In the beautiful mountain village of Nilgiri, a grand festival was taking place. The procession of the village deity moved through the streets with great splendor. Villagers lined the roads, showering flowers and playing rhythmic music to welcome the divine procession.
For this procession, a magnificent elephant named Gajendran had been decorated with great care. He wore colorful blankets and shimmering golden ornaments, looking truly royal. As the people cheered and clapped, they were admiring the beauty of the deity and the grandeur of the parade.
Gajendran, however, misunderstood the situation. He thought the villagers were clapping and cheering specifically to honor his greatness. 'Everyone is looking at me with awe! I must be the most important being in this village!' he thought to himself, his heart swelling with pride.
Driven by this sudden vanity, Gajendran decided to show off. Instead of walking calmly, he raised his trunk high and began to trumpet loudly and disruptively, trying to drown out the traditional music with his own noise. The sudden, loud trumpeting broke the solemn and peaceful atmosphere of the sacred ceremony.
The mahout, seeing the elephant's unruly behavior, grew angry. 'You are ruining the sanctity of this festival!' he scolded, using a firm command and a sharp tug on the ropes to bring the elephant to order. In that moment, Gajendran realized his mistake. He understood that the people were there to honor their tradition, not to feed his ego. He lowered his head in shame and continued the procession quietly.
Moral
Do not mistake the respect shown to others as a reason for your own vanity.
