The Divine Fruit of Wisdom

Sibling rivalry is not uncommon. Ganesha and Kartikeya, the sons of Lord Shiva and Parvati were involved in a dispute. The bone of contention was a fruit. It so happened that the Devas presented to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, a divine fruit. Whoever would eat the fruit would imbibe supreme knowledge.

Up there in the Kailasa, the divine couple were in a predicament. They loved both the boys dearly and giving the fruit to one would upset the other. So they decided to hold a contest and grant the fruit to the winner. Whoever would circumnavigate the world thrice and reach Kailasa first would be entitled to receive the fruit.

The boys were excited. Kartikeya, the younger of the two wasted no time. He got onto his mount, the peacock and took off. Upon completing the first round, he saw that his brother Ganesha hadn’t moved an inch . Taking pity on his elder brother for having given up the race , Kartikeya proceeded to finish the remaining two rounds. As he was about to touch down after the final lap, Ganesh circled his parents thrice and sat before them with folded hands.

“As my parents, you represent the whole world. The universe is within you and there is no need for me to go anywhere else”, said Ganesha.

The divine couple understood the logic and gave Ganesh the fruit replete with knowledge and wisdom. Upset at not being declared the winner, Kartikeya left the scene in a huff but was later pacified by Shiva.

Besides Ganesha’s wisdom, the story tells us about the importance of parents in our lives. Till we are able to stand on our own two feet; to getting educated and finding a job they supported us through thick and thin. When we become independent, we must continue to acknowledge their presence, albeit in their old age and serve them to the best of our abilities.

Parents are living Gods and our world revolves around them. The debt remains unpaid long after they are gone.

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