MUSHIKA
MUSHIKA According to the Ganesha Purana , Ganesha's mouse, originally a celestial musician named Krauncha, accidentally insulted Muni Vamadeva at Lord Indra’s darbar and was cursed to become a mouse. But Krauncha was as big as a mountain and he damaged the Ashram of Sage Parâshara. The sage invoked Ganesha who unleashed his pasha (noose) and it looped round Krauncha’s neck and brought him to Ganesha's feet. Ganesha decided to take him as his vehicle. But when Ganesha stood on Krauncha he was too heavy and Krauncha cried out with pain. Ganesha took pity on him and made himself light and Krauncha has happily borne Him since. Others view the rat as a symbol suggesting that Ganesha, like the rat, penetrates even the most secret places. Or that Mushika attests to the all-pervasiveness of Ganesha carrying his grace into every nook and cranny. Alternatively, the mouse is the wandering wayward mind which slips into places which we would have not thought it possible to penetrate...