Once Brahma said: I am going to announce who should be the first to be worshipped among all Gods.

You know it is Lord Ganesha.

In any puja, homa, or even before starting any activity, not just puja, we should worship and pray for Lord Ganesha’s blessings.

This is about how he got that status.

When Brahma said this, all Gods came to Brahma Loka.

This is a big position.

Everyone wanted to get it.

Each God tried to convince Brahma saying that I should be given this position.

I am the most qualified for this position.

Brahma is the grandfather of everyone, even Gods, he is called Pitamaha, meaning grandfather.

Brahma said: since there are so many contenders, let’s have a competition, whoever wins this competition will become the first among Gods.

You all go once around the whole universe, do a parikrama, do a pradakshina of the whole universe whoever does this and comes back first will get this position.

Gods have their own vehicle; somebody has horse, somebody has elephant, somebody has tiger, so each God mounted his own vehicle and sped away, to complete the task and come back first.

Lord Ganesha stood there and thought for a while.

His vehicle is a small mouse.

With the mouse, he won’t be able to beat others.

Lord Ganesha also is the most intelligent among Gods.

He thought for a while and rushed towards Kailasa where his parents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy were there.

He reached Kailasa.

There Lord Shiva was sitting in meditation.

Lord Ganesha started pulling at his mother’s hand: come fast, come fast, go sit near him.

Parvathy Devi was surprised- what is he doing?

She went and sat near Lord Shiva.

Lord Ganesha quickly mounted his mouse and went around them seven times.

Got down from the mouse did pranama to them and rushed back to Brahma Loka.

When he reached Brahma Loka, nobody else had come back.

Brahma Deva realized what he had done, through his divya drishti.

He became very happy.

One by one, the other Devas started coming back after completing the circum-ambulation of the whole universe.

When they saw Lord Ganesha there, they thought he may not have even moved out.

When everyone came back, Brahma Deva said: the winner is Lord Ganesha.

Everyone was taken by surprise.

Brahma said: Lord Ganesha has revealed a great principle.

Your parents are your universe.

You should respect them more than anything else.

See, doing parikrama of them, doing pradakshina of them turned out to be equal to doing parikrama of the whole universe.

Only Lord Ganesha understood this.

Among all, your parents deserve your utmost respect and affection.

Then comes your guru - teacher.

Then only God.

This you should understand clearly.

You should first of all love and respect your parents, then you will get the blessings of your teacher, and also God will listen to all your prayers.