Yuvacharya Mahashraman
Arrogance Intoxicates
Man should not be arrogant. It does not benefit us. Having abandoned self-dependent and always taking resort to dependence, is no longer beneficial.
One day the prince went out hunting. Because of the heat, the prince's mouth became dry and he was feeling very thirsty. So the prince wandered around the forest looking for water.
After searching for a long time he finally found a well. The prince found a bucket and started to pull out water. Then suddenly he stopped and saw to himself, "What am I doing? I am the son of a king. I cannot pull out water by myself." So he left the rope and the bucket immediately and sat aside <ļuite thirr iy. He began to wait for an other man to come.
Soon another man came in search of water. He asked the prince if there was a bucket.
The prince said, "Yes, there is a bucket. There is also water. You come soon and drink water and make me drink it also."
"Then why are you not drinking any?" Asked the man.
"I am the son of a king. I cannot pull out water by myself. So you drink water yourself and give me some too",said the prince.
"No", said the man, "if you are the son of a king, I am also the son of a mayor". And he too sat down thirsty and started to wait for another person.
Soon another man came along looking for water. The man saw the well and the other two men. The third man asked if there was water in the well.
"Yes, there is water in the well", said the two men.
"Then why are not you drinking water?" Asked the third man.
"I am the son of a king and he is the son of a mayor, so we won't pull the water out by ourselves. You drink water and give some of it to us also", said they.
"No", said the third man, "if you are the son of a king and the son of a mayor, I too am the son of a rich man. I won't drink the water by myself". So he too sat down there.
Along came a fourth man. He went straight to the well, looked out the water, drank it and splattered the rest on the ground.
"Stop"! Cried the other men, "give us water too".
"Why should I"? Asked the fourth man.
"Because I am the son of a king, I am the son of a mayor, and I am the son of a rich man and we will not take the water by myself", said they.
"If you men are the sons of rich and high people, I too am very naughty. I feed only myself", and he walked off with his thirst quenched.
This story is an apt example of how important it is to be self-sufficient. The rich men who had depended too much on servants could not even get a handful of water for themselves.
It is righdy said - "No work is menial". We should not think that certain jobs performed are beneath one's dignity. The three rich men due to their arrogant behavior remained thirsty.
