Join a gathering of three of four humans, and soon the conversation turns to negativity about those not present. The practice of deception and deceit runs deep, and causes us much grief. The scriptures say it so:
Committing robberies, falsehoods and abuses.
He practices deceptions and secret deeds, night and day, against his fellow beings.
Sage Durvasa is also said to be the teacher of Lord Krishna. The war of Mahabharat has ended, and he is visiting Dwarka. Some relatives of Lord Krishna plan out an intricate game to deceive the great sage. They place an iron pitcher on a boy’s stomach, and tie it up in layers of cloth. The boy is then dressed up as a woman, and thus looks pregnant. A veil is pulled across his face. The group reaches Sage Durvasa’s ashram, and then seeks audience. As they sit down, one of them points to the boy who is looking like a pregnant woman, and tries to deceive the sage by asking whether a boy or girl will be born. The sage is quiet, and does not speak, but the group of deceivers will not stop asking.
Annoyed, Durvasa says, “What will be born will destroy your generation.” The group is scared of the curse, and rushes to take out the pitcher. They decide to rub it on a stone in water, so that it loses any possibility of harm. They rub away the whole pitcher, save a little piece they consider harmless, and throw it into the water. This is swallowed by a fish, which is caught by a hunter, who retrieves the sharp iron piece, and uses it as an arrow tip. This became the arrow that was mistakenly fired at the resting Lord Krishna.
Guru Granth Sahib refers to this incident, as penned by the great Bhakti movement saint, Bhagat Namdev:
The Yadavs tried to deceive Durvasa,
And they reaped a terrible fruit.
The scriptures warn us against falling prey to the habit of slander and deceit. They guide us to be positive, and see Him in all creation.