Ganesha and the Gurus: A Teachers’ Day Reflection

Ganesha and the Gurus: A Teachers’ Day Reflection

Explore more reflections at

On Teachers’ Day, we often speak of chalkboards and classrooms, of mentors who guide us and minds that bloom. But in the quiet corners of tradition, another figure watches over the journey of learning that is Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, the patron of intellect, and the gentle guardian of beginnings.

Ganesha is not just invoked at the start of festivals—he is invoked at the start of understanding. His curved trunk, his broken tusk, his potbelly of stories—all remind us that wisdom is rarely linear. It bends, breaks, and carries the weight of experience. Each portrayal has something to teach. Some of the various lessons which I learned from these depictions are:

1.    Accept your imperfections

We are always criticizing others of their shortcomings however, if you remember Lords Ganesha’s body is that of a human with the head of an elephant! What better way it could be to teach that each one of us is not complete or perfect and that we all should inspite of our short comings must learn to accept ourselves and others the way they are.

2.    Duty over everything

The story of how Lord Ganesha got his elephant head teaches us the importance of duty. According to a popular legend, Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati while Lord Shiva was away so he had no knowledge that Ganesha was his son.

When Ganesha came to life he asked Goddess Parvati what he should do to demonstrate his worthiness. Goddess Parvati then asked Ganesha to stand outside while she took her bath and not allow anyone to come inside. When Lord Shiva came, Ganesha, not knowing that Lord Shiva is his father, stopped him at the gate which made Shiva angry and cut his head off.

When Goddess Parvati came out, she saw what had occurred and asked Lord Shiva to bring their son back to life. So, the Lord decided that he would place the head of the first living being he found on earth. The Lord found an elephant and hence, Ganesha has the head of an elephant.

This story teaches us that duty is above everything as even though Ganesha lost his head, he never gave up on his duty as a son.

 

3.      Respect everyone and be humble to everyone

The mouse is hated by most people as it is a rustic creature who feeds on leftover food and attacks in the dark. However, Ganesha chose this rodent as his vehicle/Vahana. This element outlines his respect for every creature and no matter how a creature looks like, it is equal to others.

Hence, from this, we must learn that each and every person needs to be respected, appreciated and loved equally irrespective of their background, race, religion, colour or gender.

this trait is important to apply in life so that one imbibes mutual respect for people regardless of their backgrounds and positions in society.

 

4.      Use your knowledge and power wisely

Ganesha teaches the importance of using one’s knowledge wisely.

The elephant uses its trunk to not only pick up water and food and to breathe and communicate, but also to leash out its anger and punish the wrongdoers. the trunk in the Ganesha idol is mostly rolled up. Thus, Ganesha is controlling the power of his trunk by doing so.

Teaching that as important as it is to possess a power (that comes from various sources like wealth, knowledge, intelligence, and success), it is equally important to control it and also know how to control it.

 

5.      Your parents are your world

One day, Saint Narada came to visit Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with a mango. He calls it the 'fruit of wisdom' and says that whoever eats this fruit will be blessed with eternal wisdom. But, to reap the benefits, the fruit must be consumed whole without splitting it. Shiva and Parvati plan to give it to one of their two sons i.e., Ganesha or Karthikeya. To decide who deserves the fruit, Narada sets up a competition. Both the sons have to go around the world thrice and whoever finishes first will win the fruit. Confident about winning the race, Karthikeya mounts his peacock vehicle, and swiftly flies away. Ganesha realizes that if he uses his own vehicle, the mouse, he would definitely lose. He immediately puts his mind to work. He looked at his parents and thinks “For me, my parents are my world. I’d rather orbit around them than waste my time roaming around the world.” Needless to say, that when Karthik returned, he did not only find that he had lost the race, but he had been beaten wisely! Impressed, his parents gift him the 'fruit of wisdom'!

This Ganesha story doesn’t only teach to respect our parents but also to think out of the box in a given situation. Your physical weaknesses should not bring you down. One can always rely on one’s wisdom and intelligence to win a losing war.

 

6.      Listen more than you speak

The elephant’s ears on the Ganesha exemplify the message of how important it is to be a good listener. Most of the time, when someone shares their grief or sorrows with us, what they want is a non-judgmental listener.  You don’t need to give opinions or advice; you simply have to let the speaker pour out his heart.

It teaches that when someone walks up to communicate something, one need to listen before they talk.

 

7.      Never give up

One day, Sage Vyasa comes to Lord Ganesha asking for his help in writing the epic, Mahabharata. The sage wants Lord Ganesha to write the epic as he dictates it to him. Lord Ganesha agrees on the condition that he will not stop writing once he starts and that the sage should dictate it continuously without a pause. Sage Vyasa, being a wise man, adds a twist to it. He tells Lord Ganesha that he should understand the meaning of every verse before writing it down. The exercise begins as agreed. Every time the sage needs a break, he deliberately throws in a tough verse. Lord Ganesha pauses and takes the time to analyze and understand the verse. Sage Vyasa uses this time to retrieve and organize more verses in his head. The writing continues. Unfortunately, Lord Ganesha's pen breaks due to continuous writing. In order to keep his promise of writing without a pause, Lord Ganesha, without any hesitation, breaks half of his tusk and uses it to write.

This story shows why Lord Ganesha is called the remover of obstacles. No obstacle is too big for us to overcome. Lord Ganesha teaches us the importance of keeping one's word. All we require is a committed mind and determination. If we have the right mindset, there is nothing which we cannot achieve.

At the same time, it teaches to never give up and also to ‘make the best of what you have’. It also teaches to sacrifice something you hold dear, for the cause of the greater good.

 

8.      Be kind and forgive easily

Ganesha was once invited to a big feast and because he was very fond of sweets, he ended up indulging in overeating. His stomach bloated and to hide the same and also to avoid being embarrassed, he grabbed hold of a snake and wrapped it over his stomach to disguise his bulging belly. He waited for nightfall to leave for home so that nobody would notice this. It so happened that the moon did notice it and mocked Ganesha for the same. Ganesha got angry at this and cursed the moon saying that he would become invisible from that day on.

The moon at once realized his mistake and begged for Ganesha’s forgiveness. But Ganesha could not revoke the curse, so instead, he twisted it a little saying that the moon would grow thinner with each passing of the month and ultimately become invisible on one day, every month. That day is what we refer to as Amavasya (no moon night) and it is considered inauspicious in our country.

This story teaches to be kind in ones’ actions and also forgive those people who ask for their forgiveness just like lord Ganesha.

 

9.      Maintain a balance

If you observe the Ganesha idol carefully, you will notice that one of Lord Ganesha’s feet rests on the ground while the other one is folded. Which teaches the importance of balancing, that one always need to have a balance between their inner self, that is- their inner happiness (which can be called spirituality) and the materialistic happiness which they will get through fame and wealth. that even if one might have everything in terms of the materialistic possessions, they will never find happiness if they do not communicate with their inner self and realize what truly brings them happiness.

while it may be impossible to let go of one’s material desires, it is equally important to maintain a healthy balance between one’s spiritual and material needs to lead a happy and content life.

 

10.   Knowledge = Success

the Ganesha idol is depicted by showing goddess Saraswati and goddess Laxmi.  while goddess Saraswati imparts knowledge and wisdom, goddess Lakshmi represents luck and prosperity. This can be used to make the point that success is bound to accompany those who possess knowledge and wisdom. So, knowledge and success go hand in hand.

 

11.   Modesty

Lord Ganesha is considered one of the most powerful gods in Hinduism, unlike the other gods who choose bejewelled chariots, his vehicle is the modest mouse. The mouse is seen to signify darkness and, as the Lord's vehicle, is believed to signify the journey from darkness (or ignorance) to light or enlightenment. Another interpretation is that Ganesha wins hearts through simple methods. A shiny car or extravagant lifestyle might impress, but to win hearts, the simplest way is through one's actions i.e., through simple gestures of affection and respect.

 

12.   Depend on yourself

One of the other names of Ganesha is Vinayak, meaning master of oneself. This signifies independence in thought and action. Whether in one's professional or personal life, one must act on one's beliefs after due consideration of relevant factors. Take ownership and responsibility for your actions and their outcome. Just knowing that you alone are responsible will make you take the decision that much more seriously.

 

13.   Act in good faith

Whatever Lord Ganesha undertook, he undertook with conviction and self-belief. It was the belief that his actions were in his and his mother Goddess Parvati's best interests is what governed his thoughts and deciphered into challenging acts, accomplishments that improved his abilities and sharpened his skills. It is this that we need to inculcate in ourselves, in the way we work. Any job, if it is worth doing, is worth doing well. Whatever the task you are faced with, face it with courage and conviction and do it to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, even if your effort goes unrecognized, still you have the satisfaction of knowing that you gave your best shot.

 

14. Always stand up for your self-respect

According to a Legend once, all the gods and goddesses left Lord Ganesha in-charge of the heaven/Swargalok, while they left with Lord Vishnu's marriage procession headed towards Goddess Laxmi's abode. Lord Ganesha was tricked into taking care of Swargalok, because the other deities were embarrassed of his physical appearance and massive diet. On getting to know the truth, Lord Ganesha wanted to even the score himself, and devised a clever plan that would make them realise his importance. Ganesha sent his rat-vehicle, Gajasur, to dig up the roads that led to Goddess Laxmi's abode, which he obeyed. As expected, the deities couldn't proceed further, and called for help. A farmer who was crossing by the road decided to help the deities, and pulled out the carriage stuck in the road in the first attempt after chanting Lord Ganesha's name. He explained how only Lord Ganesha's name could have induced the strength in him to lift the carriage, since he is the Remover of Obstacles. This made the deities realise that there's more to a being than his physical appearance, and they returned to offer their apologies to Lord Ganesha.

Lord Ganesha's story is a lesson to never let anyone undermine your abilities, or your physical appearance cloud people's judgement of you.

 

So, this way, Ganesha stands as the very embodiment of Spirituality, making a way for us to seek the higher dimensions of life. Just as Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan dedicated his birthday to honour teachers, Ganesha reminds us that teaching is sacred labour. The guru is not merely a transmitter of facts, but a sculptor of discernment. And the student? A seeker, not just of grades, but of grace.

 

So this Teachers’ Day, let us offer not just flowers and speeches, but a prayer to Ganesha:

“Bless our teachers with patience, Our students with curiosity, And our classrooms with the courage to question.”

Let the chalk dust rise like incense. Let the syllabus become a sadhana. And let every lesson—spoken or silent—be a step toward wisdom.

Ganpati Bappa Morya. Happy Teachers’ Day.

 

If you like you can also read the other blog post on teachers day:

Happy Teachers Day to The Pillars of Our Lives, and Our Lifelines for Learning. https://psychologybespeak.blogspot.com/2025/09/happy-teachers-day-to-pillars-of-our-lives.html

 

If you want to see how it appears visually than may click this video button.

 

Resources I’ve found helpful they may have affiliate links 

1.     Stories of Ganesha https://amzn.to/4614Mo0

2.     Ganesh CHTURTHI VRAT Katha https://amzn.to/3HWxYEK

3.     Tia Ganesh Idol  https://amzn.to/4pecsfu