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When Lord Ganesha wrote Mahabharata

It is believed that when Sage Vyasa conceived the Mahabharata, he knew that it was too good a story to be written by an ordinary scribe. He searched near and far for someone who could write the Mahabharata for him but to no avail. Then it occurred to him that he could tell Lord Ganesha to write the Mahabharata for him. He approached Lord Ganesha and Lord Ganesha agreed to write the Mahabharata but he had one condition.

Lord Ganesha revealed his condition by saying that he would write the Mahabharata only if Sage Vyasa would recite it to him non-stop without a pause. Sage Vyasa agreed to Lord Ganesha’s condition but he also had a counter-condition. He stated that Lord Ganesha would not write anything without fully understanding the sentence or the plot. Lord Ganesha agreed to Sage Vyasa’s condition and so the writing of the Mahabharata began.

Lord Ganesha was very quick at writing and hence he wrote at a great speed. This is where the wisdom of Sage Vyasa prevailed. He would purposely put some complex sentences in between which would take Lord Ganesha time to understand before he could write it down. This allowed Vyasa to catch a breath and also think in his head as to how the next sentences would be framed.

It is also believed that while writing at a very fast speed, Lord Ganesha broke the stylus with which he was writing the epic. But since he could not stop, he broke a piece of his tusk and continued. That is one of the stories that describe why Lord Ganesha is known as ‘Ekadanta’ (One who has one tusk). This selfless act of Lord Ganesha also tells us that when it comes to gaining knowledge, no amount of sacrifice is enough.

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FAQs

Q: Why ganesha wrote mahabharata?

Ans - Lord Ganesha wrote the Mahabharata as a scribe for Sage Vyasa. Vyasa needed a fast and skilled scribe to transcribe the epic while he narrated it. Ganesha agreed on the condition that Vyasa would not stop dictating, and Vyasa set a challenge that Ganesha must not stop writing. During the task, Ganesha broke one of his tusks to continue writing, which is why he is often depicted with a broken tusk. Ganesha was chosen for his wisdom, intellect, and ability to keep up with Vyasa’s pace.

Q: When did ganesha wrote mahabharata?

Ans - Lord Ganesha wrote the Mahabharata during the time of Sage Vyasa, who is traditionally believed to have composed the epic. This event is said to have taken place in ancient times, long before the events of the Mahabharata itself. According to Hindu tradition, Vyasa dictated the Mahabharata to Ganesha, and the writing process took place over a period of time. The exact date is not specified, as it is more of a mythological event rather than a historical one. However, it is generally considered to have occurred in the Treta Yuga, an era in Hindu cosmology.