The prize was a mango — one with special powers. Ganesha and Karthikeya vied to win it. Who do you think won?
One day, sage Narada visited Shiva on Mount Kailash and gave him a mango. Now, this was not an ordinary mango but a special one given to him by Lord Brahma. The one who ate it would gain knowledge and wisdom. Now Lord Shiva was in a predicament. Which of his two sons should he give the mango to? After consulting with Parvati, he decided to hold a competition between the two boys and make the mango the prize.
The terms were that whoever circled the world thrice would win. This put Ganesha in a quandary as he was a plump boy and his vehicle was a mouse. How would he win over the faster peacock, his brother Kartikeya’s vehicle? Besides, his brother was known for his active go-getting ways.
Kartikeya didn’t waste any time on thought. He jumped onto his peacock and zoomed off before anyone could even blink. But, at certain points, he thought he saw his brother’s rotund figure ahead of him. But it was too fleeting a glimpse for him to be sure so he continued.
In the meantime, back on Mount Kailash, Ganesha asked his parents to sit together. Then he folded his hands and walked around them thrice.
“Now give me the mango,” he said.
Shiva and Parvati looked at him in surprise. “Give you the mango?” they asked. “But you haven’t fulfilled the terms of the competition.”
Ganesha’s eyes twinkled, as he replied, “As my parents, you are the world to me; so when I went around you thrice, it was equal to going round the world.” Pleased with his wit, Shiva and Parvati handed over the mango.
What do you think Kartikeya did when he came back? Well, according to one version, he accepted that his brother was smarter than him and deserved to win the prize. Another story is that he flew into a temper and came down to earth where he sat and meditated on the Palani hills, in South India.
An upset Ganesha, who did not think things would go so far, soothed him and took him back to Mount Kailash. A temple on Palani Hills is dedicated to Kartikeya.
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