Before you set out on a task, worship Ganesha

Two things which are common between Lord Ganesha and an elephant are the wisdom and memory power associated with both of them.

Lord Ganesha is worshipped worldwide for his wisdom. Before beginning any task we are told to invoke the blessings of the elephant God.

It is not without reason that he is worshipped thus. There is an interesting story that is associated with the practice of worshipping Ganesha before beginning any task. Shiva is worshipped as the destroyer. His wife Parvati, is worshipped for her bravery and courage. The two sons Ganesha with an elephant face and Karthikeya were tested by their parents time and time again.

Shiva and Parvati, set exemplary parenting standards.

One day they called their sons and set a task for them to accomplish. They told their sons to go around the world once. The one who completed the task first will get a mango which was known for its sweet taste.

The brothers wanted the mango very badly and wanted to win the race.

Karthikeya was swift and had a peacock as his vehicle. He knew that he could go once around the world before his, not-so-agile older brother, whose vehicle was a mouse by name Mooshika.

Karthikeya did not waste any time and set off to go around the world once and get back in time to win the mango.

The older, wiser brother, waited for his younger brother to leave. Then he analysed his strengths and weaknesses. His mouse was way too slow to out beat his younger brother’s swift vehicle.

Karthikeya himself was very fit and agile. Ganesha’s physique was not his asset, at least not for this task. After careful consideration of his available resources, Ganesha decide to use his best asset to tackle the job, his wisdom.

He went to his parents and bowed humbly before them.

“Father, I have always been a loyal son and to me, there is no greater world than the feet of my parents”, said Ganesha earnestly.

“I therefore pray before the two of you to stand for a while, while I walk once around you”, said Ganesha to an amused Shiva and Parvati.

His parents could not refuse Ganesha’s request and obliged!

Ganesha completed one round around his world and bagged the coveted mango.

As they say, what followed this episode is history.

Assessing our potential and available resources before beginning a job is a prerequisite to completing the task successfully. In a competitive environment what is crucial in completing a task, is accepting our weakness and acknowledging our competitor’s strengths. These qualities allow you to keep your goals realistic and approach situations in a pragmatic manner.

In every situation what is imperative is being focused on the goal and working smartly towards it!

The act of worship reminds us of these essential requirements to complete the given task.