Good fortune does not come to us every time. There is an adage that says “If there is someone who eats the wealth of a temple, then there will be some other who robs away the idol itself”. Hence, it is always better to remain humble and down to earth all the time. 

One day, Samudra (Ocean), the husband of all the rivers enquired the well-being of his wives. Meanwhile, Ganga devi (The Ganges) arrived there. Samudra enquired her well-being and asked for her clarification regarding his doubt. Ganga smiled and nodded her head. Samudra said that no river has the pressure in the waves as that of Ganga and many mammoth trees also get uprooted with the force with which Ganga flows. But, he questioned why is it that a blade of grass at Ganga’s banks does not get washed away? He wanted to know the reason behind the survival of the blade of grass despite the tremendous flow of the Ganges which the huge trees also cannot tolerate. What is the secret behind this? – queried Samudra.

Ganga then replied that the giant trees do not bend even a little. They are always straight and harsh. They do not know about the flow of Ganga. Even if they know, they do not care the flow because they feel it is easy to tackle the flood. But, suddenly when the flow rises sharply and assaults the trees, they cannot sustain any further. Not knowing what to do, they get uprooted and flow all along with Ganga. They do not have the energy to survive whereas the blade of grass knows very well about the Ganga’s flow. As soon as the flow of Ganga rises, it remains humble bending its head. It stays on in that position as long as the flow continues to be heavy. Even the scary Ganga flow cannot cause any harm to it. Once the flood recedes, the blade of grass comes back to its original position. This is the secret.

The essence of this story is that an egoistic person loses in the hands of a stronger person and perishes just like the mammoth trees perish in the hands of Ganga. Those who maintain friendly relations with others and remain humble have the capacity to endure any adverse situation. They live happily forever. Those who remain modest can lead a joyful life. Hence, victory is bestowed upon only those who remain grounded. The giant trees are arrogant and hence they get uprooted. But, the blade of grass bends itself. Those who control their ego at the times of distress can easily come out of the tough times. Else, they will certainly perish.

Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!