Sankashti Chaturthi Mandal
The curse Shree Ganesh placed on the moon, told earlier in this collection's Shiva Purana stories, extends its consequences all the way into the Dwapara Yuga and the life of Lord Krishna himself, through the story of the precious Syamantaka gem.
A Curse With Lasting Reach
Shree Ganesh's curse decreed that anyone who looked upon the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi would face false accusation, and this consequence, tradition holds, reached even Krishna: having unknowingly glimpsed the moon on this very day, he soon found himself falsely accused of stealing the Syamantaka gem after its keeper, Prasena, went missing during a hunt.
Truth Vindicated in Time
Krishna, entirely innocent of the theft, was eventually cleared of the false accusation, the episode standing as a striking, large-scale demonstration of the curse's reach — touching even one of the most revered figures in the entire Hindu tradition.
What Devotees Seek
From this story arose a lasting devotional remedy: reciting or listening to the account of the Syamantaka gem is held to free devotees from the effects of this same curse, a practice many still observe around Ganesh Chaturthi to this day.