Saturn defeats Indra8
Once Indra and Saturn (Shani) had a serious argument over who was greater. Indra said he was the greater of the two. Saturn said, “No, I am greater. Prove your supremacy.”Indra said, “No. It is beneath my dignity to prove it. Everybody knows that I am the King of the cosmic gods. Therefore, am I not greater than you, you fool?”
“Say whatever you want to,” said Saturn. “I feel that I am greater.”
“Greater in what respect?”
“I can do anything I want to,” said Saturn.
Indra laughed and laughed.
“Tomorrow I shall take hold of you,” said Saturn. “Let me see how you can save yourself.”
“All right,” said Indra. “You will see what I can do.”
The following day Indra went into a forest and hid. He said, “Let me see how Saturn will catch me.” He did not come out of the forest the whole day. The next day Indra went to Saturn and said, “Look, Saturn, you could not keep your promise, so how can you be greater than I?”
Saturn said, “Can’t you see? You were afraid of me. That is why you hid the entire day. If you were brave, you would have come and stood in front of me. From this can you not see that I am greater and more powerful than you?”
Indra accepted defeat and felt deeply embarrassed.
GIM 148. 6 February 1979↩
