The war was waged between the most powerful, the gods, known as Devas, and demons, known as Asuras, clashed as never before. The demonic Asuras appeared to be on their way to victory until Lord Indra, the Deva king, intervened and prayed to Brahman, the supreme being. Lord Indra had not yet seen the supreme being, but his guru (teacher) had told him that Brahman was the one who created mankind. He caused the sun to rise, the plants to grow, and the birds to chirp. Brahman was also the one who decided the outcome of battles. Lord Indra meditated on Brahman in order to awaken him. His confidence grew as he explained the situation, and he had led the devas to victory. The Devas celebrated with delight and pride. They drank, ate, and enjoyed themselves. However, they forgot to thank the supreme entity who guided them to victory in their joy and pleasure. The party continued the next day until a huge figure appeared in the distance. The appearance of this mysterious thing in the middle of their great celebrations perplexed the Devas. What is this, they wondered? However, they were too afraid to approach the figure. You are the God of Fire, Agni. Could you kindly figure out who or what that thing is? One of the devas asked. Agni agreed and went over to the figure. As he got closer, the brightness blinded him, and he couldn’t see what the figure looked like. The figure spoke before he could say anything. Who are you? I am Agni, the God of Fire. And what special abilities do you have? Agni joyously said, “I can burn everything on Earth.” A little blade of grass was placed in front of Agni by the figure. “Please burn this,” he demanded. Agni focused all of his energy on the blade of grass, pointing all of his fingers at it. He used every last ounce of his abilities. But the grass blade remained undisturbed. I couldn’t do it, replied Agni, sadly walking back to the rest of the Devas. I’m not sure who the figure is. The perplexed Devas now place their trust in the Lord of Wind and Air. Please find out who this is. Vayu agreed and went up to the mighty entity. The figure inquired, “Who are you?” I am. Vayu. And what special abilities do you have? With just my breath, I can lift everything on earth. The figure positioned a little blade of grass in front of him. Please, Vayu, lift this meagre blade of grass. Vayu hurried to the blade of grass and blew with all his power, but the blade of grass did not move an inch. Vayu, too, lowered his head in shame and returned to the other devas. I was unable to figure out the identity of the figure. Finally, the devas approached King Indra and requested his help. Don’t worry, I’ll find out who this is, said Indra as he set off to meet him. Indra went confidently towards him, but the figure vanished before his eyes. Indra was taken aback and terrified. He was aware that this was a strange being. He decided to sit down and pray and meditate again, like he had done previously to find the solution. The holy mother appeared immediately when he was deep in thought. Did you not recognize him, O King? She asked. That was Brahman himself, the ultimate or absolute. She explained that he is the Supreme One, and the devas won the Great Battle yesterday because of him. Indra immediately realized this when he heard this. He bowed his head and begged Brahman’s forgiveness. All of the other devas followed suit. They begged forgiveness for their false vanity and pride. We are grateful to you. Do not be concerned, “Brahman said.” Your comprehension was all I wanted. He then blessed everyone.

Isn’t it interesting how we often forget that we are merely an instrument of nature? But we start to believe I’m the one doing it. Perhaps if we let go of the I and the ME, the action will come effortlessly. So, how do we forget our lesser selves?
Rather than allowing your ego to take credit for a job well done, you can express gratitude by remaining humble, praying to God, and being grateful for making things possible for you in every way every day. While prayers connect you and broaden your consciousness, humility keeps you grounded.