2. Gajamugasuran becomes Ganesha's Vehicle

Once there lived a demon named Gajamugasuran.

Gajamugasuran was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He did penance for several years to please Lord Shiva. One day when Gajamugasuran was meditating Shiva's name, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked, 'Gajamugasuran, I am pleased with your penance. Ask for a boon and I shall grant it'.

Gajamugasuran asked for a boon to survive attack of any weapon such as sword, axe; etc. He was blessed by Lord Shiva with the boon he asked for. Due to his boon, Gajamugasuran became very powerful and started using his powers trouble Gods whose abode was heaven. 

He forced the Gods to do 1008 Thoeppukaranams in the morning, 1008 in the afternoon and 1008 in the evening. (Thoepukaranam is act of sitting down and standing up holding one's ears with crossed hand; ii.e. holding the left ear with right hand and right ear with left hand).

The God were extremely tricked and troubled by Gajamugasuran. But none of them had the powers to defeat Gajamugasuran. So the king of heaven, Lord Indra and his fellow Gods, decided to approach Lord Shiva and ask for a way to pacify Gajamugasuran and get rid of him.

Lord Shiva asked his younger son, the witty elephant mouth Ganesha to help the Gods.

Lord Ganesha tried to destroy Gajamugasuran by using several weapons such bow arrow, sword, axe; etc but he failed as Gajamugasuran was booned to survive against all such weaponry.  So Lord Ganesha broke his right tusk to atrack the demon. When Gajamugasuran saw this, he hought of tricking Ganesha by changing himself to mouse (mooshikam).

The little mouse ran towards Ganesh to trick around him.  But Lord Ganesha was very witty and mounted the mouse immediately. He refused to unmount the mouse and said, 'Gajamugasuran, I can destroy you right away'.

Gajamugasuran turned mouse was humbled. He said, 'O God of Intelligence, I am defeated. I do not want to be destroyed, allow me to serve you as your vehicle. I shall always stay under your pious feet!'

Lord Ganesha was pleased with Gajamugasuran humbility. He was enjoying sitting on the mouse too, so he happily accepted Gajamugasuran, the mouse as his mount'. He returned to his home on Mount Kailash riding on the mouse where he was welcomed and appraised by the Gods of Heaven for his intelligent victory. Since then Lord Ganesha is always accompanied by a mouse which sits besides him with Ganesha's favorite sweets, such as Modaks and Laddus.

It is said that Lord Vinayagar can be pleased by doing Thoepukaranam.