Indra was consumed by a desire to build the grandest palace of all. His recent victories against the Asuras had brought him glory and pride. It was time now to reinforce his supremacy at home and a palace built with the finest of craftsmen and the most expensive materials was the way to go. Or so he thought.
Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods was summoned and set to the task. Indra was a tough client. Not only was he a stickler for detail but he was fickle and nothing seemed to please him. Vishwakarma’s men were tired of building a new structure every day and having to pull it down by night just because Indra changed his mind. Vishwakarma realised that he would need the higher divinities to intervene on his behalf or else he would lose all his workmen and his peace of mind.
Vishnu was approached and he came visiting in the form of a rishi. An eager Indra led him to his palace where he showed off the glitter and the gloss with much pomp and fanfare. The rishi stood there distracted and an irritated Indra ticked him off for his insubordination. The rishi meekly mumbled that he had been taken up with an army of ants crossing the floor. He pointed them out to Indra.
Indra angrily asked him why he preferred the ants to his palace. To that the rishi said that he was only paying his respects to the many Indras who had ruled the devas before him. They were all ants now. One day, he said, the present Indra too would join the ants in their journey across the floor of another Indra’s palace.
The folly of his vanity was immediately clear to Indra who fell at the rishi’s feet and sought his forgiveness.
1 comment:
Hi, long time No see.
Nice story.
The Hindu Mythology has many such stories where some or the other diety takes up the responsibility of humbling up some or the character. Mostly it is Vishnu who does stuff like this.
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