Long ago there was a young man who always visited Sages and Yogis. Once he stayed with a yogi and was pleased with his service Yogi said, “If you have any wish, I can fulfill it.”
Young men wanted to gain fame. He said, “I want to become powerful. I want to know the secret of Yoga.” Yogi gave him a mantra and made him practice yoga. After some time, the young man experienced a strange power in himself. He thanked Yogi and left.
On his way, he saw some hunters taking away a lion in an iron cage. The young man wanted to show off his recently gained powers. So, he recited a mantra and freed the lion from the cage. The lion came out and killed one of the hunters. Soon, other hunters again caught the lion and caged him. Seeing this, the young man laughed and said, “Should I free the lion again?”
Listening to this, all the hunters ran toward the young man to kill him. A young man ran away and somehow saved himself. The young man continued on his way and reached a mountain village. There he saw that due to mountain terrain, people were unable to farm. He thought to himself, “If I move mountains, people can farm here and then they will respect me.”
So, he recited a mantra and soon, the mountain started moving from their place. As soon as the mountain moved, rocks began falling on the village, and the whole village was destroyed.
When people got to know the reason for this, they went to the young man and started beating him. The young man somehow escaped.
After some time, he reached a fisherman’s village. In that village, there was a shortage of fish. A young man called the people of the village and said, “With my power, I can fill these ponds with fish.”
Saying this, he recited a mantra and soon all the ponds were filled with fishes. Fishermen were able to catch a net full of fish and started praising the young man. But as soon as people ate those fish, they got sick and some died. The remaining people of the village started beating the young man with sticks and when he got unconscious, they threw him out of the village.
When the young man regained consciousness, he was in the middle of the forest. He couldn’t get up and walk. He started screaming. Listening to his scream, a sage who used to live in that forest came to him and took him to the ashram and tend to his injuries.
In the morning, the young man narrated all the incidents to Sage and said, “I have power but still I neither have prestige nor peace. What’s the reason for this?”
Sage said, “You don’t know how to utilize your power properly. Being egoistic, you unnecessarily display your power to satisfy your ego. The use of power is to give up the ego and serve the poor. This brings fame and happiness.”
Listening to this, the young man's ignorance was destroyed and from that day onwards he dedicated his life to use his power in social service and made good use of his power.
Flash: A young man, eager for fame and power, learns the secrets of yoga from a yogi and gains extraordinary abilities. However, his misuse of power leads to chaos and suffering, ultimately resulting in his realization of the importance of humility and service.
Moral: The story highlights the pitfalls of ego-driven pursuits and the importance of using power for the betterment of others. It emphasizes the value of humility, selflessness, and serving the community as the true path to fulfillment and happiness.
"True power is not in the display of one's abilities, but in the humility to serve others with them."