Story of the brahmani and the
mangoose
In a city in the north lived a Brahmin
whose name was Deva Sharma. His wife delivered a son at the same time as a
she-mongoose gave birth to a male child. The Brahmani (Brahmin’s wife)
adopted the mongoose’s son and began bringing him as she would her own son.
Yet the Brahmani never left her son alone because she did not trust the
mongoose, fearing that she would some day harm her son. The elders have said
that one’s own son, however immoral, ugly, foolish and wicked, are his
parent’s darling. It is said that
“The bonds of a son are stronger
than
The bonds of a friend, father, or well wisher.”
One day, leaving for the lake to bring
water, the Brahmin’s wife told her husband to keep a watch on their son.
Soon, a cobra entered the house. Fearing danger to the son of the Brahmin,
the mongoose attacked the cobra and killed him. Hearing the footfalls of his
mother Brahmani, the mongoose, with a mouth smeared by blood, went to greet
her. When the mother saw the mongoose with his mouth oozing blood, thought
that what she had feared had happened. Without a second thought, the
Brahmin’s wife threw the pot of water on the mongoose and the mongoose died
as a result.
Mourning the death of the mongoose, the
woman entered the house and found that her child was soundly sleeping in the
cradle and also the cobra bitten to pieces by the mongoose. The woman was
struck by grief that she had killed the mongoose that was like a son to her.
Meanwhile, her husband returned and she began cursing him, “You miser, you
didn’t heed my word and went out for alms. Self-interest is good.
Moral of the Story :
Self-interest is good. Too much of it will earn a man (or woman) the bad
fate. |