Here let Kubera's garden rise, / Which far in Northern Kuru lies; / For leaves let cloth and gems entwine, / And let its fruit be nymphs divine." - Ramayana

Once upon a time, Kubera, the lord of wealth and riches,was overpowered by his pride and ego. He thought about showing off this wealth amongst his community of gods.

They say the best way to put your wealth on display is to host a feast. He planned to organize a huge ceremony in his palace and offer a variety of food to the guests. Kubera invited a large number of deities and guests.

However, he thought that the entire feast would be futile if the Supreme ─ Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati don't show up. So, Kubera went to their adobe in Kailash to invite them.

Lord Shiva, on the other hand, knew exactly what’s cooking inside Kubera’s mind and decided to teach him a lesson.  He, at once, realized that Kubera has come to invite them not out of love or devotion, but to show off his riches. Knowing the intention of Kubera, Lord Shiva refused to come to the feast very politely and said, “Dear Kubera, I cannot come to the feast, but my little son Ganesha will honor your invitation. He has an insatiable appetite; I hope you will serve him well.”

Blinded by his riches, Kubera didn’t foresee any hitches in serving Ganesha. He went back to his palace and started preparing for the feast.

On the appointed day, all the guests came including bal Ganesha. Having Ganesha over for supper, Lord Kubera was overjoyed. Ganesha was instantly served with a variety of exotic and delicious food items. Ganesha, also known as the Lambodara which means “huge belly,” quickly sat down, began to gobble up the food he was served and not surprisingly, finished all the food in no time. Bal Ganesha was offered more food and Ganesha kept on eating until all the food prepared for the supper was consumed. Filled with panic and embarrassment, Kubera tried to arrange food from other places, but hungry Ganesha was in no mood to wait. He started eating anything he beheld including utensils, furniture, and the palace itself. Horrified Kubera begged him to stop, but Ganesha threatened him by saying, “If you don’t give me food, I will eat you.”

Panicked Kubera realized his mistake and went straight to Lord Shiva to ask for help. He apologized for his pride. To his relief, Lord Shiva gave him a handful of roasted rice with love and humility which finally satisfied the hunger of the little Ganesha.

That’s how this little saga ends.

This interesting tale of Kubera and Ganesha is full of many hidden life-lessons. Let us see what we can learn from Bappa’s lesson to Kubera.

Don’t boast about your wealth

Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like. – Will Smith

Strange? Isn’t it? Money is not about boasting but managing it well. Even the treasures of Kubera can run short if not managed wisely. To save yourself from financial blunders, it is wise to have appropriate saving plans in place. Saving without a purpose is not going to protect you against rainy days. Have a clear vision of the purposes your money will be used, like education, retirement, healthcare, emergency, and so on. It will help you decide how much money you actually need to save to combat financial burdens slated to come in future.

Save for emergencies

Unwanted emergencies often come uninvited. But if you are financially unprepared they might turn into invited crisis; just like Kubera who invited Lord Ganesha without sufficient planning! From monthly income plans to suitable insurance plans, guard yourself with every financial weapon you can. You don’t know when an insurance plan, you have purchased ten years ago, can fulfill your child’s dream. Ideally, you should start saving as soon as you get your first pay-cheque. Otherwise, the grave question – how to save money will keep haunting you until the rest of your life.

Don’t just save but invest

No matter how much money sits in your bank account, it will get used until you find a way it may grow and multiply. You don’t have a treasure trove like Kubera, so you have to do it smartly. All you need is a financial boost of right investment plans. From SIPs to insurance investment plans, use everything that makes your money grow.

Thus, the tale of Ganesha and Kubera teaches us one of the basic principles of life, i.e., don’t boast about your wealth; use it wisely instead. Even if you are wealthy, stay humble. Always remember:

Rich people stay rich by living like they’re broke. Broke people remain broke by living like they’re rich. – Anonymous

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