Miscellaneous - Religion   

Wages of arrogance

CHENNAI: Many episodes in the Bhagavata Purana highlight the need to uphold the essential values of life and to practise the ordained code of conduct. While modesty and humility are traits to be cultivated, yielding to pride and envy is vehemently cautioned against. This is very well illustrated in the episode highlighting how Daksha's arrogance proved disastrous, said Sri B. Damaodara Dikshitar in a discourse. The greatest pitfall for human beings is to become conceited and haughty. Arrogance and egoism become the cause of evil in people when it makes them blind to goodness and virtue.

Despite all his learning, wealth, austerity, youth and noble status, Daksha became insensitive to his own daughter and son-in-law Sati and Shiva. This was because he developed haughtiness and other characteristics associated with Rajoguna, owing to the extreme indulgence shown by his father Brahma. Once in the assembly of the celestials, sages and learned scholars, when all those present except Brahma and Shiva rose to greet him, Daksha noticed this and became furious that Shiva, being his son-in-law, did not show the respect due to him. His warped mind failed to see his own fault that refused to acknowledge Shiva's greatness and instead held him as a son-in-law bound to respect his father-in-law. He insulted Shiva with harsh words. He even pronounced a curse to the effect that Shiva would cease to receive any part of yaga as his share.

The self-important and worldly minded Daksha lost his sense of discrimination and perception of Truth. He further incurred the displeasure of his own daughter Sati during another sacrifice he performed, when he insulted her and Shiva.

Sati rose in anger against her father, who despite his position and status, did not comprehend the auspicious qualities of Shiva. By her yogic power she gave up her life. Enraged by this insult, Shiva caused the disruption of the sacrifice and destruction of Daksha. But when the celestials pleaded for clemency he gracefully restored his life and granted him peace of mind.

Accomplishments such as scholarship, penance, noble lineage or wealth, are of no avail in one who is not modest and humble. The hallmark of a truly great person is modesty.

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