Of ego clashes and loss of friendship

 

Of Ego clashes and loss of friendship

Sanatana Dharma believes that however great a person is in terms of intelligence, achievement and power, once that person becomes arrogant, he/she/it loses all their good qualities. We have innumerable interesting stories where even Gods have gotten arrogant and were taught a lesson.

Apart from God, religion and punishment, ego clashes in daily life can lead to loss of relationships. This story is one such instance about two individuals who got caught in their ego problems.

Once upon a time there was a Sage called Dadichi. He was a close friend to a king called Kshuava. Friendship amongst various varnas was very common as they might have attended the same Gurukul. For example in Mahabharata two of the important characters Drona and King Drupada attended the same school and were thick friends and later on became sworn enemies.

Something similar happened between Dadichi and Kshuva. They were very good friends. Unfortunately, fate and their ego intervened one day. The brahmin sage Dadichi and the kshatriya king Kshuva started debating about their varnas and were trying to prove whose varna was superior to the other.

Sage Dadichi said, “Even a king and an emperor bows before the brahmin, who is a repository of knowledge. All kings have learned brahmin advisors who guide them on matters pertaining to the kingdom including expansion of the kingdom and warfare.”

Kshuva, not to be left behind said, “A brahmin just goes to a gurukulam and learns and then is just living with the help of the other varnas. They cannot do anything without the protection of the kshatriyas and the goods produced by the vaishyas. The other varnas are polite to the brahmins only because they are scared of being cursed. Without kshatriyas neither the brahmins, nor the other varnas can exist peacefully.

Sage Dadichi countered, “What is the point in having just muscles? If the kingdom is not governed well and just, it will only lead to the people being unhappy even though the king might be strong to protect the people from invasion. Too much physical strength will also lead to the kshatriyas misusing the strength and ill treating the common people.”

Kshuva countered, “Maybe in some cases it happens. A just king is as learned as a brahmin. Its just that he takes a different path once he finishes his gurukul. A brahmin on the other hand, is just expecting respect and help from others irrespective of whether he is really wise or not.”

Both Dadichi and Kshuva should have realised that they are inter dependent on each other for their survival and growth. Nature intends that all its creation learn to survive with each other in order to grow and prosper. Too much or too little of anything leads to a natural imbalance and that is what causes natural calamities.

Unfortunately, these two learned friends, though by nature good people, forgot this basic principle of co- existence. They kept on arguing on these lines and obviously in these kinds of arguments there can be no winner or loser. That is what happened with them also.

At some point, they got so angry with each other, that they started fist fighting instead of arguing with words. Kshuva, being a kshatriya had access to and knowledge of weapons. He borrowed the Vajra, Indra’s divine weapon. Indra lent it to him without checking the reason.

The Vajra of Indra is an extremely powerful weapon. It was crafted by the celestial engineer Vishwakarma from the powerful light of Surya. (Why was that done? There is a story to that indeed. We will see that story later.)

Armed with the vajra, Kshuva came straight at Dadichi. He flung the vajra at Sage Dadichi. Sage Dadichi died immediately. Claiming (ignorantly and wrongfully) that the kshatriyas have defeated the brahmins, Kshuva returned to his kingdom.

The story would have ended here. Of course, we need and do have an interesting twist in the tale. This came in the form of Sage Shukracharya.

Shukracharya is famous and had a colourful life. Most importantly he is well known as the Guru of the Asuras, a post, he seemed to have sought voluntarily. Must be a tough man indeed if he can keep the asura clan in line.

Anyways, Shukracharya had just returned from many millennia of tapas. He was in the Himalayas and did a really long penance to please Shiva. He finally managed to meet Shiva. From Shiva, Shukracharya obtained the boon of knowledge of Mritasanjeevani or a herb that can bring back people from death or near death. In an earlier story, we had seen how this helped Jamadagni to come back to life after being beaten up by Kara Veerya Arjuna’s men. (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/jamadagni-life-and-story.html)

Anyways, Shukracharya and Dadichi are friends and when he hears about what happened to Dadichi, Shukracharya rushes to his friend’s rescue. He brings back Dadichi from the dead with the Mritasanjeevani herb.

Dadichi is now alive, but he is humiliated and unhappy. He wants to avenge himself. With the advice of his friend, Shukracharya he goes to the Himalayas and undertakes a very intense Tapasya seeking Shiva’s blessings. Shiva being kind hearted is happy with Dadichi and appears before him. Dadichi bows to Shiva and asks for his boons.

“Oh Lord, please grant that my bones are stronger than any astra including the Vajrayuda of Indra.” Shiva says, “Granted”. Dadichi goes on, “Divine one, please grant me that no one can kill me again” Shiva replies, “Done.” Dadichi did not want to lose the opportunity now that Shiva is in front. He asks for his third boon, “Grant me that no one shall disrespect me ever again.” Shiva says, “Done.” And disappears.

Armed with divine power now, Dadichi comes back to Kshuva’s kingdom and challenges him. Kshuva is shocked that a dead man is alive. He goes back to the time-tested formula of flinging the Vajrayuda. This time, it falls like a twig when it touches Dadichi. Kshuva tries again and again and fails to kill Dadichi.

Helpless and not knowing what to do, Kshuva invokes his ishta devata Vishnu. Now Vishnu understands that the boons given by Shiva to Dadichi cannot be undone. So he tries to counsel Dadichi and Kshuva.

He tells Dadichi “As a learned brahmin, you should have realised that both brahmins and kshatriyas are required to perform their role in society. No one is superior. Nor is there any need to be afraid of each other.”

Dadichi, who is by now arrogant of his invincibility tells Vishnu “Who is afraid? Maybe you are. I am invincible. I am not afraid of anyone including you.”

Vishnu is surprised at the brahmin’s arrogance. “Not even me?”

Dadichi replies, “Yes. Not even you.”

This angers Vishnu. He summons the celestial disc Sudarshana. He hurls it at the arrogant Dadichi. The chakra is unable to do anything. Then he throws his ghada at Dadichi. No use. The sage gives an arrogant laugh.

Vishnu tries again and again. By now all the other devatas assemble and throw their weapons at Dadichi. All the weapons come back to them and Dadichi is still unharmed.

Now it was Dadichi’s turn to attack. He goes to the essential weapon of a brahmin, the kusa grass. He flungs a handful of kusa grass at the Gods. The kusa grass immediately turns into trishuls. The Gods are unable to bear the heat and speed of the trishuls coming towards them. The scatter and run.

An angered Vishnu takes the Vishwaroop showing Kshuva, Dadichi and all the others the whole Brahmand inside his being including Dadichi and Kshuva.

Surprisingly, even this divine sight did not make Dadichi see reason and become humble. He laughs and says, “Go show your Maya to the demons and steal the amrit. I am not taken in by your Maya.”

The entire Brahmand and the Gods are shocked at this unmitigated show of arrogance. They tell Brahma to intervene before things get out of hand and the whole cosmos is destroyed.

Lord Brahma intervenes and advises King Kshuva to ask for forgiveness from Dadichi. King Kshuva embraces his old friend and asks for forgiveness.

Dadichi, now understanding his folly is ashamed. He bows before Vishnu and the other Gods and asks them to forgive him for forgetting that he was supposed to follow the path of humility and knowledge.

Vishnu forgives Dadichi but explains to him that the whole world is one connected chain and nothing can function without the other.

This simple and interesting episode was perhaps played out for us to understand that in no way one varna is superior to the other and every being (not just humans) needs to co-exist in harmony if the cosmos has to survive.