Puranic Stories · Shiva Purana
Among Shree Ganesh's most recognizable features is the live serpent wrapped as a belt around his ample belly, an image whose fullest telling within the Shiva Purana tradition connects directly to his well-loved fondness for modaks.
A Fall Born of Abundance
Having eaten a great abundance of modaks during his travels, Shree Ganesh's belly grew so full that, riding upon his small mouse, he lost his balance and fell, his stomach splitting from the impact of so sudden and heavy a tumble.
Composure in an Instant
Rather than let the moment remain one of embarrassment or injury, Shree Ganesh calmly gathered back what had spilled and reached for a nearby serpent, binding his belly closed as a makeshift belt, a quick, resourceful solution to a genuinely public mishap.
What Devotees Seek
Devotees continue to find in this small, humanizing detail a reminder that even a moment of public difficulty can be met with composure and quick thinking rather than shame, the serpent belt now a permanent, beloved feature of his familiar form.