Subrahmanya,
eager to win the prize, started on his peacock at once, which flew with its Divine Burden
quicker than lightning, while Ganapati sat quiet until his
brother disappeared out of sight and then, slowly rising, went round his parents and asked
for the fruit, saying: "All the worlds
that are, that were and that will be are within you and, by going round you, I have gone
round all of them.
Therefore the fruit is mine." Parvati and
Parameswara were delighted with the reply and gave him the precious fruit (pomegranate).
Long after this was over, Subrahmanya came sweating, on his peacock, only to find that he
had been outwitted.
The story should not be taken literally. It is the philosophy in it, which is essential.
The lesson briefly stated is, that God being
known, everything else is known and no study of the external world, however comprehensive
that may be, can ever yield us the precious fruit of wisdom. |
