The endeavour was gargantuan, to put it mildly. Ved Vyas was aware of what lies ahead as he proposed to undertake the task. However, Brahma had provided him a solution: invoking Ganesh to assist him. Even as Vyas started meditating, Ganesh appeared before him.
‘O Ganapati,’ Vyas addressed Ganesh with folded hands. ‘You are the genesis of auspicious deeds. I request you to please help me in my venture… Nay, let me instead say, the responsibility that Life has bestowed upon me. It is a colossal task and without your help, it’s impossible to bring it to fruition. I implore you to please assist me compile what my mind has churned.’
‘O revered soul,’ Ganesh addressed Vyas. ‘I’ll definitely assist you write the story. It is imperative that future generations get access to your creation. Knowing the insight that you possess, there’s no denying that posterity would cherish the work for centuries to come. Though I must immediately put forth the condition in helping you out. You have to ensure that the narration segues into a cohesive unit. It must progress without a pause, except the stoppage at the end.’
Vyas heaved a sigh of relief. He was brimming with ideas and the events in the story formed multiple arcs in his mind. He knew that even a moment’s pause could be detrimental not only to the entire exercise but to the flow of thoughts in his mind. Vyas smiled and replied, ‘O remover of obstacles, I agree to your condition, though I’d like to add a counter-condition. You must grasp the meaning of each sentence and ask me if some passages are ambiguous. Though, let me state that such a condition is irrelevant for someone who’s the fount of knowledge. It’s merely to take care of my shortcomings in uttering incomprehensible phrases, which could become a stumbling block to future readers.’
‘O venerable Rishi,’ Ganesh smiled, as he replied. ‘I doubt that such a thing would ever happen. After all, it’s the Divine that speaks through you.’
And thus, Ved Vyas and Ganesh together wrote The Mahabharata. However, it’s not only the great epic, but the Divine Writer writes our life story as well. This year, as we welcome Ganesh during his earthly visit, let’s invoke him to write our life’s events on an epic scale. However, before that, we must understand what he represents through his large ears and a small mouth. We must listen and learn more than we speak and showcase. Let’s make our lives as profound as only an epic can be. Never forget that the crux of Mahabharata is leading a life of Dharma, or, in other words, maintain the universal equilibrium. Ask yourself if you’re doing that.
Blurb:
Let’s make our life as profound as only an epic can be. Never forget that the crux of Mahabharata is leading a life of Dharma, or in other words, maintain the universal equilibrium. Ask yourself if you’re doing that.