The Mango of Wisdom: A Story of Ganesha and Muruga

One day, the sage Narada visited Mount Kailash, carrying a ripe mango in his hand. The sweet fruit immediately caught the attention of Muruga, whose eyes lit up with excitement, and Ganesha, whose mouth began to water.

“Who is it for?” they asked in unison.

Narada, with his characteristic mischief, replied, “It is for Shiva’s better son.”

Hearing this, Parvati immediately realized what Narada was up to — the cunning sage was trying to create a situation where the divine parents would have to choose between their children.

The Question of “Better”

All eyes turned toward Shiva. “Better son?” he said thoughtfully. “What does that even mean? Sons are sons. Some are older, some younger. Some are stronger, some wiser. But how can one be better?”

Narada smiled slyly and said, “You can decide that by creating a measuring scale. The one who measures better according to your scale will be the better son.”

Shiva frowned in confusion, so Narada elaborated, “For example, you can say obedience is the scale — whoever is more obedient is better. Or say wealth — whoever earns more is better. Or achievement — whoever does the impossible is better.”

Shiva burst into laughter. “That is the most foolish thing I’ve heard — a measuring scale to compare my children!”

Narada quickly replied, “You are laughing, Lord, only because your measuring scale measures foolishness. In your scale, my idea is stupid. But in my scale, it is brilliant. So who is right?”

Shiva, impressed by Narada’s wit, said, “Very well, Narada. You may decide the scale to measure who is the better son. The winner can have the mango.”

The Challenge

Narada thought for a moment and declared, “The better son is the one who goes around the world three times.”

No sooner had he spoken than Muruga mounted his peacock and soared into the sky, determined to circle the world as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, Ganesha stayed put, sitting comfortably on Mount Kailash, playing with his little mouse.

Narada, puzzled, asked, “Why don’t you start, Ganesha?”

Parvati smiled indulgently. “Let him do as he wishes.”

“But he will lose!” said a worried Narada.

“So what?” said Shiva calmly. “It’s only a mango.” Then he added with a smile, “See, Narada — another measuring scale. You value the mango; I value the game.”

Two Worlds, Two Journeys

Muruga flew tirelessly around the world — once, twice, and nearly thrice. As he neared Mount Kailash for the final lap, he looked back, wondering where his brother was. A mix of pride, concern, and curiosity filled his heart.

Just then, Ganesha stood up, walked around his parents three times, and folded his hands. “There,” he said cheerfully, “I have completed my journey.”

Muruga landed, confused and angry. “What do you mean? I went around the world three times!”

Ganesha smiled gently. “True, brother. You went around the world. I went around my world — my parents. For me, they are my entire world. So I too went around the world three times.”

The Meaning of ‘My World’ and ‘The World’

Parvati looked at Shiva and asked softly, “Is there a difference between my world and the world?”

Shiva nodded. “Yes. The world is objective — it is made of mountains, rivers, stars, trees, and people. My world is subjective — it exists within us, made of our thoughts, feelings, memories, and dreams. The first is seen by everyone. The second is known only to oneself.”

He continued, “Which one matters more — what everyone can see, or what only we can feel?”

No one replied, but everyone knew the answer in their hearts.

The Resolution

Muruga walked up to Narada, took the mango from his hand, and gave it to his brother, smiling warmly. “You deserve it, Ganesha.”

Ganesha cut the mango into two halves, giving one to his brother. Together, they offered portions to their parents. The seed was handed to Narada, who grinned and said, “In my world, the seed is the best part of the mango.”

Everyone laughed, and Mount Kailash echoed with joy and laughter — a celebration of wisdom, humility, and love.

Lessons from the Story

1. The Danger of Measuring Scales

Human beings are obsessed with measurement — intelligence, success, wealth, power, beauty. But all measuring scales are subjective. What seems “better” in one scale may seem trivial in another. True wisdom lies in realizing that no single measure defines worth.

2. The Difference Between “The World” and “My World”

“The world” represents the external — achievements, possessions, and recognition. “My world” represents the internal — values, relationships, emotions, and meaning. Ganesha’s wisdom reminds us that inner contentment often outweighs external conquest.

3. Redefining Success

Muruga’s journey symbolizes ambition, speed, and competition — qualities celebrated in modern life. Ganesha’s approach represents introspection, love, and awareness. True success is not about being faster or stronger, but about understanding what truly matters.

4. Perspective Over Performance

While Muruga focused on performance, Ganesha focused on perspective. The story teaches that awareness and understanding often win over mere action and speed.

5. Subjective Truths

Each character’s truth was valid in their own world. Muruga did circle the world, Ganesha circled his world, and Narada found meaning even in the seed. Life’s wisdom lies in respecting multiple perspectives rather than insisting on one absolute truth.

6. Wisdom in Balance

Shiva’s laughter and calmness throughout the story show that true wisdom lies in detachment and balance — seeing the play of life without being caught in competition or comparison.

Takeaway

In a world obsessed with “who is better,” this story reminds us that comparison is meaningless unless we first understand what truly matters to us. Success measured by external scales often leads to pride or pain, but success measured by inner fulfillment leads to peace.

When we learn to see “our world” clearly, like Ganesha, every journey becomes sacred — and every mango, a fruit of wisdom.