Ego, one of the biggest enemy of ours

Ego is probably the biggest enemy of human beings on the path of Spirituality. As always, let's talk about a small story first.

In Mahabharata during exile, once Arjuna visited Rameshwaram and preyed to Lord Shiva. Then he went near Ram Setu and was wondering why Lord Ram, the best archer of all times, didn't make a bridge out of arrows. Then Lord Hanuman reached there, and he understood the doubt which Arjuna had. Hanuman tried to explain Arjuna that a bridge made out of arrows couldn't have handled the mighty monkeys such as Sugriva, Angada, etc. Then Hanuman went on to say that even that couldn't have handled his weight. Arjuna, who was full of pride after receiving Pasupatastra from Lord Shiva, started laughing on hearing this and challenged to Hanuman that he can make such a bridge, and if he fails, then he will give his life.

So Arjuna, with full ego and pride made a bridge of arrow on the sea and told Hanuman, a small and old monkey, to cross it. All this while Hanuman was chanting Ram's name and taking Lord Ram's name, he climbed on the bridge, and it immediately collapsed. Arjuna became embarrassed, but he asked for one more chance. Hanuman agreed for another chance. This time Arjuna with full dedication, once again built a bridge with arrows closer to each other. Once again, as soon as Hanuman started walking on it, the bridge collapsed. Arjuna was speechless and felt ashamed of loosing to a monkey. So he started preparing for a pyre and was about to die.

Then a Brahmin boy came there and asked Arjuna what is he doing? Arjuna told the whole story and how his pride is shattered, and he doesn't want to live more. The Brahmin boy told Arjuna and Hanuman that there should be a witness for a trial to happen, and he asked them to repeat the same event once more. This time out of helplessness and fear of losing again, Arjuna prayed to Lord Krishna for hope and confidence and started building the bridge. On the other hand, having already won twice this time, Hanuman was not even chanting Lord Ram's name. So once the bridge is ready, again Hanuman climbed to the bridge. To everyone's surprise, this time bridge didn't collapse. Hanuman couldn't believe it, and then he started increasing his size to mighty Lord Hanuman. Seeing this, Arjuna was surprised. Even then nothing happened to the bridge made of arrows.

By now, both Hanuman and Arjuna realized that this Brahmin boy is not a common man, but he is divine since his presence has changed everything. The Brahmin boy revealed himself as Lord Vishnu, and they both fell on his feet. Hanuman was seeing Lord Ram in him whereas, Arjuna was seeing Lord Krishna in him. Lord Vishnu explained to Arjuna that there as a very thin line of difference between ego and confidence. In the first two attempts, Arjuna was full of pride. There was more of I, pride, and ego. While Hanuman was chanting Ram's name without any ego, and hence he won. It is a lesson for all to learn humbleness and modesty. Then Lord Vishnu told Hanuman, that after winning two times, egoism went inside your head and whereas Arjuna started remembering Krishna this time, and hence he didn't lose the third time. Neither of you was winning, but it was your devotion to God, which made you win. And then Lord Vishnu asked Hanuman to bless Arjuna with his knowledge and wisdom.

What does this story teach us? One thing for sure it teaches us that great souls and warriors also can develop egos, so we are mere mortals. The second thing is that when the ego comes, it deviates us from the path of Dharma and righteousness, and makes us blindfolded. That's the reason I am saying that the ego and pride are probably the single most enemy of us on the path of Spirituality.

To talk a little bit of Astrology here, that's the reason Sun gets debilitated in the seventh zodiacal sign of Libra, the natural 7th house of more one-o-one relationships, either marriage or business partnership. It is no brainer to imagine what will happen to marriage if couples bring ego into it. Especially in today's urban world where the social fabric converted to social media fabric and families are more and more nuclear, the cases of separations and break-ups are increasing. Similarly, more and more business partnership tends to suffer because of the egos of founders, the difference in opinion, and that's why many of the start-ups and businesses fail.

Then the natural question comes, what should we do? As we all know, Saturn exalts in Libra. So we need to start bringing Saturn's quality like patience, justice, consistency, etc. As great scholars take a parallel from nature that as we become big, we should bow down just like a tree full of fruits bow down or else it will fall.

I hope you like today's article. Keep reading!

( Pic Credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)