It is said that Brahma and Vishnu, the other two gods of Indian Trinity, once while strolling in leisure along the earth, saw a massive column of column of dazzling light rising from below the earth to high skies. In quest of unveiling its source Vishnu proceeded to 'Patala', the netherworld and Brahma to sky but none of them was able to discover its end. Brahma, just to establish his superiority over Vishnu, lied. He claimed to have reached its upper end. But he had to pay for it by losing his fifth head as a penalty for lying. Another legend has it differently. Lamenting over the death of his beloved wife Sati Shiva was roaming around the world. When around Vindhyanchala he saw several great saints living there with their wives. He saluted them and asked them for some food but the saints ignored him. Shiva's bewitching charms, however, drew to him their wives and except Arundhati and Anasuya all ran after him to have sex. The annoyed sages pronounced that Shiva's phallus would drop from his body and it did but it instantly turned into a massive column of fire weighing so heavy that the earth could not bear it. It rent the earth, penetrated into it, reached the netherworld and rose to sky. It branched and cleft the earth at least at twelve places. The horrified gods with Brahma and Vishnu rushed to Shiva and prayed to relieve the world. Shiva agreed but on condition that they would first worship the phallus. Accordingly all gods worshipped it and established 'Jyotirlinga-peetha' at all the twelve places where its branches had pierced the earth.
Ganesha vs Kartikeya
On an occasion, Shiva and Parvati had been given a fruit by the gods and both the sons Ganesh and Murugan (Kartikeya or Skanda or Kumara Swamy) wanted it. Some legends claim the dispute was about who was elder of the two. Anyway The parents then suggested that the one who circled the world three times and came back first would get it as a prize. Kartikeya got on the peacock, his vahana, and flew around the world stopping at all sacred spots on the way and offering his prayers. But at every major stop, he would find Ganesha ahead of him and was perplexed. Ganesha understood that his vehicle, the mouse, would not be able to compete with Skanda's peacock and he could never beat Kartikeya. But he thought for a while and came up with a solution. He walked around his parents, Shiva and Parvati, three times, with great devotion. When his parents asked him why he was not circling the globe, he answered that his parents are the whole world. I need go no further to travel the whole world. Skanda on returning back learned of this, and accepted the superiority of Ganesha, and bowed to him.
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