Lessons To Learn From Lord Ganesha

Ganesha Chaturthi has emerged as a social, religious and cultural event revered by the masses all over India, irrespective of age, caste or creed. Ganesha is a lord of wisdom, fortune, knowledge and prosperity and can be pleased very easily. He lives a very simple life which conveys many lessons to every one of which a few are listed below: Do Your Duty – According to legend, Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of turmeric powder and asked him to guard her premises while she took bath. Ganesha was so determined and steadfast in his duty and followed his mother’s orders that he did not allow his own father to enter into Parvati’s private chamber without her orders. Eventually Shiva beheaded Ganesha and replaced it with an elephant’s head to pacify his consort Parvati.

Get Your Work Done – Even though when Ganesha came to know that Lord Shiva is his mother’s consort and is the Supreme Lord of the universe, he did not allow his father to see his mother without her consent. Similarly, sometimes we may face fear or obstacles on our path. But a determined heart and a focused mind will help achieve anything in this world. Make The Most Of Whatever You Have – A famous myth goes by Lord Ganesha and his brother Lord Kartikeya being presented with a challenge to orbit the earth thrice, to find out who is superior among the two. Kartikeya instantly took off with his vehicle – peacock to fly around the earth. Ganesha knew that he can in no way compete with his brother with his vehicle – tiny mouse. He won the race wisely by orbit his parents thrice, symbolizing them as the universe. From this incident, we learn that we must make use of whatever we have. Listen To Others – Suitably named as ‘Vingaharta’, he intently listens to the prayers of his devotees and solves their problems and grants their desires. With his large elephant ears, he is all open to listen to his devotees to help them when they are in need. Make sacrifices – According to legends, Ganesha wrote Mahabharata as Sage Vyasa dictated it to him. When the pen was broken, he broke his tusk to continue writing the great epic. Similarly, we must be ready to act selfless and make sacrifices to accomplish our goals. Do Not Misuse Power – We all know that Lord Ganesha has an elephant head. A trunk is the most important part of his face which is used for drinking, eating as well as destroying enemies and obstacles. If you keenly notice, his trunk is knotted to gain control of his powers and not to misuse it unnecessarily. At certain circumstances, we must also learn to be patient and exercise control over our powers to get fruitful results. Be Kind To Everyone – Once Ganesha ate his stomach full and was stumbling to walk properly. Hence he tied Shiva’s snake around his tummy and started walking. Moon started laughing at his condition, which angered Ganesha. He wanted to destroy Moon’s pride and cursed the Moon that he would become invisible in the sky thereafter. Moon realized his mistake and pleaded Ganesha to take the curse back. The generous Ganesha lessened the curse by stating that the Moon would wax and wane during a month with only one day when there will be no Moon in the sky – Amavasya or New Moon Day. This incident teaches us to destroy our ego and pride and be kind and generous even those to our foes and those who mock us. Be Humble and Respect Everyone – Unlike other Gods, Lord Ganesha has the tiny mouse as his vehicle, even though he can choose from any powerful animal or bird to be his vehicle. Choosing a mouse shows his humility and respect towards the tiny creature, instilling the fact that everyone is important and has their own respect and value. Ganesha Balances Materialism and Spiritualism – If you notice Ganesha, he sits with one leg folded and the other leg on the ground. This indicates that he is firmly grounded instilling spirituality as well as balancing the materialistic demands of the universe. We must learn from Ganesha to balance these two important aspects to lead a happy and contented life. Knowledge Is Indispensible – Lord Ganesha, the God of wisdom is always accompanied by Goddess Saraswati, the bestower of knowledge on his left and Goddess Lakshmi, the giver of wealth on his right. This implies that knowledge and wisdom are indispensible to accrue and enjoy wealth in one’s life. Unity In Diversity – Today, Ganesha Chaturthi has turned into a grand public festival which is celebrated by everyone, irrespective of caste or creed. Everybody is allowed to participate in the celebration to revere the occasion.