Once, during his sojourn to Kailãsa, sage Nãrada gave as his offering to Lord Šiva, a rare fruit from the deva lokha. Soon after that, Šri Ganeša and His brother Šri Skanda prostrated before Lord Šiva and both of them wanted to have the fruit for themselves.

While the Lord wanted to give it away to one of them, He also wished to take that opportunity to bring out some profound Truths for the benefit of the world. The Lord remembered the previous conclusion reached by the gods to the effect that who ever is able to go around the entire Universe instantly is to be regarded as the greatest among them. The Lord wanted to impress upon the gods that Šri Skanda was the only one among them capable of achieving this feat and accordingly, turned to Šri Ganeša and Šri Skanda and said “Since it is impossible for Me to give the same fruit to both of you, I shall give it to who ever is able to go around the Universe instantly and come back to Me first.”

No sooner did the Lord finish uttering these words, than Šri Skanda climbed on His peacock and flew over to all the fourteen worlds at lightning speed as if it were a child’s play. Šri Skanda then returned to the Lord within the time period given, thereby demonstrating to the gods the He alone was capable of achieving that feat because of His Omnipresence.

While Šri Skanda was performing this astonishing feat Šri Ganeša was busy doing an equally wonderful feat to achieve the same end. Šri Ganeša was saying to Himself “The Universe is not different and apart from Lord Šiva because all fourteen worlds are in Lord Šiva only.” Therefore, Šri Ganeša went around Lord Šiva once and stood in front of the Lord before Šri Skanda could return. Hence, Lord Šiva happily gave the fruit to Šri Ganeša

Šri Skanda wanted to utilize that opportunity to show Himself to the world as a renunciant and therefore, pretended as though He were disappointed by the outcome of the contest. He abandoned all His possessions in Kailas and proceeded to a hill in south India . Learning that Šri Skanda had established His abode in the south Indian hill, Lord Šiva and His Consort Šri Parvati proceeded to the hill and attempted to console Šri Skanda, saying; “Child! Why do you want to renounce the world for the sake of a fruit. You Yourself are a fruit filled with the juice of Bliss and Knowledge.” In accordance with His sankalpa, however, Šri Skanda continued to stay on that hill and from that day onward the hill came to be known as Palani (Thou are the fruit).

Through this episode, the Lord revealed to the world that He permeated everything - from the smallest of atoms to the gigantic Universe; that everything is in Lord Šiva and Lord Šiva is in everything; that one should see the Lord in everything and see everything in the Lord.

By going around the Universe, Šri Skanda brought out the Truth that the Supreme Spirit is in every being in the Universe. Likewise, by going around Lord Šiva, Šri Ganeša revealed to the world that the whole Universe rests in the Lord. The fruit given by sage Nãrada represents Supreme Knowledge. Lord Šiva revealed that the fruit of Knowledge is one and can neither be divided nor another fruit equal to it created.