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Articles: Moral Stories | Panchatantra stories
- Mr. Siri Siri
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Long ago, there was a temple in an isolated place. People had abandoned the temple for unknown reasons. With time, a sage named Devsharma began to live in the temple. He had amassed a lot of wealth through all fair and unfair means. Because of his lust and greed for money he did not ever believe or trust anyone and kept all the wealth with him. He often worried about how he would take care of his wealth. It also said that
To earn money there is sorrow; to take care of such wealth is sorrow; sorrow in earning and sorrow in spending it. Thus such wealth itself is worth giving up. After sometime a robber named Aashadbhuti came to learn about the wealth. He took a resolution to somehow steal the wealth. One day, disguising as a hermit, Aashadbhuti came to Devsharma and said: 'This world is meaningless, youth is like a river flowing from a mountain, life is like a fire, it is lust and desire like the clouds of autumn and friends, sons, wife and all of them are not more than a dream. I realize all this but I suspect if I will be able to cross this world'.
Devsharma said to the Sanyasi respectfully: 'You are blessed my son. This type of detachment has been created in you life quite easily. I agree to the fact that whoever is detached and calm initially shall remain so till the end. You start reciting the mantra 'AUM NAMAHA SHIVAAY'
Aashadbhuti accepted Devsharma as his guru. But still Devsharma remained suspicious of Aashadbhuti and didn't allow him into the temple at night. Aashadbhuti started obeying Devsharma in all the way he could but still couldn't win his trust. Then he began to think about the ways to kill Devsharma like slitting his throat with a sharp weapon or strangulate him or to make him drink poison.
One day, Devsharma got an invitation for a thread ceremony from a nearby village. Accompanied by Aashadbhuti, Devsharma set out for the village. On the way, Devsharma wanted to have a bath in the river and perform his daily worship. He kept the bag, in which he had stuffed all his money and wealth on the bank and instructed Aashadbhuti to guard it 'Until I return from the bath, you take care of Bhagwan Yogeshwara.'
As soon as Devsharma turned away, Aashadbhuti picked the wealth and escaped from the scene. While returning, Devsharma happened to witness a fight between two rams. In the fight, one of the rams lost its life and a jackal had started licking the blood that oozed out from the ram's head. A thought surpassed the mind of Devsharma, 'This jackal is so foolish, had he come between the rams he would have been smashed to death'. Thinking about all this, Devsharma reached the place where he had left his money in custody of Aashadbhuti. But Aashadbhuti was no longer there. Thus robbed deceitfully, Devsharma was dejected. He then began to follow the footprints left by Aashadbhuti. Walking continuously he reached a nearby village by evening.
In that village, a weaver was going along with his wife to drink Toddy. The weaver requested Devsharma to accept his hospitality. Devsharma agreed. The weaver told his wife to take Devsharma home and he went to fetch the Toddy. But the weaver's wife was a licentious woman. She started flirting with Devsharma as she escorted him home.
The woman made Devsharma sit on a wooden bedstead and started to bedeck herself. She was about to seduce Devsharma when her husband arrived. Seeing him from a distance, she immediately removed all her ornaments and donned normal attire again. Unfortunately, her husband had already seen her flirting with Devsharma. He beat his wife up brutally and tied her to a hook. Since he was drunk and tired he fell asleep.
At the same time, her companion came and seeing that her husband had fallen asleep told her that Devsharma was waiting for her outside. The weaver's wife said that she was tied and would not go. Her friend said -
'They are great who enjoy all the pleasures in their youth.' The weaver's wife freed herself from the rope and tied her companion in her place. Then she went to meet Devsharma. In the meanwhile, the weaver awakened and started calling his wife. He said- 'Swear that you shall not go anywhere and not have physical relations with any other man or I shall cut your nose.' But the friend did not speak a word. In a rage, the weaver severed the nose of the woman tied there mistaking her for his wife. After that he fell asleep once again. Because of darkness he could not recognize whether he was cutting his wife's nose or of someone else.
When the weaver's wife returned, she saw her friend's plight and felt sorry. She freed her from the hook and tied herself once again. After sometime the weaver woke up once again and started shouting: 'Tell me, will you go again anywhere or I shall even cut your ears.'
At that time his wife too started crying loudly- 'O Lord, if I am committed to my husband, may I regain my cut nose. Even if I have not had sexual relations with anyone other than my husband may my nose be like before, O Lord of mercy, save me.' She said to her husband: 'Look at me, I am not licentious, see I have regained my nose.' Seeing this, the weaver was taken aback and accepted that she was loyal to him. He freed her and also begged for her pardon. Seeing all this, Devsharma said:
One should not be deeply attached to women, one should not challenge them because women tend to seduce the attached men in the same way people play and harass a crow whose wings have been cut.
Devsharma spent the night engrossed in such kind of thoughts. On the other hand, the barber's wife, whose nose had been cut, was trying to hide her disfigured nose.
Right then her husband, who had gone to the king's palace, returned and demanded the razor box from his wife. He did not enter the house, as he was very tired. His wife picked one razor from the razor box and threw it to her husband. The barber who was expecting the whole razor box became very angry. He threw back that razor towards his wife. His wife was waiting for this opportunity. She started crying: 'Help me! See this wicked man has severed my nose without any reason.'
Listening to her cries, people came running towards her. A policeman also arrived there and gave the barber a nice thrashing. After that both the barber and his wife were taken to the court.
The barber was unable to defend himself. Taking clue from his silence, the judge ordered him to be hanged. When he was being taken to the gallows, Devsharma arrived and narrated the whole story to the police, right from the fight of the rams to the story of the licentious wife of the weaver and the incident that took place that night. Thus the barber's life was saved and the real culprit i.e. his wife was also accorded light punishment. Devsharma then returned to his place, forgetting everything about his lost wealth.
Finishing the tale, Kartak said: 'Just as all the three were polluted by their own flaws, similarly I have been polluted with my own crime.'
Kartak then asked Damanak what should be done. Damanak replied: 'Even in this darkest hour, I will separate Sanjeevak from my master using my intelligence.' Kartak warned him that if any of Sanjeevak or Pingalak come to know about this conspiracy the heaven would fall. But Damanak assured him that nothing of that sort would happen. 'Because a man should not lose his heart in the adversity. Sometimes, men who are of firm will, establish great empire.
At last Damanak said: 'Even Brahma can not know about the well managed hipprocracy, just as the weaver, who made love with a princess disguising himself as Lord Vishnu.'
Kartak curiously asked: 'What is this story?' Damanak then narrated the story of Kaulik.
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