Lord Ganesha, also known as Ganpati, Vinayaka, and Ekdanta, holds a special place in Hinduism as the deity of wisdom, arts, and sciences. Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiv ji and Goddess Parvati ji. He is known for his unique appearance, with a cute chubby body and an elephant head. But have you ever wondered why Lord Ganesha is called Ekdanta and has only one tusk? Let’s know the interesting story behind this fascinating characteristic of his appearance.

Once upon a time, there was a wise sage named Maharshi Ved Vyasa. The gods themselves instructed him to write a great epic called the Mahabharata. It was a massive task, and Ved Vyasa wanted to make sure it was written by the most knowledgeable writer in the universe.

He went to Lord Brahma for guidance, and Lord Brahma told him to seek the help of Lord Shiva. So, Ved Vyasa approached Lord Shiva and asked for his son, Ganesha, to assist in writing the epic.

Lord Ganesha agreed to help, but he had a special condition. He said he would write the epic, but there was a catch. Ved Vyasa had to recite the entire epic without stopping for a moment. If Ved Vyasa paused for even a second, Ganesha would stop writing, and Ved Vyasa would have to find another writer.

Ved Vyasa agreed to this condition, but he had a plan of his own. He thought that he would recite some really tough parts of the epic, and while Ganesha was pondering their meaning, he could take a little rest.

But things went differently than Vyasa had planned. Lord Ganesha was incredibly quick and clever. He completed writing down the verses even before Ved Vyasa could think of the next ones. As a result, the pen Ganesha was using began to wear away.

Remembering the condition he had agreed to, and not seeing any other way, Lord Ganesha did something remarkable. He pulled out his left tusk and used it as a pen to continue writing the great epic, the Mahabharata.

And from that day forward, Lord Ganesha became known as “Ekadanta,” which means “the one with a single tusk.” 

This story teaches us about the determination and cleverness of Lord Ganesha, who helped Maharshi Ved Vyasa complete the epic Mahabharata in a truly unique way. With this story, Lord Ganesha also teaches us valuable lessons about the importance of honoring promises and the power of intellect. 

Ganpati Bappa Morya 🤗🙏