Ego ( ahankaar)

Ego, which makes a person say that I am the best . It makes him/her believe that only he or she is the one who knows everything in this world and they are the most superior amongst everyone around them. Ahankaar once imbibed into a person, becomes the source of his destruction. Like in the case of Kans, Lord Krishna's mamashri who always thought that he was powerful enough to destroy anyone in this world. He degraded Lord Krishna and believed that he could destroy his kaal(death) easily. This is what Lord Krishna calls as Ahankaar or ego. The one which makes us think that we are the most powerful, hence everyone should listen to me.

A person with Ego never realises that the person opposite to him might know something more than him or is more powerful than him. Ego does not only come in power or status but also in the purest of relationships like friendship or a couple. When there is small fight between two best friends or a couple, don't we wait for the other person to apologise first? How many times have you all felt this?

Well, I have and I have realised how wrong I was. Mostly it happens in between me and my mother or me and my friend. We do say that apologising first doesn't make us big or small but how many of us follow the same? Even I used to say, but somewhere the reason behind us not able to follow what we preach is our Ego. Something which stops us from accepting our mistakes. It stops us from thinking that everyone in this world are equal. Male, female , small, big, elders etc, everyone can be wrong but our ego never let's us accept it.

I am elder by age, I have more experience then how can I be wrong?

I am the earning man or woman and hence I will rule the house. My better half and my parents should be on my feet.

I am her elder sister and hence how can she teach me? I know more than her

She/ he fought with me and hence I won't apologise first ( Yes, I have done this) and many such phrases which depicts our ego.

Other thing which stuns me is when I hear people say that my to be wife should not earn more than what I do or should have lesser education than I have. Like seriously ?

Ego on education as well?

Why shouldn't your wife earn more than what you do? Why can't she have more higher degrees than you have? Why can't she be more successful than you?

Definitely on a few examples which I have heard, I can't draw a conclusion for everyone. But there are still some people who think such crap stuffs.

This reminds me of an instance from the epic Mahabharata.

The scene when Duryodhan, Karna go to attend the Rajasuya pooja being conducted by King Yudhistir in Indraprast. The point from where Duryodhan's end had started.

After the successful completion of the Rajasuya pooja, all the kings had started to their respective kingdoms. Duryodhan , who had heard about the magical hall in Indraprast build by Maya, the demon architect wanted to visit it once. He headed towards it and since he always had ill thoughts about the pandavas, he could see water in places where there was no water. He could see walls in places where there were none. Nothing was at it's place for him.

Imagining there was floor and no water he started walking and unfortunately fell in the magical water. All the pandavas there could see the pool of water except for Duryodhan . Seeing him in such a state, Draupadi as well as the pandavas laughed aloud. Yes, they made a fun out of him. Draupadi to that extent even said "Andhe ka beta, andha" ( son of a blind, is himself blind) . Definitely was a wrong statement and gesture but had Duryodhan had even a little bit of brain, he wouldn't have thought to get Draupadi nirvastra. He could have fought the pandavas in some other way, he could have proved his talent by being a better king than yudhistir and his blind dad. But he chose the path of revenge, cheated and hatched the plan to take off a woman's cloth. He called her to sit on his thighs and make up a relationship with him. He decided to choose the wrong path of dishonouring a woman in front of the entire court. His ego that a female laughed on him, made him commit such a brutal sin. The sin which then turned to be the reason behind his end. Not only his but also it ended all those people's life who didn't raise their voice against the crime which happened.

A person's ego can make him do the biggest sin's ever. It can force a person to choose the wrong path over the right. Hence if you have realised the presence of ego within you then demolish it from inside. No one is superior than anyone in this world and no one in this world knows everything. As Humans we tend to commit mistakes and then learn from those mistakes. No one is born as a gyani( someone who knows the entire truth of life) . So sacrifice your ego, and be grounded.

Radhe Radhe,