anyone who looks at you will be falsely accused and blamed for theft."

Chandra Dev’s Lament and the Gods' Concern

As soon as the curse was uttered, Chandra Dev’s radiance began to fade. Darkness spread in the sky and Chandra Dev lost his sixteen phases. The Moon God became deeply saddened and filled with regret. He realized that his momentary laughter had earned him a severe curse.

The other gods, seeing the dire state of Chandra Dev, were worried. Without the moon, the night would become pitch black, the tides would not come in the ocean and many natural balances on earth would be disrupted. The gods advised Chandra Dev to seek forgiveness from Lord Ganesha.

Chandra Dev humbly admitted his mistake and went to Lord Ganesha, asking for his forgiveness. He said, "O Vighnaharta! I have erred unknowingly. I never meant to insult you. My moonlight is my identity and if it is taken away, my existence itself will be destroyed."

The Mediation of the Gods and the Modification of the Curse

Seeing Chandra Dev in such a pitiable condition, all the gods, including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, came to Lord Ganesha and requested him to forgive Chandra Dev. Lord Ganesha replied, "I cannot fully revoke my curse, as my words cannot be taken back. But I can modify it."

Lord Ganesha modified the curse, saying, "This curse will only be effective on the Chaturthi of the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month (Ganesh Chaturthi). On this day, anyone who sees Chandra Dev will be falsely accused of theft. However, if someone unknowingly views the Moon on this day, they can get rid of the curse by throwing a stone or pebble on the roof of someone's house."

Lord Krishna and the Syamantaka Mani Story

The effects of this curse even reached Lord Krishna. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, once on Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Krishna unknowingly looked at the moon. At the same time, in Dwarka, there was a gem called the Syamantaka Mani, which produced gold every day.

Suddenly, the gem went missing and Satrajit, the owner of the gem, accused Lord Krishna of stealing it. Though Lord Krishna was innocent, he was falsely blamed due to Ganesha's curse. To protect his honor, Lord Krishna set out to find the gem and discovered that a lion had killed Satrajit’s brother Prasen and taken the gem. Then, Jambavan had killed the lion and retrieved the gem.

Lord Krishna fought Jambavan, defeated him and obtained the gem. When he returned the gem to Satrajit, a repentant Satrajit gave his daughter, Satyabhama, in marriage to Krishna and also gifted the Syamantaka Mani to him.

Conclusion: The Lesson from the Curse

The story of Moon viewing teaches us the importance of humility and the consequences of mocking others during their misfortune. Chandra Dev’s arrogance and mockery led to his curse, which eventually became a lesson in humility and respect for others.

Even today, on Ganesh Chaturthi, moon viewing is considered inauspicious. If someone unknowingly views the moon on this day, they can read the story of the Syamantaka Mani from the Srimad Bhagavatam or throw a stone on a roof to cleanse themselves of the false accusation. This story is a reminder that true respect, humility and empathy are essential in our interactions with others.