Story of Bhrushundi Who Developed a Trunk Like Lord Ganesha

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Story of Bhrushundi Who Developed a Trunk Like Lord Ganesha

There was a sage called Bhrushundi. Through intense tapasya, he had achieved saaroopya with Lord Ganesha. A trunk emerged from his forehead—from between the eyebrows, like Lord Ganesha. Saaroopya is one of the forms of mukti, where you achieve the same roopa as your ishta devata.

Bhrushundi was a fisherman. Understand one thing very clearly: in Sanatana Dharma, fishermen can become tapaswis. Hunters can become rishis and write an itihasa. Valmiki, son of a fisherwoman, could divide the Vedas into four and write maha Puranas. Vyasa Maharshi. It is all merit and hard work.

Bhrushundi was born a fisherman in a place called Nandoora in Dandakaranya. Dandakaranya is spread over the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra—basically, forest areas like Bastar, Balaghat, and Bhandara.

His name was Naama. Not only was he born a fisherman, he also started stealing from a very young age. He was a troublemaker. There was nothing that he didn’t do. Finally, the people got together and extradited him. He was thrown out of the community and started living in the forest. There, he started living in a cave and robbing passersby. He would attack and kill anyone who came his way and rob them. He would kill animals for no reason.

Once, he was chasing an animal and fell, spraining his leg. With great difficulty, he started limping back to his cave. On the way, there was a pond. It was a teertha, Ganeshwara teertha. He was very tired and took a dip in the pond. He then started walking again.

On the way, he saw a muni with great brilliance coming toward him from the opposite direction. It was Mudgala Maharshi, a great bhakta of Lord Ganesha, who wrote the Mudgala Purana. Naama pulled out his sword to attack the muni. His hand froze midway, and the sword dropped from his hand. Naama was taken aback. He realized that something was happening to him—some connection. After taking a bath in that pond, now, this muni was coming his way.

The muni smiled and asked, 'What happened? Why have you dropped your weapon?'

Naama said, 'I don’t know. But somehow, I feel guilty for all I have been doing. I have been a very bad person, hurting others, harming others, and taking away their belongings. I feel very bad.'

It was the effect of Ganeshwara teertha and the muni’s presence. Noble people can transform you by their mere presence.

Naama said, 'I am feeling very guilty. This weapon that has dropped from my hand, I will never pick it up again. Please help me; I want to change. I don’t want to live the way I have lived so far.'

The Maharshi realized that he was repenting, and our rishis are so merciful. Naama said, 'Help me so that I never fall into my wrong ways again. Help me so that I am pardoned for whatever paapa I have done. Help me so that my life ahead is noble and has purpose.'

Mudgala Maharshi said, 'You have not learned the Vedas and Shastras, nor have you undergone the purificatory samskaras required to undertake spiritual pursuit. But everyone has the right to take the Lord's name; it does not have any prerequisite.'

The Maharshi had a walking stick in his hand. He planted it on the ground. 'You know what a walking stick is like; it is absolutely dry and dead.' Maharshi said, 'You sit by the side of this stick and start chanting ‘Ganeshaya Namaha.’ Keep watering this stick morning and evening. Keep on chanting until roots appear in the stick and leaves start sprouting. And wait for me to come back.'

Naama started chanting 'Ganeshaya Namaha.' He did that for 1,000 years, with single-point focus. In those days, longevity was more; moreover, when you undertake tapasya, the barrier of time and longevity, which is only maya, is broken. Leaves sprouted from the stick.

He continued his chanting. He had to wait until the muni came back. He kept chanting. After some more years, Mudgala Maharshi again came that way. By this time, termites had covered him with a mound, and there were creepers all around him.

Muni stopped when he saw this. He also saw his walking stick, which had turned into a full plant by now. The Maharshi broke open the termite mound and woke up Naama from his tapas. The Maharshi was very happy. He sprinkled him with holy water from his kamandalu. Naama had a trunk coming from the middle of his forehead, in the place of his nose. He had achieved saaroopya with Lord Ganesha.

The Maharshi blessed him and gave him the name Bhrushundi. Even the devas started respecting and worshipping Bhrushundi, saying that he himself was Lord Ganesha in physical form.

Bhrushundi went back to his place, built a temple for Lord Ganesha, and continued worshipping him for another 100 years. Lord Ganesha himself appeared before him and asked what more he wanted. Bhrushundi said, 'Please bless this place to become a punya kshetra, called Namala Kshetra.'

We don’t know where exactly this is now. It has to be in Dandakaranya. So much we have lost in blindly following alien culture and way of life. These are our own treasures—a place blessed by Lord Ganesha himself, our own powerhouses. And we don’t even know where it is. So sad.

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