Who Broke the Tooth of Lord Ganesha?
Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, is one of the most loved deities in Hinduism. He is known as the remover of obstacles, the god of wisdom, and the lord of beginnings. But have you ever noticed something unique about his appearance?
Lord Ganesha has only one whole tusk, while the other is broken.
This is why he is also called “Ekdanta”, which means “the one with a single tusk”.
But what’s the story behind his broken tooth? Let’s explore the myth, story, and spiritual meaning behind it.
Which Tooth Was Broken?
If you look at most idols or images of Lord Ganesha, you will notice that his right tusk is broken and the left tusk is whole.
📜 Story 1: Sage Parashurama and Lord Ganesha
One popular story from the Shiva Purana tells us how Ganesha’s tusk got broken.
🔱 The Incident:
Once, Sage Parashurama, a powerful warrior and an avatar of Lord Vishnu, came to visit Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva was resting, and Ganesha was guarding the door.
Ganesha politely stopped Parashurama from entering, saying his father was resting and should not be disturbed.
Parashurama got angry and tried to force his way in. A fight started between the two. Even though Parashurama was powerful, Ganesha was equally strong.
In anger, Parashurama threw his axe at Ganesha. Ganesha did not fight back, because he recognized the axe as a gift from his father Lord Shiva. To respect his father, he allowed the axe to hit him, and it broke one of his tusks.
📜 Story 2: Ganesha Writing the Mahabharata
Another famous story tells us that Ganesha broke his tusk himself!
📖 The Great Epic:
Sage Vyasa wanted to write the Mahabharata, one of the greatest Indian epics. He asked Lord Ganesha to be his scribe.
Ganesha agreed but gave one condition — Vyasa must not stop dictating, even for a moment.
Vyasa agreed and began reciting the Mahabharata. But after some time, the pen Ganesha was using broke.
Instead of stopping the writing, Ganesha broke off one of his tusks and used it as a pen to complete the epic.
This shows Ganesha’s devotion, focus, and sacrifice.
📜 Story 3: The Moon’s Insult
According to another tale from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, once Ganesha was riding on his mouse, and he fell down.
The moon saw this and laughed at him. Ganesha got angry and threw his broken tusk at the moon, cursing it.
That’s why it is believed not to look at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi, as it brings bad luck.
🕉️ Spiritual Meaning
The broken tusk of Lord Ganesha also has deep symbolic meaning:
Sacrifice: He broke his own tusk to write a great epic — showing that knowledge is more important than physical beauty.
Control over ego: Even after being insulted or attacked, Ganesha shows patience and wisdom.
Overcoming duality: Two tusks represent opposites — joy and sorrow, good and bad. Breaking one shows he rises above dualities.
🙏 Conclusion
So, who broke the tooth of Lord Ganesha?
Parashurama, in one story.
Ganesha himself, in another.
Or it was used to teach a lesson, like in the story of the moon.
Each story gives us a beautiful message — respect, sacrifice, wisdom, and control over anger.
Next time you see Lord Ganesha’s idol with one tusk, remember — behind that broken tooth is a story full of devotion and divine wisdom.
🪔 Thank you for reading!
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