Ownership!
Seeing his own army making a tumultuous sound & tottering with excessive fear, demon Atikaya was aghast. He saw his brothers & his paternal uncles killed in battlefield & was terribly enraged
He mounted a chariot, shining like a cluster of 1000 Suns & speedily ran towards Vānaras. He drew his bow, roared with a big noise making his name known to all. When Vānaras saw him, they thought Kumbhakarna has woken up again & were afflicted with fear. He appeared like Vishnu who covered 3 worlds in 3 steps. Vānaras were bewildered how to attack Atikaya & sought refuge in Rām
Rām saw Atikaya from a distance as if a mountain is moving forward on a chariot rumbling like a cloud. He was surprised at the colossal figure & asked Vibhishana-Who is he? Armed to core, riding a chariot drawn by 1000 horses & shining like Lord Shiv with resplendent spikes, barbed javelins & lances. Moving with speed of lightning & looking like Time incarnate. He displays gold decked bow, terrific quivers & arrows, has 2 swords measuring atleast 10 in length & 4 cubits in breadth
Vibhishana said-He is valiant son of Dasanan Rāvan. He is equal to his father in combat & in use of weaponry. He is respected for his counsel, his rides on horses & elephants, excellence in sword play & strategy to defeat his enemy by all means. He is Atikaya, son of Dhanyamali. He has boons from Brahmā, exempting him from death at hands of celestial & demons. He freezed Indra’s thunderbolt & struck down noose of Varuna
Seeing Atikaya, Vānara chiefs rushed towards him & hit him with boulders & uprooted trees. Atikaya chopped it off with his arrows & struck them all. Vānaras thus hit were unable to retaliate. Atikaya then moved forward to Rām & said-I’ll not fight with any common warrior, if any one of you has strength to match mine, come forward
Laxman enraged hearing this, pulled out an arrow from his quiver. The twang of his bow filled all quarters & surprised Atikaya & he said to Laxman- You are a boy ignorant of fight. Go away! Even Himalayas cannot endure speed of my arrows. Place your bow here & don’t lose your life by fighting me. But if you insist you’ll be dispatched to Yamalok
When we have a boon or a blessing, it should bring humility & cultivate gratitude. If we feel what we have is only because of our prowess, it brings pride & is a precursor to fall
Krsna says in BG 15.15
sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
I'm seated in everyone’s heart, & from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness
He also says BG 10.8
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
I am the source of all spiritual & material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service & worship Me with all their hearts
The moment we take ownership of what we have, that’s when we lose control over our abilities & they then become source of our destruction
Thoughts? #gameoflife
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