Pride of any kind is undesirable, and Vedanta Desika shows this through examples in his Subhashita Nivi, said M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Sage Agastya drank all the oceans. Witnessing this, clouds try to absorb as much water as possible, but no matter how hard they try, they cannot match Agastya’s power. However, great may be a person’s achievements, chances are that he will find someone who is superior to him. Sage Jahnu drank up the whole of the river Ganga, and that is why the Ganga is known as Jahnavi. His achievement was great, no doubt. But in comparison with Agastya’s feat, Jahnu’s seems insignificant, for Agastya drank up the seven oceans. But what is one to say of Vishnu, who during the deluge, keeps the whole world inside Him?
Can a dog and a lion be considered equals? Both have claws that can tear other animals. But that is the only similarity. Desika resorts to puns to emphasise the point. He uses the word sAranga. That means both deer and elephant. A dog is capable of attacking a deer. But a lion is capable of attacking an elephant. The word bhUbhRt is used by Desika. Here again there are two meanings that can be taken in this context. It can mean king or hill. A dog is in the king’s palace or in the army. But the lion lives in caves on hill slopes. Can a sparrow become an eagle, asks Desika.
A mosquito makes a buzzing sound when it flies. Does this mean it is capable of producing good music like a kinnara? If a man, due to jealousy, misleads his virtuous friend, he will be forgotten by all good men. You may close your eyes, but the Sun is still there, and does not disappear. You may close your ears, but that does not mean the cuckoo’s singing resembles the cawing of a crow. Great people are unaffected by the acts of arrogant and foolish people.