Ganesh Chaturthi 2018- Story Why Lord Ganesha Is Called Ekdant

Once Parashuraam Jee came to Kailaash Parvat to visit Shiv Jee. Shiv Jee was sleeping so Ganesh Jee stopped him from going inside. A fight between them ensued at this. Ganesh Jee caught him with his trunk and hit him on the ground. This left him unconscious for some time. When he came into senses he threw his Pharasaa (axe) at Ganesh Jee. Ganesh Jee immediately recognized it as his father's weapon (his father gave it to Parashuraam), and received it with all his humility on his one tusk. This broke his one tusk and left with one tusk only.

That is why he is also called as Ekdant or Ekdanshtra - means who has only one tusk.

There is another story about his one tusk. A different legend narrates that when Ganesh Jee was asked to write down the epic of Mahaabhaarat, dictated to him by its author, sage Vyaas, taking into note the enormity and significance of the task, he realized the inadequacy of any ordinary 'pen' to undertake the task. So he broke one of his own tusks and made a pen out of it. The lesson offered here is that no sacrifice is big enough in the pursuit of knowledge.