Day: June 20, 2026

Swami ji said…

Individuals with exceptional talent, outstanding skills in a particular field, brilliance in their chosen sport or art, and great accomplishments at a very young age – are all God-gifted. Those who are intelligent enough to ignite this dormant spark into a burning fire through their passion, determination, and single-minded devotion, at the right moment and at the opportune time- are indeed blessed and extremely fortunate.

‘ They’ are very few in number— perhaps only a handful among billions— whose pictures are splashed across newspapers and displayed on billboards. Worshipped by many and looked upon with awe by millions of fans, they have the ability to make us shout, cheer, or tear up unabashedly.

But why is it that a few extremely talented individuals — “अपने कौशल से, अपनी विशेष योग्यता के कारण, जिन से वे अपना नाम और अपनी पहचान बनाते हैं— कुछ समय बाद अहंकार, घमंड और अभिमान से भर जाते हैं? उनमें अपने हुनर का गुरूर क्यों आ जाता है? “

Why do they begin to develop an “attitude,” an arrogant demeanour, and behave in a superior, condescending manner- with those whom they consider “insignificant”? After earning accolades, name, and fame, is it their ego that makes them feel incomparable, unparalleled, and unique? Do they begin to believe that what has been achieved by them cannot be achieved by anyone else?

Do the lights of the cameras that follow them everywhere blind them to the reality that all the adulation coming their way today is only because of God’s Grace and His Will? One cannot deny that their perseverance and hard work have played a significant role in their success; but, again, if, He so wishes, He can take away everything in an instant.

Does our vanity make us erase the age-old proverb, “Pride comes before a fall,” from our memory? Do we forget that excessive pride has caused the downfall of many- many times over?

The spiritual seeker must always ask himself, “What do I possess that was not given to me?” We must ask ourselves this question again and again. Everything we have- has been given to us by God, and that includes any special gifts and abilities that we may possess. Talent is not self-created. It is only discovered. It is only harnessed. But ultimately, it is God’s gift to us.

The more one reflects on this, and the more one begins to believe it, the looser the grip of pride becomes. One realises that humility is not about denying the fact that one has special abilities, but, about being aware that those abilities are gifts bestowed by God and that one is truly fortunate to have received them.

The ancient stories are filled with such examples of great men who were led to their doom by pride. रावण— the most knowledgeable, the most devout, the most intelligent— was blinded by his ego to such an extent that he could not see that- ‘The राम’ against whom he was waging war- was Lord Vishnu Himself on Earth. He, who was Lord Shiva’s greatest ‘भक्त’, forgot to close his eyes to ‘माया’ and look into his heart- to see whether what he was doing was right or wrong. With the many boons that God had given him, he began to mistake himself for God.

Such is the folly in which many, even today, ultimately find themselves.

The answer to this lies in being the exact opposite of रावण— in being more like Lord Hanuman.

We must remember God in every action. When we succeed, we must praise Him with gratitude. When we fail, we must seek His guidance in setting us on the right path. We must detach ourselves from the results in all forms— good or bad— and pray only that God gives us the wisdom to act correctly. This will wash away all our ideas of “my greatness” and “my ability,” and make us focus on, and, realise the grandeur of God in the smallest of things that happen – with us and to us.