Upanishad Stories - Winning Over Inner Enemies - 4: The Story of Yaksha and Devas

Once upon a time, after a great battle between the Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons), the Devas emerged victorious. Filled with joy, they held a grand celebration. Each deity proudly believed that it was their own leader’s power that had ensured the victory.
Vayu, the wind god, proudly blew cool breezes; Agni, the fire god, shone brightly in flames; Indra, the king of gods, sounded thunder and brought showers as a symbol of victory.

Just then, a radiant, golden, and glowing form appeared at a distance—resplendent and luminous, in the form of a Yaksha (divine being). Startled and curious, the Devas looked at each other in awe and fear, wondering, “Who is this being?”

Indra, noticing their confusion, instructed Agni: “Go and find out who this Yaksha is.”
Agni, feeling superior and honored to be chosen by Indra, confidently approached the Yaksha, thinking of how he would question him.

But before Agni could ask anything, the Yaksha asked him, “Who are you?”
Offended at being questioned, Agni replied, “I am Agni—the one who carries offerings from humans to the gods. I am well-versed in all the Vedas. People call me Jātavedas.”

The Yaksha then asked, “What power do you have?”
Agni, irritated, responded, “I can burn anything in the universe in an instant.”
The Yaksha placed a small blade of grass in front of him and said, “Burn this.”

Agni felt humiliated by this challenge. He sent a flame toward the grass—but nothing happened. He increased his intensity—still no effect. Agni himself approached the grass and used all his strength, but not a spark touched it. Defeated, he returned to the other Devas and said with shame, “I could not figure out who that Yaksha is.”

Then, Indra turned to Vayu, the wind god, and said, “O Vayu, you go and find out who this Yaksha is.”
Vayu recalled his own greatness and power and approached the Yaksha.

Just like before, the Yaksha asked Vayu, “Who are you? And what power do you have?”
Vayu introduced himself, “I am the omnipresent wind, the life force of all beings. I am called Mātariśvā. I have the power to uproot anything in the universe.”

The Yaksha pointed to the same blade of grass and challenged, “Move this.”
Vayu exerted all his power, but the grass did not even stir. Like Agni, he too returned humbled and admitted his failure.

This time, Indra himself decided to go and find out who the Yaksha was. But as he approached, the Yaksha vanished. Indra could not even catch a glimpse of the mysterious being.
He sat in silence, deeply introspecting, wondering what flaw within him had prevented the vision. Realizing his own pride, he repented and resolved:
“I will not return without understanding the truth about this Yaksha.”

At that moment, from the same place where the Yaksha had disappeared, a divine, radiant female form appeared. It was Uma Haimavati, the goddess of wisdom, the embodiment of Brahma Vidya (supreme knowledge).

Indra bowed before her and humbly asked, “Who was that Yaksha?”
Uma replied:
"The being you saw was none other than the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate reality. It was by His grace alone that you all achieved victory over the Asuras. To destroy your pride and awaken your understanding, that Supreme Being manifested in the form of a Yaksha."

She then taught the knowledge of the Self (Atma Vidya) to Indra.
Enlightened by this sacred wisdom, Indra returned to the divine assembly and shared the knowledge with Agni, Vayu, and the other Devas.

---

Life Lessons from the Story

1. Pride must never follow victory – humility sustains success.
2. Success is not just due to human effort, but also the grace of the Divine.
3. Where the ego exists, the realization of So'ham (“I am That”) is not possible.
4. If even gods like Indra needed a Guru to attain Self-knowledge, then we humans definitely require the guidance of a Guru on our path.
5. Even the Devas exhibit arrogance, pride, and ignorance at times—but what sets them apart is their willingness to introspect and grow.
     
   Thus, we too must stay alert every moment, striving to eliminate asuric (demonic) traits within us and nourish the divine qualities through spiritual practice.

(Based on Kena Upanishad)