Indra was the King of Heaven. Ugly gods called Garudas or Asuras also lived in Heaven. Indra wanted to remove these bad spirits from Heaven. Thus, he once invited them to a party and tricked them to go to a lower world. When the Asuras realised what Indra had done, they declared war on him and forced him to run away. Soon, Indra reached the forest where the Garudas lived in their mighty abode. As Indra’s chariot rushed past the Garudas’ abode, it knocked the baby Garudas down on the ground. Indra was troubled to see the babies hurt. He realised his mistake and said, “I will not destroy even one life for the sake of a heavenly kingdom!” Then, he turned back to offer his life to the Asuras. However, as they saw him come their way, the Asuras became scared and ran back to the lower world.
Moral: Peace and compassion are mightier than war.
