Favorite Pantheon Myth

My personal favorite Pantheon myth is Indra and the Parade of Ants, mostly because of the lesson that is learned from it.  Indra, the King of gods, orders Vishvakarma to build him a great palace; however, he demands more and more and is still never satisfied.  At last, exhausted, Vishvakarma asks Brahma the Creator for help. Brahma in turn appeals to Vishnu, the Supreme Being. Vishnu visits Indra's palace in the form of a Brahmin boy and Indra welcomes him in. Vishnu praises the King of gods' palace, casually adding that no former Indra had succeeded in building such a palace.  At one point a parade of ants enter the hall at which the young boy laughs.  When Indra asks what is so funny, the boy replies saying that the ants are all former Indras.  This is a wonderful turning point for the greedy Indra.  The ants represent the downfall of former Indras who were once highly respected like the current King of gods.  These ants show the consequences that can occur from one's wrongful actions.  A quote from the story that explains this is, "Piety and high deeds elevate the inhabitants of the world to the glorious realm of the celestial mansions, or to the higher domains of Brahma and Shiva and to the highest sphere of Vishnu; but wicked acts sink them into the worlds beneath, into pits of pain and sorrow, involving reincarnation among birds and vermin, or out of the wombs of pigs and animals of the wild, or among trees, or among insects."  This parade of ants really serve as a wake up call for Indra, in that, he no longer wishes to live his life of luxury, but rather, he decides to become a hermit and seek wisdom.  I think this serves as a great lesson for anyone; no matter how high in social ranking.  Our actions are always followed by consequences and can ultimately determine our fate.  Indra recognized his greediness and arrogance and was later humbled by seeking wisdom, which I think is a great way to live life.