Ganesha and the fruit

In this episode

• Ganesha and Kartikeya both wanted a golden fruit.
• Ganesha walked around his parents instead of the world.
• Ganesha shared the fruit with his brother.

Read along

*[Sound: a quiet night, a soft breeze, a very faint wind chime. Hold 4 seconds.]*

Hello, little one. Are you all tucked in? Let your arms feel heavy, and your feet feel heavy. Let us take one slow breath together. In... and out.

**

High up on a peaceful mountain, covered in snow, there lived a loving family. There was **Shiva**, the father, calm and still. There was **Parvati**, the mother, gentle and kind. And there were their two sons.

The older one was **Kartikeya**. He was quick and brave, and he rode a beautiful peacock with shining blue and green feathers.

The younger one was **Ganesha**. He had big, kind eyes, gentle ears like soft fans, and a round, happy tummy. And he rode a tiny mouse, who was his very best friend.

**

One day, the sage **Narada** came to visit. In his hands was a fruit, golden and glowing. Tradition says it was a fruit of wisdom, and there was only one.

Both brothers looked at it. "Oh," said Kartikeya. "Oh," said Ganesha. They both would love to have it.

Parvati smiled. Shiva smiled. "Let us play a game," said Parvati. "Whoever goes around the whole world and comes back first will get the fruit."

**

Kartikeya did not wait one moment. He jumped onto his peacock. Whoosh! The peacock spread its wings, and up, up they flew, over the mountains, over the rivers, over the wide blue seas.

Ganesha looked at his little mouse. The mouse looked at Ganesha. The mouse twitched his whiskers, as if to say, "The world is very big, my friend."

Ganesha sat down and thought. He thought very quietly, the way you think when you close your eyes.

**

Then he stood up. He folded his hands. And slowly, slowly, with his little mouse beside him, he walked in a circle around his mother and father. Once. Twice. Three times.

Then he bowed to them.

"Ganesha," said Parvati gently, "why did you walk around us?"

Ganesha smiled. "Because you are my whole world, Maa. You and Baba. Everything I love is right here."

Shiva and Parvati looked at each other, and their eyes filled with happiness. They hugged Ganesha close. And they gave him the golden fruit.

**

A little later, there was a flutter of feathers. Kartikeya was back! He had flown around the whole world, and his eyes were shining.

Shiva and Parvati hugged him too. "You were so quick and so brave," said Shiva. "You have seen the whole wide world. Sit with us, and tell us everything you saw."

So Kartikeya told them about the mountains and the rivers and the seas, about the tall trees and the tiny flowers, and the bright fish in the water. Ganesha listened with his big ears, and he loved every word.

**

And Ganesha? He looked at the golden fruit in his hands. Then he broke it in two, and gave half to his brother.

"For you, bhaiya," he said. "You went all the way around the world."

Kartikeya laughed and hugged his little brother. And the whole family sat together on the quiet mountain, under the stars, very happy.

**

Some people go far to see the world. Some people see the whole world in the people they love. Both are good, little one.

Who is your whole world?

You don't have to answer. Just think of them as you close your eyes.

Goodnight. Sleep softly. Someone who loves you is very close by.

**

This narration uses an AI voice. The story is retold for children by the DharmikStudio team.

*[Sound: the faint wind chime, softer and softer. Fade.]*

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• Listen: Ganesha and the fruit
• Previous: Dhruva's star
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