Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata: A Mythological Short Story In English For Kids

Stories transport us to magical worlds while teaching us invaluable lessons about life. In addition, some stories also help develop our mental, emotional, and intellectual faculties. The best part about short stories is that children can easily absorb them and are excited to learn new things when they are expressed in a story format. One of the greatest granaries of stories we can find in India is our ancient scriptures and texts. Indian mythology comprises tales and short stories that are captivating and helps us learn a lot about the literary milestones our ancestors achieved. One mythological story that stands out is Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata. You must be wondering, ‘isn’t it Ved Vyas who is attributed to Mahabharata’s authorship?’ The answer is a yes, but there is a backstory behind it. Are you interested to know more? If yes, then read ahead!

Origin of the Story

Ved Vyasa conceived of Mahabharata, but it was Ganesha who wrote the entire epic. We can trace the origin of the Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata Story to Adi Parva, or the Book of the Beginning. It is the first of the 18 books of the Mahabharata. The first chapter of the Adi Parva describes how Vyasa dictated the Mahabharata and then wrote it down.

Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata Short Summary 

Do you want to know why Lord Ganesha wrote Mahabharata? This short and crisp summary will help you get to the bottom of the story.

One day, Ved Vyasa – a sage – was meditating in the Himalayas when Lord Brahma asked him to write the epic of the Mahabharata. As Vyasa had witnessed the entire battle and knew all the characters personally, he was the best person to write the story.

Ved Vyasa knew that the Mahabharata was no ordinary story. It was complex and lengthy, and therefore, Vyasa needed someone incredibly competent to help him. Then, Vyasa’s search for the best scribe began. He looked far and wide and suddenly had the epiphany that Lord Ganesha could help him write the epic.

Sage Vyasa approached Ganesha with the offer, and the latter accepted the proposal but on one condition. Lord Ganesha said he would write the epic only if Vyasa could recite the entire story to him non-stop without a pause. Vyasa agreed to Lord Ganesha’s condition, but he also had a counter-condition. He said that Lord Ganesha would not write without fully understanding the plot or the sentence. Ganesha agreed to Vyasa’s condition, and the writing of Mahabharata began.

Lord Ganesha was extremely fast at writing, and he wrote the epic at a relentless speed. But Sage Vyasa’s wisdom and wit prevailed. But how? Well, Vyasa would intentionally put in some complex sentences in between that would compel Lord Ganesha to pause and take time to understand before he continued to write the epic. Ganesha’s pauses meant that Sage Vyasa could also catch a breath and frame the next sentence in his mind.

Legend has it that it took Ganesha three years to write the Mahabharata. In addition, there is another underlying tale that as Lord Ganesha was writing the Mahabharata at an incredibly fast pace, he broke his stylus on time. But, as he could not stop writing, he broke a piece of the tusk and continued. Therefore, Lord Ganesha is known as ‘Ekadanta’ (The one with one tusk).

So, there we have it; Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata short summary in an understandable language and format.

Sage Vyasa Narrating the Mahabharata to Ganesha

Moral of the Story

The tale of Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata has a lot to teach us. Firstly, the selfless act of Lord Ganesha, who broke a piece of his own tusk to write the epic when his stylus broke, tells us that when it comes to gaining knowledge, no sacrifice is enough. Similar to the dogged nature of Ganesha, we should also not stop at any length when it comes to learning. Likewise, Ved Vyasa’s wit and spontaneity teach us that we can dodge any murky situation with some quick thinking. For instance, Vyasa’s counter-condition that Ganesha could not write the epic without understanding the sentences or plot gave him some moments between recitations to take a breath.

Note to Parents

The epic of Mahabharata consists of near-endless tales and stories that are fascinating and also have the potential to teach young readers a thing or two about life. For instance, the simple tale of Ganesha Writes the Mahabharata can help children recognize the importance of knowledge and that going the extra mile to learn something is always worthwhile. Therefore, parents should provide their kids with short mythological tales from reliable sources.