Ganesh and Karthikeya are the two sons of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Once as they were engrossed in playing games, Sage Narada, known for his mischievous nature, entered with a luscious mango in his hand.
“Oh Lord! I have been given this mango by my father Lord Brahma. This is not an ordinary mango. The person who consumes it will be blessed with everlasting knowledge and wisdom.” So saying, he handed the fruit to Lord Shiva.
Shiva knew Narada’s mischievous nature very well. He accepted the fruit and handed it over to Parvati.
“Let us give it to our children,” the Goddess exclaimed.
“Ganesha, Karthikeya, come here,” she called out. The siblings immediately ran towards their mother.
“See. Narada has brought this extraordinary mango.”
“But Mother,” interrupted Narada. “You cannot cut the mango into two. The fruit will be effective only if one person eats it fully.”
Lord Shiva smiled. “So this is your idea! I knew that there would be a catch in this, when you came here itself.”
He turned to Parvati, who did not know what to say.
Both the children wanted the mango after knowing that it would grant them knowledge. It was a dilemma for the divine parents.
“Let us find a way,” said Mahadev. “Why not hold a competition between both of you?”
Parvati agreed. The children were excited.
“Both of you go round the world thrice and the one who finishes first will be the winner of this wonderful mango.”
Karthikeya was happy and got on his peacock and flew away to complete the rounds.
Ganesh was stunned. He knew that his mouse would not be able to compete with the swiftness of the peacock. He thought for a few moments. Then he got on his mouse and commenced his journey. He made Shiva and Parvati sit down and then did three parikramas round his parents and held out his hand for the prize.
Parvati looked at her son in bewilderment.
“You have not even stepped out of here, Ganesh,” she said.
“But Mother. You asked me to complete three rounds of the world. Both of you mean the world to me. For me the world is at your feet. So I did three parikramas of you both. Am I not the winner?” he asked.
The Goddess wondered at his wisdom and hugged her son, declaring him the winner of the race. By this time Karthikeya had completed his three rounds. He came down on Mount Kailas on his peacock.
Seeing the mango being given to Ganesh, he was furious.
“How can you declare Ganesh as a winner, when I have completed three rounds as stipulated, whereas he has not gone anywhere?”
Parvati explains, “Karthikeya, you have completed three rounds of the earth. But Ganesh has also completed the three rounds faster than you, as he did three parikramas of us, his parents. And for a child, his parents are the world to him.”
Karthikeya had to finally acknowledge his brother Ganesh’s intelligence.
So nicely explained Lalitha...can now tell the story to my grandson
ReplyDeleteThanks. That's really great.
DeleteNice story. Short and interesting. Children will enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteNice
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