02-06-2025
Pride leads to disaster
Words spoken with pride lead to disaster, said P.T. Seshadri in a discourse. There is a story in the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, which talks about a huge tree in the Himalayas. The tree had many branches, and animals and human beings sheltered beneath it. Birds nested in it. One day sage Narada came by and was astounded by what he saw. He said to the tree, 'I have never seen a tree as tall and large as you. You have withstood powerful winds, with all your branches intact. Is Vayu your friend? You are strong. It is pleasant to stand beneath your spreading branches. Animals, which are natural enemies, miraculously stay calm when they are near you. They do not attack each other. I wonder if this place where you stand is svarga.' The tree was bursting with pride. Narada's words went to its head. The tree replied, 'Vayu is not my friend. Vayu does not have even a fraction of my strength. I know how to protect myself. Vayu is frightened of me.' Narada told the tree that its arrogance would lead to trouble. He then told Vayu what had transpired.
Vayu came down and spoke to the tree, 'I had a soft spot for you, and spared you. Mend your ways. Or else I will punish you.' The tree remained unremorseful. Vayu then said he would come back the next day and teach the tree a lesson. That night the tree felt sorry for its arrogant words, but it could not conquer its pride. It could not bear the humiliation of Vayu breaking its branches. So it broke all its branches and shed all its leaves. The next day Vayu arrived and found the bare tree, with no foliage. He said to the tree, 'Look at your pathetic appearance. Till the end you were unrepentant. You were even prepared to be shorn of all your leaves, so that I couldn't punish you. You are an example of the consequences of pride.'
