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story pertains to a boon Shiva offered to that one of His sons who
would travel the three worlds and return first. Ganapati’s younger
brother Skanda proceeded promptly to journey the three worlds while
Ganapati, with folded hands and head bent in reverence, simply
circumambulated Shiva three times, and declared to the utter delight
of Maheshwara, that this circumambulation was in fact the equivalent
of travelling the three worlds!
Who can ever forget the amusing way
in which the great epic Mahabharata begins? It appears that the
author Vyasa was looking for someone to act as a stenographer and
write down the story as Vyasa recited the poem. He sought Brahma’s
assistance in the matter who in turn suggested that Vyasa meditate
on Ganapati.
When
Ganapati appeared He put a condition that the poet must never stop
until the end once the recital begins. Vyasa countered by asking
Ganapati to make sure He understood the meaning of the shlokas
composed before He wrote it down! This matching of wits between the
two great personalities produced the nectar Mahabharata.
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