Once there was a battle between the devas and the asuras. Due to the power of Paramãtmã the devas won. However, the devas forgot about the grace and the all-doership of Paramãtmã and became arrogant. They began to boast,  ‘This victory is due to our own effort and strength. This is our own glory.’

Compassionate Paramãtmã thought, ‘The asuras were overcome through my grace, but now the poor devas have been overcome by evil (asuri) instincts. If this arrogance increases, the victory over the asuras will only result in misery. To attain true bliss, the devas should attain the knowledge of who is the root source of all energy.’ With this thought, Paramãtmã took the unusual form of a yaksha (a deity).

As they celebrated, the devas saw this yaksha but could not recognize who it was. Agni-deva (the deva of fire) was sent to inquire further. Before Agni-deva could ask anything, the yaksha asked, “Who are you?” – ‘I am Agni,’ he replied. The yaksha asked further, – ‘What is your ability?’– ‘I can burn anything on earth,’ boasted Agni-deva. Hearing this, the yaksha placed a blade of grass in front of him and asked him to burn it. Agni tried to burn it with all his might, but – ‘he could not burn the blade of grass’. Therefore, embarrassed and disappointed, Agni turned back without obtaining any information about the yaksh. He told the devas, – ‘I cannot understand who this yaksha is’ .

Vayu-deva (the wind-god) was then sent. He also had the same conversation with the yaksha. ‘What is your ability?’ the yaksha asked. ‘I can blow away everything on earth!’ replied Vayu. The yaksha put a blade of grass in front of him and asked him to blow it away. Vayu tried, but it did not move at all. He tried again with all his might, but the blade of grass did not move even the slightest. His ego was shattered. Embarrassed and disappointed, he did not even remember to ask the yaksha who he was, and returned, crestfallen.
 

When both these devas returned unsuccessful, Indra himself prepared to go. But when Indra reached the spot, the yaksha disappeared. In his place, Indra saw a beautiful woman. It was the goddess Parvati. Indra asked her about the yaksha.

Parvatiji  revealed, “The yaksha was Paramãtmã himself. It is due to him that you were victorious against the asuras.” Hearing this, Indra realized that they had been falsely arrogant and that the true glory is that of Paramãtmã’s since he is the all-doer. Indra humbly departed and Parvati disappeared. Indra then informed the devas. Being the first devas to attain the knowledge of the all-doership of Paramãtmã, Indra, was considered to be the greatest amongst them.

The essence of this conversation is that everything happens by the supreme will of the lord. Without his strength and will nothing can be done to even a blade of grass. Therefore, one should never be arrogant. But, due to our desire to relish the success, we try to bask in the glory by constantly thinking that it was I who achieved this, if it were not me, nobody else would have done this. 

But we never remember that we are after all instruments or puppets in the hands of the lord. Everyone of us is assigned certain role to play. The scripttt has been made and the actors have been decided in advance. 

As Shakespeare has rightly said, ''All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.''

Thus, we should never be falsely proud of ourself. After all we are mere instrument of the Lord who is the Supreme controller of multiple universes, whose scheme is not even known to the Vedas. That is why even Vedas refer to him as 'Neti Neti'. (Not this Not this) while singing his glory. 

(This story is from the Kena Upanishad and it is one of my favourite story.)