(22) Story of the four brothers

 STORY TWENTY TWO

The King climbed the Shimshapaa tree again; placed the Vetaala on his shoulder and started walking silently. Vetaala again spoke-

“King! Well-done! You have a steady mind! Let me tell you another strange story-

There is this city of KusumaPura. It was ruled by a king named DharaneeVaraaha. His kingdom sheltered many Brahmins. There was a Brahmin’s colony there named BrahmaSthala. There lived a Brahmin named VishnuSwaamy. He had a wife named Svaahaa like the God of Fire (having a wife Svaahaa). He had four sons. 

VishnuSwaamy died. All his wealth was taken away by his relatives. Then these four sons discussed with each other their future course of action.

“There is nothing here for us. Let us go out of this place.”

Having made a decision like this, they travelled for many days and reached a village named YajnaSthala where their maternal grandfather had lived. But as he was not there, their uncles had to care for them. The boy continued their studies in that place. But as days went by they were disregarded by their uncles and were neglected in the matters of food clothing etc.

Humiliated by the disregard of their relatives they met at night to discuss their plight.

The eldest of them said-

“Brothers! What to do?

Know everything to be the play of fate!

In this world no one can do anything for anyone.

Today I was wandering in the forest worried about all this. There I happened to see a dead man with all his limbs loose and spread out. I wished for such a freedom and thought-

‘This fellow is blessed indeed. He has nothing more to worry about anything.’

I decided to end my life there itself; tied a cloth to the branch of the tree; tied the other end to my neck like a noose; and hung myself. The cloth tore off and I fell on the ground unconscious but not dead. When I woke up I saw some kind man fanning me and sprinkling water on my face to revive me.

He told me-

“Friend! Tell me! You look like an educated person! Why do you grieve and for whose sake? A man who does good actions gets happiness; a man who does bad actions gets pain; that is all. If you are trying to kill yourself due to some suffering, then do good actions. Why do you want to kill yourself and live in the hell after death?”

He consoled me like this and went away. I decided not to give up my life and came here. If the fate decides so, one cannot even die.

Now I will perform penance in some sacred place and burn the body through penance so that I will not be tormented by poverty again.”

His younger brothers said-

“Aarya! Why should learned men suffer without money?

Is it not a well-known fact that the wealth is as fickle as the autumn cloud? Though stored and well-protected with effort, it will perish.

Friendship with wicked, love of a prostitute and wealth never last long.

So a man who is capable of sincere effort should acquire some talent by which the deer called wealth is caught forcefully and tied to the stake brings forth happiness.”

The eldest felt reassured by their talk and said-

“What is such a talent which will get us wealth?”

They all debated for some time and not able to come to a decision said-

“Let us wander all over the earth and learn something good.”

All of them decided to go in different directions in search of some learning which could earn them wealth. They fixed a place for meeting and all four of them went off in four directions.

Many days passed. All of them returned and joined together at the place decided for the meeting. They asked each other “What has been learnt by whom?”

One of them said-

“I have mastered a learning by which if bones of any animal could be collected, I can make it get filled up with flesh and blood.”

Second one said-

“I have mastered a learning by which I can produce the skin and hair of the body of an animal which has just flesh and bones.”

Third one said-

“I have mastered such a learning by which I can produce sense organs like eye etc and also other limbs in any animal which has just bones, flesh, blood, skin and hair.”

Fourth one said-

“I have mastered such a learning by which I can produce life in an animal with limbs.”

All four decided to test their talents. They searched allover the forest and found the bones of a dead lion. They did not know that the bones belonged to a lion.

One of them collected the bones and filled it with blood and flesh; next one produced the skin and the hair; third one filled it up with all limbs; fourth one gave life to that form of the lion.

Immediately a terrifying lion stood there with a huge mane, sharp teeth and sharp nails.

It killed instantly all four of them who had made it alive; and ran off inside the forest.

In this manner, the Brahmin boys died by making a lion alive. Who will get any happiness by making alive a wicked animal?

If the fate is contradictory, even talents earned with effort do not help in gaining wealth but lead towards destruction only.

If the divinity which rules all is supportive, the tree of effort  पौरुष​ sprinkled by the water of learning प्रज्ना ; with the base surrounded by the water pit of ‘Good morals’ नय​ may result in  good fruits.

END

Vetaala finished the story and asked the king-

“King! Remember the curse and tell me; who has done the worst mistake in making the lion alive?”

The King thought silently-

‘This Vetaala is going to fly off again. Let it go! I will bring it back again.’

He said-

“He who filled life into the lion’s body is the worst sinner.

The others did not know what animal it was and filled it up with blood, flesh, skin, hair and limbs. They cannot be blamed. But the last one, though knowing that it was the body of a lion was intent only on showing off his talent without bothering about the consequences.

He is the cause of all other Brahmin boys getting killed and incurs the sin of BrahmaHatyaa (Brahmin’s murder).”

Hearing his words, Vetaala flew back to the tree. The king again went back to the Shimshipaa tree to bring it.