28 MORAL FABLES FROM SANSKRIT LITERATURE-TALE 10

The Story of a Trader's son

In a certain village there was a son of a trader by name Jirnadhana. He thought of going to foreign countries due to the loss of wealth.  Having enjoyed all pleasures according to one’s capacity or affordability in a place or country if one were to live in the same place or country even after the loss of wealth, then  he is indeed the worst of men.

Moreover - If one, who has once gracefully spent his life with pride, now utters pitiable words then he is indeed a wretched man.  

In his house there was a balance along with iron weights earned by his forefathers. Keeping that balance as a deposit in the house of Sreshthi (a person belonging to trading community) he set out for a foreign country. Having roamed about in the foreign country for a long time he came back to his place and spoke to the Sreshti - ‘Oh Sreshtin! Give me that balance which I had kept as a deposit under your custody’. He (Sreshti) said –‘Oh Sir!  your balance is not here. It had been eaten by rats’. Jirnadhana said – ‘If it had been eaten by rats then it is not your fault. The world is like this. Nothing is permanent here. But now I am going to the river for taking bath. You please send your son Dhanadeva with me carrying the materials of bath (carrying the accessories of bath such as fresh garments, a towel, soap etc.) in his hand. He too suspecting that Jirnadhana may accuse him of the theft (of the balance) and also due to the fear of the theft committed by him told his son-‘my dear son! This is your paternal uncle. He is going to the river for taking bath. Hence go with him taking the materials of bath. 

For, nobody does anything for the other merely out of devotion. He does it through fear, avarice or due to some motive (lit.a cause leading to the effect).

Moreover - Where an excessive regard is shown, without there being a cause for it, there a suspicion should be entertained, that would lead to happiness at the end.

Then that son of the trader with his mind full of joy started to go with the visitor taking the materials of bath. That trader, having taken bath in the river, kept the boy in a cave of the river and closed the entry with a very big boulder and returned home quickly. Sreshtin asked the trader-‘where is my son whom you took with you to the river’?  He told him that his son was taken away by an eagle from the bank of the river.  

The Sreshtin said –‘You liar! Can an eagle take away a boy at any point of time? Give me my son back. Otherwise I will inform the government (court). He (the trader) said –‘Just as the boy is taken away by the eagle in the same way the rats have eaten away the balance along with iron weights. Therefore you give me my balance if you have any use of your son.

Thus arguing with each other they went to the court. There the Sreshtin spoke with a loud voice –‘Oh! Judges!  My son has been kidnapped by this thief (rogue). Then the Judges asked the trader to give the son back (to the Sreshtin). The trader said –‘What shall I do?  As I was looking his child (son) was taken away by an Eagle from the bank of the river. Hearing his speech they (the Judges) said -‘You have not spoken the truth. Is an eagle capable of lifting a boy’? He (the trader) said – Oh! Honorable men! Please hear my words. Where the balance and iron weights are eaten by rats there Oh! King! There the eagle shall eat the boy. There is no doubt in this matter. They (the judges) said –‘How is this’? Then the Sreshtin informed the Judges (lit.civilised people) the entire story from the beginning. Then they laughed at both of them and making them understand each other they also made them happy by giving the child and the balance.

Moral of the story:-

"Kruthe prathikruthim kuryaath himsithe prathihimsitham l

  Thathra dhosham na pasyaamas sate saatyam samaachareth ll"

"If any one helps you, please reciprocate. But if any troubles you, react with the same.  There is nothing wrong.  One should show the rogue-ness to the rogues." (Tit for tat)

(This story is taken from the titled Mithrabhedha - the 1st volume of the book PanchaThanthram which has five volumes viz., Mitra Bedhah, MitraLaabhah, Kaakolookeeyam, Labdhapranaasam and AparikshitaKaarakam written by Vishnu Sarma was an Indian scholar.  The exact period of the composition of the Panchatantra is uncertain, and estimates vary from 1200 BCE to 300 CE.

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