Story of Brahmin, Thief and Monster
Drona was a poor Brahmin who was living
in a small town. He was so poor that he never wore good clothes, or used
cosmetics, or indulged in the luxury of eating apaan (betel leaves).He had
matted hair, an unshaven beard and uncut nails. He was extremely weak and
emaciated because he had no cover from cold, sun or wind or rain. Taking
pity on him, a rich man donated two calves to him.
With all care and love, he fed them well
with butter oil and grass. The calves grew into two fine and healthy
animals. A thief set his eyes on them and decided that he should somehow
steal them. As he set out for the Brahmin’s house, he saw on the way an
awesome figure with loose teeth as long and sharp as fangs, an arched nose
and blood-red eyes. He had a lean body with varicose veins and his hair and
beard looked like two torches.
Though he was frightened, the thief asked
him, “Who are you, sir?”
“I am Satyavachana, a monster. Let me know who you are.”
“I am a thief. My name is Kroorakarma. I
am going to steal the calves of the Brahmin.”
The monster trusted the words of the
thief and told him that he took only one meal a day in the evening and that
he would kill the Brahmin for his dinner.
Both of them went to the Brahmin’s house
that night and waited for the Brahmin to go to sleep. When they were sure
that the Brahmin had slept, the monster stepped in to kill the poor Brahmin.
The thief held him back saying it was unjust to kill the Brahmin before he
(the thief) could take away the two calves.
The monster said, “If the sound of the
resisting calves disturbs the sleep of the Brahmin, all our effort will be
in vain.”
The thief replied, “Suppose there is some
obstacle in your killing him, I cannot take the calves. Therefore, wait till
I finish my job first.”
The thief and the monster began
quarrelling about who should be the first to finish his job.
The Brahmin woke up due to the commotion
they were making and asked them who they were and what was the matter.
The thief told him, “This monster wants
to kill you.”
The monster denied and said, “O Brahmin,
this thief wants to steal your calves.”
The Brahmin then invoked his deity
through prayer and the power of the prayer forced the monster to flee. The
Brahmin then took a stick and drove off the thief.
Moral of
the Story :
If two rivals quarrel among themselves, we would be the beneficiaries. |