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flying very low in the sky. The children felt very happy on catching the crow. All the children flocked at a place leaving their game. They picked up a sparkling conch shell (seepi) from the seashore. They drilled a hole in it, threaded it and put it around the neck of the crow. The children felt very happy on adorning the crow. The crow also began to think, "Oh! There is no bird to match me in the world." The crow said this very thing to the children as well. A child said, "Oh! You are puffed up with vanity at this petty adoration. Can you match the bird swan?" Overtaken by false pride the crow spoke, "Why not? Certainly I can." A swan sat a little afar. The children said to it. "Oh Swan! So far you alone are the bird famous for flying across the sea, but see our this black crow can also fly across the sea." The swan said, "Don't be proud in vain." But the children persisted. The swan said, "Well! It is all right. Get your crow ready to take a flight with me." They both became ready and the two set on the flight. The swan fluttered its wings to take the flight and covered a long distance, whereas the crow was tired of fluttering its wings but could not overtake the swan. The swan said to the crow, "Why are you tired?" The crow replied with vanity, "No, how can I get tired so soon?" After flying some more distance, the swan again asked, "Have you got tired?" Out of pride the crow replied, "No, not in the least." But in reality the crow was dead tired out of flying. No end of seashore was visible. Still he had to travel a long distance. The crow was finding it difficult to flutter its wings due to fatigue. It began to roll down. The swan questioned again, "Have you got tired now?'' Even then the crow replied, "No, not tired as yet?" The crow began to drown in the seawater; only its beak was visible out of water. The swan understood that the crow was about to die due to false vanity. Hence, an ocean of mercy, the swan lifted it up and brought it on the seashore. The crow would have lost its life due to its false pride or vanity. We should always remember - "Society has this good at least, that it lessens our conceit, by teaching us our insignificance and making us acquainted with our betters."
In this world many kings, emperors and Chakarvartis have lost their lives simply in order to safeguard their vanity. A man should possess self-esteem, not false pride in life. False pride leads a man to downfall, while self-esteem raises him to lofty heights. Rightly has it been said:
Pride goeth on horse back grand and gay But cometh back on foot, begging its way.
Ravan was a mighty king and a great devotee of Lord Jinendra. In order to worship God, the great Ravan used to play on the lyre (Veena) manufactured by the veins carved out of his own body. Ravan was known as an 'Ardh-chakari on this earth. Even such a renowned Ravan kidnapped Sita out of false vanity and brought her to Lanka. Overpowered with egotism he used to say, "No man like me has ever existed on this earth, nor ever will be."
Na bhuto na bhavishayati
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