Egotism destroys effects of meditation

The great sage Bhrigu had a descendant, and he went into tapasya, a meditative stance. He came to be known as Rishi Paranda, because he progressively gave up most foods, and shifted to eating just grass. Green leaves and grass are called paran in Sanskrit. Many years passed. One day, he was gathering grass for a meal, when his scythe cut his fingers.

To his surprise, there was no blood, just a greenish sap, which oozed out of his body. A great sense of achievement arose in his mind — through his meditation, he had managed the impossible — a human being whose veins did not carry blood, just a green sap. And he danced with joy, and he would not stop.

Lord Shiva was approached to speak to Paranda, since he was Shiva’s disciple. Shiva went to see him, in the garb of an acetic. He approached the dancing Paranda and asked him the reason for his mirth. Rishi Paranda repeated that his achievement was the greatest, when he had developed sap instead of blood in his veins. Shiva tried to dissuade him, that only He was great and greatest, but Paranda was drunk with perceived achievement. Lord Shiva then said that he had been eating ashes all his life, perhaps he should check his veins too. And he sliced through his fingers. Rishi Paranda is dumbstruck, for lo and behold, there is no blood in Shiva too. Instead, only ash dripped from his veins.

In an instant, he realises his folly of becoming egoistic. Lord Shiva teaches him that egotism destroys all effects of meditation, for the ego will look for happenings to build itself, whereas the objective is to sublimate the iti. Any meditation that brings pride and ego is not acceptable to Him. Guru Granth Sahib says: The Dear Lord is not pleased by egotism; the Vedas proclaim this clearly./ The egotist shall not find salvation. They die, and are reborn in reincarnation.