Lord Ganesha is believed to be the sovereign of knowledge, with the whole universal intelligence inherent within him.

 

Lord Ganesha is believed to be the sovereign of knowledge, with the whole universal intelligence inherent within him. He embodies pure consciousness that is infused within all elements, personifying phenomenal qualities and encapsulated in a majestic form.

If you pay close attention to Ganesha’s tales scripted in Hindu scriptures, he is a patron of education, intelligence, learning, art, scribes and wisdom. Thus, he can be a remarkable guru to our children because his tales no doubt possess a great power to impart extraordinary life lessons.

Let us first tell your child what each part of elephant headed Ganesha symbolises, so that children can relate to the deity.

· Big head: Think big.

· Large ears: Listen more.

· Small eyes: Concentrate.

· Small mouth: Talk less.

· One tusk: Retain good and discard the bad.

· Trunk: High efficiency and strong adaptability.

You can narrate the famous story of Ganesha, which goes that when Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati challenged their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya to race around the world three times. The winner would be rewarded with a miracle fruit, which would grant them supreme knowledge and immortality. Kartikeya, eager to win, started off at once, Ganesha knew he wouldn’t be able to compete with Kartikeya's agility due to his stout body and much slower vehicle – Mushakraj” (The Rat) – compared to the peacock his brother was riding. Ganesha put on his thinking cap, looked at his parents and thought: “For me, my parents are my world.” Thus, Ganesha circumnavigated around Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Needless to say, Kartikeya lost the race, beaten wisely!

While this story teaches children to respect their parents and elders, it also encourages them to be creative and think out of the box during a difficult task. It also proves that a physical weakness should not be an obstacle in life and one can always rely on wisdom and intelligence to win against any trying circumstances.

Jai Ganesh ~ Jai Mahesh ~ Shubh Prabhat