Apollonius of Tyana (ca. 1 – 97 C.E.)

Apollonius The Greek

Apollonius was a Greek philosopher, serious teacher, and a mystical wonderworker. Born at Tyana in Asia Minor, also known as Anatolia, now constitutes most of modern Turkey. Apollonius was educated at Tarsus the original capital of the Macedonians, an ancient kingdom in northern Greece. The city was also the burial place of the Macedonian kings. It is here, where at 16 he devoted himself to the doctrine of Pythagoras, whose teachings he followed all his life.

Apollonius first became a religious teacher while still young. In his quest for further knowledge, he travelled to Eastern countries. It is said that Apollonius had kept a vow of silence for five years, and performed miracles wherever he went. He then travelled to India to learn the wisdom of the Indian Brahmins. There is a description that tells of an Indian magician making seven rings representing the seven planets and giving them to Apollonius, who wore a different one each day. Legend has it that this enabled him to maintain his youthfulness well into old age, with his living reportedly to 100 years of age.

When Apollonius went to Egypt, on his way through Asia he visited the sacred Syrian city of Hierapolis, where he attracted a disciple, Damis, who kept a diary of Apollonius's deeds and sayings. These notes reportedly described several incidents and adventures, including events relating to Roman emperors from Nero (54-68 C.E.) to Nerva (96-98).

Apollonius is known mainly through a long account by the scholar, researcher, and writer Philostratus of Athens.

Philostratus, who himself was born in Athens, had come from a prominent family of intellectuals. He received a well-rounded education in rhetoric and philosophy, which influenced his later writings. His most famous work, "The Life of Apollonius of Tyana," is a biography of the legendary philosopher and mystic Apollonius, which blends historical facts with elements of mythology and mysticism. This biography provides insights into the spiritual and philosophical beliefs of the time. Philostratus has built upon a series of dialogues and stories of the sage Apollonius's often miraculous activities during his wanderings.

Apollonius, an ascetic vegetarian, and a mystic acquired a reputation for his magical powers. His miracles and the Enlightenment elevated him to become the subject of admiration as a spiritual teacher.

Apollonius reportedly continued to travel widely after his return from Europe, going far up the river Nile as far as Ethiopia, and to Spain. Though he had many followers and admirers, Philostratus admits that he also made many enemies, notably the indifferent philosopher Euphrates of Tyre.

Both Apollonius's friendships and his quarrels are also reflected in his letters. In these, he claimed only the power of foreseeing the future. Philostratus relates to several miracles performed by Apollonius. For example, he was either raised from death or revived from a death-like state the daughter of a Roman senator. He miraculously escaped death himself after being accused of treason by Nero and by Domitian. His teachings and legends influenced scientific thought and magical beliefs centuries after his death.

After further travels in Greece, Apollonius finally settled in Ephesus. Philostratus keeps up the mystery of his hero's life by saying, "Concerning the manner of his death, if he did die, the accounts are various." Philostratus seems to prefer a version in which Apollonius disappears mysteriously in the temple of the goddess Dictynna in Crete.

Philostratus' voluminous Life of Apollonius explains that the sage of Tyana was a teacher of asceticism whose personal knowledge featured not only an understanding of mathematics and philosophy but also direct revelations from the gods. Philostratus himself was an Athenian sophist and professional orator.

Apollonius has given a very famous formula for calculating the median of a triangle- known as the Apollonius theorem.

Apollonius Theorem

Enunciate Apollonius's Theorem and prove it geometrically.

The sum of the squares on any two sides of a triangle is equal to twice its Square on half the 3rd. along with twice its square on the median that bisects it.

AB² + AC² = 2 AD² + 2 BD²

Given:   A triangle ABC.

AD is a median, Such that BD=DC

To Prove: AB² + AC² = 2 AD² + 2 BD²

Const.   Draw AN perpendicular on BC.

Proof: In acute angled triangle ADC

Ac² = AD²+DC ² - 2 DC. DN                            (i)

In obtuse-angled triangle ADB.

AB² = AD² + BD² + 2 BD. DN                         (ii)

Or AC² + AB² = 2 AD² + 2BD²                       (adding i & ii) Because [BD =DC]-given

While emphasizing that Apollonius was indeed a worker of wonders, Philostratus proves false the notion that the sage of Tyana was a magician. The miracles that Apollonius performed were thus the result of his superior knowledge, not of wizardry or the ability to perform magic tricks.

Apollonius was believed to have believed in God as the supreme being, whom he conceived of as being fundamentally apart from the Universe, and completely perfect, needing nothing from human beings in terms of sacrifices or offerings. In terms of human relationships, prayers are unnecessary, but contemplation, both mystical and rational, is encouraged.

Apollonius became a hero because of his lifelong chastity, avoidance of alcohol, and devotion to a religion that rejected sacrifices to the Roman gods.

Apollonius was said to have warned the citizens of Greece of an approaching plague, but they ignored his warning until the disease struck. Remembering his prophecy, they sought further advice from the man they thought to be a mighty magician, who revealed that there was a wretched beggar among them who should be stoned to death. After the deed was done, the people removed the pile of stones under which they thought the beggar laid, however, they only found a black dog, which Apollonius explained was the actual cause of the plague.

The situation in which Apollonius was reported to have brought the daughter of a Roman consul back to life also won him widespread fame.

Apollonius is also said to have stopped one of his former students, Menippe of Corinth, from marrying a vampire. Apollonius appeared as a guest at the wedding parties before the dinner. He then did all the ceremonial meal services and some of the guests even disappeared, proving that they must have been an illusion created by the evil bride. He then made the young woman confess her identity, thereby rescuing Menippus from a terrible fate on his wedding night.

The late fourth-century Historia Augusta says that Apollonius appeared to Emperor Aurelian when he was blockading Tyana, Apollonius' hometown. The emperor supposedly claimed to have seen Apollonius speak to him, asking him to spare the city of his birth. "Aurelian, if you desire to rule, withdraw from the blood of the innocent!" Apollonius declared. "If you will conquer, be merciful!" Aurelian, who admired Apollonius, therefore spared Tyana.

Voltaire, (1694 -1778), a French writer too, has praised Apollonius.

In the twentieth century, Ezra Pound 1885 – 1972, a poet suggested Apollonius in his later Verses as a figure associated with sun-worship and a messianic rival to Christ. The poet also praises Apollonius' aversion to ancient Jewish animal sacrifice.

There is also a mystery surrounding Apollonius' death. Some reported that he fell out of favour with Emperor Severus, who put him on trial and had his hair cut off to remove his magical powers. Then Apollonius simply vanished from the courtroom, never to be seen again. Although his followers said that he had died, they nonetheless insisted he was taken up into heaven. Meanwhile, Philostratus related several other versions of Apollonius' death, including that the sage of Tyana vanished in the temple of the goddess Dictynna. Throughout the centuries, Apollonius has continued to exert significant influence. Coins were struck and statues erected commemorating him, and in Tyana, a temple was built and dedicated to him.

Ref: 

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Apollonius_of_Tyana

Apollonius of Tyana: Ancient Historical Resources www.mountainman.com.aus

Apollonius_of_Tyana history

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Divodasa- a tribal king

                                                             Divodasa- a tribal king

Divodasa ("heaven's servant") was a tribal king in the Rigveda. He was celebrated for his liberality and protected by Indra and the Ashvin’s in the Rigveda, RV 1.112.14; 1.116.18). He was the son of Vadhryashva RV 6.61.5.

Some sources say that Divodasa was king Bhimaratha’s son. He is the father of the famous king Sudas (RV 7.18.28). His name is mentioned in the Battle of the Ten Kings in which he had participated. Pijavana is the other name of Divodasa according to Rigveda. His son, Pratardana, is mentioned in the Kaushitaki Upanishad. Divodasa had another son called Sudas who became very famous.

Divodasa was invited in the Aswamedha Sacrifice performed by King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. He was the younger brother of Queen Sumitra and was a Brother-in-law of Dasharatha. He was also the son of King Bhimaratha and was a grandson of Lord Dhanvantari. It is also the name of a king of Kashi surnamed Dhanvantari as per the hymn (RV 10.179.2), the founder of the Indian school of medicine called Ayurveda.

A story of Divodasa goes that there was a Vedic or Aryan renovation of India after the Great Flood. This was at a much earlier period of the hymns. Here, the Aryans overthrew a related but spiritually fallen culture, which had troubled them and which at least some of them had fled from. The Vedic Aryans did not fight with unfamiliar peoples but with the members of their own culture who failed to maintain the spiritual law of the land.

Divodasa gave golden treasures to the Rsi Garga. Rigveda refers to niSkagrIva which is a golden ornament on the neck and necklaces of gold reaching down to the chest. Gold was smelted from the ores which evoke the Indian alchemical tradition enshrined in the soma rasa, later elaborated as the science of alchemy: rasa-vada. Gold was won from the riverbeds: Sindhu is called the hiraNmayI; Sarasvati is called hiraNyavartanI.

Ayurveda is described as science of life, and it was recalled by Brahma as mentioned in Ayurvedic treatises. Brahma transformed his noble knowledge to Prajapati Daksha. Later Daksha passed his legacy to Ashwin’s and Indra received knowledge from Ashwin’s. As per Sushruta opinion, Indra taught Ayurveda to Dhanwantari, the surgeon of gods represented as king Divodasa of Banaras (Kashiraja). Divodasa then transmitted medical knowledge with special reference to surgery to the wise men like Sushruta and others who approached him as pupils, out of sympathy for the suffering humanity and in order to prolong their own life. Patanjali, is one falling into folded hands. The name comes from a legend about his birth which says that Seṣa, the divine serpent-king, incarnated as a snakelet and fell into the folded hands (Anjali Mudra) of a Brahmin. Another explanation describes the word as (He for whom the folded hands of people are falling is Patanjali). The compound name Patan jali: "Patan" is 'bank' and "Jal" is 'water', in the Sindhi language of the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

References:

1.            Raj Kumar (18 August 2003). Know The Vedas at A Glance. New Delhi: Pustak Mahal. p. 98. ISBN 978-81-223-0848-8. Retrieved 13 September 2017.

2.K. C. Singhal; Roshan Gupta (2003). The Ancient History of India, Vedic Period: A New Interpretation. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 58. ISBN 978-81-269-0286-6.

3.            M. C. Joshi (1986). Princes and polity in ancient India. Jodhpur: Kusumanjali Prakashan. p. 53.

4.Singh, Rana P.B.; Pravin S. Rana (2002). Banaras Region: A Spiritual and Cultural Guide. Varanasi: Indica Books. p. 31. ISBN 81-86569-24-3.

 

King Sudas

King Sudas, the son of Divodasa was an Indo-Aryan tribal king of the Bharatas, during the main or middle Rigvedic period (c. 14th century BCE).^[1] He led his tribe to victory in the Battle of the Ten Kings near the Paruṣṇi (modern Ravi River) in Punjab,^[2] defeating an alliance of the powerful Puru tribe with other tribes, for which he was praised by his purohita Vashistha in a hymn of the Rigveda. His victory established the dominance and superiority of the Bharata clan, allowing them to move eastwards and settle in Kurukshetra, paving the way for the emergence of the Kuru "super-tribe" or tribal union, which dominated northern India in the subsequent period.^[3]

Sudas is mentioned in Rigveda as the chief of Bharatas who conquered the ten-kings coalition and groupings.^[2] It is further mentioned that the king replaced Vashistha with Visvamitra as his priest, thereby creating a rivalry between the two. The ten-kings, viz. Puru, Yadu, Turvasa, Adu, Druhyu, Alina, Paktha, Bhalanas, Siva and Vishanin, then revolted against king Sudas but were defeated by him. He also fought Ajas, Sigrus and Yakshus soon after.^[4]

[1]. Witzel, Michael (2000). "The Languages of Harappa". In Kenoyer, J. Proceedings of the conference on the Indus civilization.

[2]. Mookherji 1988, p. 1.

[3]. Witzel, Michael (1995), "Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state", EJVS vol. 1 no. 4 (1995)

[4]. Sen 1999, p. 41.

SOCIAL GROUPING BASED ON OCCUPATION

 SOCIAL GROUPING BASED ON OCCUPATION

"For the three varnas, three pursuits have been indicated in the sacred texts... When these are followed, the world's welfare is ensured."

Social organization in the age of the epics was based on the chaturvarna, a broad, four-fold division of society based on occupation. It is likely that this was initially an open, fluid grouping that became increasingly rigid over time. Conventionally traced to the Purusha Sukia hymn of the Rig Veda, chaturvama looks at society as an organism with its head, hands, thighs, and feet formed by those involved in ritual, administration, trade, and service activities. These make up the four varnas-Brahman. Kshatriya. Vaishya, and Shudra. In the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna explains the origin and function of the caste system to Arjuna, telling him, "This fourfold order was established by me on the basis of the divisions of quality and work. But though I have created it, understand that 1 am incapable of action or change. The division of society into varnas, therefore, assumed divine origin and sanction.

To use the term "caste" for varna is not strictly accurate, for each varna is further divided into smaller groups-jatis-whose rules of membership more closely match the Western definition of caste. However, in common usage, caste is used interchangeably for both varna and jati. It broadly refers to an endogamous group, its position in the social order is defined by occupation and entry into it is defined by birth.

Lal Vakh -'Kokkali sath kula gatchan Patali,' - A saying from a Kashmiri saint poetess.

 Kokkali sath kula gatchan Patali,

Akali zal mal varshun peun,

Mamas tanki ti mus ki piyalai,

Brahman ti chrali ikvath khen.

Lal Ded, a saint poetess from Kashmir (India) says a time will come when shudras will follow the conduct meant for brahmanas. With the change of ‘yuga’ Brahmanas will be seated in the same row and eat the sacrificial food together. She says that there will be men who will be devoted to falsehood, those who are addicted to liquor and flesh, and those who regard their wives as enemies. Thieves will follow the conduct of kings and kings will follow the conduct of thieves. She says that servants will enjoy what they have not been instructed to enjoy. Riches will be praised, and the conduct of the virtuous will not be revered.

Lal Ded refers to the time - when it is the end of a yuga, those who are outcasts will not be condemned. Mortals will be devoid of their senses. They will sport disheveled hair or shave their heads. Without attaining the age of sixteen years, men will have children. When it is the end of a yuga, inhabitants will sell food, auspicious objects will be sold at the crossroads and women will sell their hair. Everyone will speak about the brahman.

The brahmanas will sell austerities, sacrifices, and the truth of the Vedas. When it is the end of a yuga, the seasons will behave in a contrary fashion. Shudras will observe dharma. They will display their white teeth and not lower their eyes. They will shave their heads and dress themselves in ochre garments. There will be many predatory beasts and the number of cattle will decline. When it is the end of a yuga, tasty food will be difficult to come by and learning will decline.

When it is the end of a yuga, inferior subjects will be allowed to go everywhere. When the yuga is destroyed, two-year-old bulls will be used to plough and till and the rain will shower down in extraordinary ways. When the yuga withdraws itself, men will no longer follow dharma. The land will become a desert and highways will traverse through the interiors of cities. When it is Kali-yuga, everyone will become a trader. Sons will no longer render offerings to their ancestors. Driven by avarice and falsehood, they will act against each other and steal each other's shares. When it is the end of a yuga, women who have lost their beauty, form, and riches, will still decorate their hair. When it is the end of a yuga, householders will no longer possess a refuge and will be terrified. They will believe that no one should be loved as much as a wife. There will be many who are wicked in conduct and ignoble. Nevertheless, they will be handsome.

There will be few men and many women. There will be many beggars in this world, and they will give to each other. The kings will punish and afflict those who are not thieves and people will face destruction. Seeds sown will not lead to crops. The young will follow the conduct of the old. When the yuga is over, people will be happy with whatever they obtain in this world. Harsh winds will blow during the rainy season, inferior and laced with showers of stones. When it is the end of a yuga, there will be suspicion about the world hereafter. Kings will follow the conduct of Vaishyas and earn a living from riches and grain. When the yuga is over, brahmanas will also follow this kind of conduct. There will be violations of agreements and contracts. As the yuga starts to decay, debts will not be repaid. When the yuga is destroyed, the pursuit of future fruits will be unsuccessful.

Joy and anger will be successful among men. For the sake of milk, even goats will be milked. Those who do not know the sacred texts will behave as if they are wise. When it is the end of a yuga, they will nevertheless become trainers of the sacred texts. Without consulting the elders, everyone will be presumed to know everything. Kings will generally be thieves.

Shudras, deceitful people, and drunkards become teachers of the brahman and perform horse sacrifices. When the end of the yuga presents itself, brahmanas become greedy for riches and perform sacrifices for those for whom sacrifices should not be performed and eat that which should not be eaten. They desire objects of pleasure and do not study anything. Women adorn themselves with a single conch shell and bind themselves up with gavedhuka.

Sons engage fathers in tasks and daughters-in-law employ mothers-in-law. Men will have intercourse with women who are not from their own varnas. Men who observe agnihotra sacrifices will eat without having performed the required rites earlier. By offering shares of sacrifices as alms, men will themselves eat them first. While husbands are asleep, wives will cheat and go to someone else. While wives are asleep, men will go to the wives of others. Everyone will have some disease and some kind of mental suffering. Everyone will envy others. When the era ends, people will harm others without having been injured earlier.

 

lizards

Lizards are scaly-skinned reptiles, closely related to snakes but usually distinguished by the possession of legs, movable eyelids, and external ear openings. Most of the 3,000 living species of lizards live in warm regions of the Earth. Some species of lizards are found nearly at the Arctic Circle in Eurasia and others to the southern tip of South America. The lizards are usually considered part of the reptilian order Squamata.

Lizards are by far the most diverse group of modern reptiles in body shape and size. They range in total length from geckos of 1.2 inches to lizards of 10 feet. The adult weight varies from less than a gram (0.04 ounce) to more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds).

Lizards occupy diverse habitats underground, on elevated vegetation, and on other desert sands. The mosasaurs, an extinct family, were strictly marine. Some were giants, attaining lengths of 10 meters (33 feet), with an elongated head, short neck, and long thin body and tail. No other surviving species are marine, but several are partially aquatic, feeding on freshwater organisms.

Some large species (iguanas) are eaten, and others are used for leather goods. Predators, such as the tegu, can be pests around chicken farms, but the vast majority are vastly insectivorous or consume undesirable rodents. Lizards are valued as subjects for biological research. The varied modes of reproduction and the ability to regulate body temperatures are two of the many areas for study. Lizards are quite popular house pets.

Most lizards reproduce by laying eggs. In some small species, the number of eggs is rather uniform from each egg laying or clutch. For example, all anoles Lay but a single egg at a time; mini geckos lay one or two eggs and some skinks have fixed clutches of two eggs.

Clutch size varies with the size, age, and condition of the mother.  A clutch of four to eight eggs may be considered typical, but large species such as iguanas may lay 50 or more eggs at a time.

Lizard eggs are usually leathery shelled and porous and can expand by absorption of moisture as the embryo grows. An exception occurs in most egg-laying geckos, whose eggs have shells that harden and soon after deposition and then show no further change in size or shape.

Some lizards bear live young. Ovoviviparous forms essentially retain eggs in the oviduct with no definite shell laid down, whereas truly Viviparus forms have a placenta.

Most lizard populations are evenly divided between females and males. Deviations from this pattern are found in parthenogenetic (all female) species, in which the young are produced from unfertilized eggs. Many species dig holes in which the eggs are placed, others bury them under leaf litter or utilize a hole in a tree or cave. Some species, however, notably the five-lined skink of the United States, remain with their eggs throughout incubation time (about six weeks), leaving only infrequently to feed. These skinks turn the eggs regularly and, if the eggs are experimentally scattered, will return them to the nest cavity. As soon as the young disperse, family ties are severed.

Certain lizards, particularly some geckos, are known to be collective egg-layers, many females depositing their eggs at the same site. Whether this is due to social interaction or simply to ideal site conditions has not been determined.

Juvenile lizards are essentially miniature adults; they do not go through any larval phase. They often differ from the adult in color or pattern and in certain body proportions. For example, the heads of hatchling lizards of some species tend to be proportionally larger than those of adults. Certain ornamental structures, such as the throat fan of the male American chameleon (Anolis) or the horns of some true chameleons, develop as the lizards become sexually mature.

Some of the smaller lizards mature very quickly. The young hatch in July and reach sexual maturity that autumn. At this time males undergo spermatogenesis and mating takes place. Large lizards may take several years to reach sexual maturity.

Lizards are cold-blooded and tend to assume the temperature of their surroundings. The preferred body temperature plays a critical physiological role in the life of a lizard. It has been demonstrated in the laboratory that animals kept without the opportunity to achieve the preferred temperature may be unable to attain the normal reproductive condition or may become sterilized There is also evidence that enzymes catalyze reactions most efficiently at or near the preferred body temperature. The diversity of lizard species decreases with increasing latitude or with high altitudes. Water is less of a problem to lizards than is temperature. All reptiles excrete uric acid and hence do not need great amounts of liquid to get rid of nitrogenous wastes. Many lizards have salt glands for active excretion of mineral salts. Deserts, therefore, do not pose severe problems to lizards and serve as a major habitat for the group.

Lizards themselves are food for many birds, mammals, and reptiles, and they have many defensive mechanisms. Some live close to rock piles. When danger threatens, they move into crevices and puff themselves up so that extrication is most difficult. Several spiny-tailed forms also move into crevices and expose only the formidable tail. Perhaps the highest development of this sort of defense is found in the African armadillo lizard (Cordylus), which holds its tail in its mouth with the forefeet and presents a totally spiny appearance to an attacker. To intimidate intruders on its territory. the frilled lizard of Australia (Chlamydosaurus) extends a throat frill almost as wide as the lizard is long. The tails of many lizards break off (autotomize) easily. The broken-off section wriggles rapidly, distracting the predator as the tailless lizard scurries for cover.

Most lizards are quadrupedal, with powerful limb musculature. They are capable of rapid acceleration and possess a great ability to change the direction of motion rapidly. The race runners (Cnemidophorus) can attain speeds of 24 kilometers (15 miles) per hour. A tendency toward elongation of the body is found in some families, often accompanied by reduction of limb length and, not infrequently, complete loss of limbs. Such lizards propel themselves entirely by lateral waves emanating from highly complicated ventral abdominal musculature. Limbless lizards that move quickly on the surface or through sand tend to have elongated tails (Ophisaurus the glass "snake"), whereas the burrowers have extremely reduced tails (amphisbaenians). The burrowers (amphisbaenians in particular) dig by ramming the head into the substrate, then rotating the head around the head joint.

The true chameleons, a predominantly arboreal family, have a different type of highly specialized limb. The digits on each foot are divided into two groups by webs of skin. On the hind limb, three of the toes are on the outside, two on the inside; on the forelimb, the pattern is reversed. Each foot is thus divided into an outer and an inner portion, which can be opposed as the branch is gripped. In addition, some lizards have prehensile tails, which aid in grasping branches.

Some lizards can parachute or glide through the air and make soft landings. The most highly adapted of these are the flying lizards (Draco), which have extensible lateral expansions of the skin, supported by elongate ribs.

Except for openings of nostrils. mouth, eyes, and cloaca, most lizards are completely covered in scales. Scales may be smooth and overlapping or have keels or tubercles. The outer parts of the scales are composed of dead horny tissue made of the protein keratin. The dead layer is shed at intervals and is replaced by proliferating cells in the deep part of the epidermis.

Many lizards can show some colour change. Two groups, the chameleons and the anoles, are particularly noteworthy in this ability. They can change from bright green to deep, chocolate brown, and patterns such as lines and bars may appear and disappear. The pigment cells that permit colour change are melanophores. Within these cells, pigment granules can migrate. In general, the animal is light when the pigment is concentrated and dark when it is dispersed throughout the cells. The actual color seems to be controlled by an interaction of hormones, temperature, and the nervous system.

Lizards are reptiles, a group characterized by the presence of an opening in the temporal bone of the skull. The reptiles include the crocodiles, pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and the more primitive lizards, and snakes.

Ref:

Encyclopedia Britannica

New Book of Knowledge

 

The Magic Elephant

A King had a beautiful white elephant. On festival days the King would ride the elephant and pass through the streets. Everyone would praise the elephant and not the King. The King become jealous of the elephant and wanted to get rid of him. The King called the trainer of the elephant and said," The Elephant is not well trained.”

The trainer said, “Sire he is."

The King then said," Show me if he can climb a mountain. "

The trainer rode on the elephant and went up the mountain. The king and his men followed on a horse back and reached the mountain top.

The King said." If the elephant 's well trained, make him to stand on three legs.”

The trainer again signalled and the elephant strid on three legs. Now make him to stand on two front legs," said the king

The trainer again signalled, and the elephant stood on two legs. The king again said, " Make him to stand on one leg", and the elephant stood on one leg.

 The King gave a thought and said, “If he is so well trained, make him to stand in the air!”

At this the trainer whispered in the elephant’s ear," Great white elephant, the king wants you to fall from the mountain to die. He is not worthy of you, you have the magic power, rise in the air, and fly with me to the next Kingdom.”

The white elephant rose in the air. The trainer yelled to the king, “This great elephant is too good for a worthless fool like you; only a wise King is worthy of this elephant.” They flew to next Kingdom, whose wise King attacked the worthless to ashes.

Moral - Pride leads to a fall, but humility is rewarded in the end.