There once lived a Weaver named Somilaka in a village. He was an expert in weaving beautiful silk cloths. Yet his income was just enough to lead his day-to-day life. He was not able to save anything for the future. In the same village there were many other Weavers. They were weaving cloths which were not as good as his. Yet they were all very rich. Perhaps it was their luck.
One day Somilaka told his wife, “Dear Lady, I am the only expert in this place in weaving nice silk pieces. Yet, the others only are very rich and I am just earning enough to feed my family only. So, I have decided to go to some other village and do my business there. After earning sufficient wealth I shall return. .Please permit me to leave.”
Husband dear, said his intelligent wife, “how will you be able to earn elsewhere what you are not able to earn here? What if there are other Weavers in this village? What is due to you, you will always get. We are facing hard times now as a result of our sins in our previous birth. Even if you go to some other village, how can you be sure that your ill-luck will not chase you there also? Please, therefore, drop the idea of going to some other village.”
“I cannot agree with you,” said the husband “It is our duty to make every effort. Mere desire to earn money alone will not suffice. We must make sincere efforts and we are sure to succeed. The prey will not come and fall into the mouth of a Lion that is sleeping idly. The man who does, not try sincerely will be called a coward.”
At last, the wife half-heartedy gave him leave to go out.
In the new village, Somilaka had good business and earned a lot of money. With that wealth, he set out for his own village.
He had to pass through a thick forest. He reached this forest just before nightfall. He wanted to save himself from Robbers and Wild Animals. He climbed upon a big Banyan tree and sat there. At about midnight he fell asleep. He had a dream then. In that dream he saw two men scolding one another severely.
“Don’t you know,” said the first man to the second, “that this Somilaka should be given money enough only to meet the expenses of his food and dress Such being the case, why did you give him so much of wealth?”
“It is not my mistake. It is my duty to pay proper wages for one’s labour. I have done it. Leaving it with him or snatching it away from him is your duty. You may do It.” said the second man.
“All right. I shall do it.” said the first man. Immediately after that Somilaka woke up. He found that all the money be was having had disappeared mysteriously. He felt very sorry over this. He went back to the same village again and began to earn money. After earning sufficient money, he left for his village again.
This time also he had to pass through the forest during the night. But he decided not to sleep this time. So he was walking on with a firm mind. At midnight, he heard the same talk as he heard on the previous occasion. At the end of the talk he lost all his money. He became broken-hearted and decided to kill himself. For, he did not wish to go back to his wife without money. He decided to kill himself by hanging himself in a big tree. He climbed upon the tree. He tied one end of a rope to a branch of that tree. He made a loop with the other end of the rope and put his neck in that loop. He was then ready to move down so that the loop might get tight and he might die.
At that time, one of the two men he saw in his dream appeared before him and said, “Somilaka! What you do is not correct. I am the person who took away your wealth. According to your actions in your previous birth, you will have money. just enough for your food and clothing. You are not destined to have more. So, please don’t feel sad. Go back to your village. But I am very glad to see your sincere efforts. You can ask for a boon and I shall grant it.”
“In that case,” said Somilaka, “give me a large amount of wealth.”
“Dear man.” said the mysterious man, “having much money will not do you any good. Then what do you require it for?”
“Doesn’t matter,” replied Somilaka. “Only a man having wealth and money is being treated with respect. I don’t care whether money will be of any use to me or not. In any case, I do want to have the money.”
Thereupon the mysterious man said to Somilaka, “You do as I say.
There is a village called Vardhamanapura nearby. There are two merchants there by name Gupthadhana and Upabukthadhana. You can go and stay in both their houses.You must inutely watch the way of the two for your own living. I shall grant it.”
Somilaka left the forest at day-break. He reached the house of Gupthadhana, first. It was just getting dark. Even at the entrance, Gupthadhana, his wife and son were standing and tried to stop him from getting inside But he forcibly got inside and begged them to allow him to stay there for the night. As they had no other go, they allowed him to stay.
The family was about to take food. They did not think it proper to ignore the guest. So they gave him some food. After taking food, he slept in the space available between the front door and the next. In his dream at midnight the same two persons appeared and talked among themselves as follows :-
The First Man: “You have put Gupthadhana to extra expense today. For, he had to give food to Somilaka. Is it not extra expense for him? Why did you do like that?”
The Second Man: “I give both income and expense to a man. What should be the net result is your look out.”
On hearing this talk, Somilaka woke up. At that time Gupthadhana was suffering from stomach pain. He suffered like this throughout the next day. So he did not eat anything on that day.
The next night Somilaka went to the house of Upabukthadhana. All the members of the family gave him a hearty welcome and gave him all comforts. After taking food that night Somilaka went to sleep. As before, he again saw the two men in his dream. They talked between themselves as follows :--
The First Man: “Why did you give extra expense to this man today? As a result of the feast given by him he had to take away a greater amount from his savings Why did you do like that?”
The Second Man: “I have done my job. You do yours.”
When Somilaka woke up the next morning, he saw the King’s messenger at the doorsteps of that house.. He gave Upabukthadhana plenty of gift as having been given by the King.
Somilaka was no longer confused. He realized that it is no use merely having money. One should know how to enjoy it.
The next night the strange man appeared in his dream and asked him “Which way of living do you choose — that of Gupthadhana or that of Upabukthadhana?” “I choose the way of living of Upabukthadhana,” replied Somilaka. The strange man blessed him that he would have it and disappeared.
The moral of this story is :
Earning money alone is not enough. One should know how to enjoy it by spending it usefully for his own self and to help others also.
--INDIAN FABLES OF MORAL FROM PANCHATANTRA --
One day Somilaka told his wife, “Dear Lady, I am the only expert in this place in weaving nice silk pieces. Yet, the others only are very rich and I am just earning enough to feed my family only. So, I have decided to go to some other village and do my business there. After earning sufficient wealth I shall return. .Please permit me to leave.”
Husband dear, said his intelligent wife, “how will you be able to earn elsewhere what you are not able to earn here? What if there are other Weavers in this village? What is due to you, you will always get. We are facing hard times now as a result of our sins in our previous birth. Even if you go to some other village, how can you be sure that your ill-luck will not chase you there also? Please, therefore, drop the idea of going to some other village.”
“I cannot agree with you,” said the husband “It is our duty to make every effort. Mere desire to earn money alone will not suffice. We must make sincere efforts and we are sure to succeed. The prey will not come and fall into the mouth of a Lion that is sleeping idly. The man who does, not try sincerely will be called a coward.”
At last, the wife half-heartedy gave him leave to go out.
In the new village, Somilaka had good business and earned a lot of money. With that wealth, he set out for his own village.
He had to pass through a thick forest. He reached this forest just before nightfall. He wanted to save himself from Robbers and Wild Animals. He climbed upon a big Banyan tree and sat there. At about midnight he fell asleep. He had a dream then. In that dream he saw two men scolding one another severely.
“Don’t you know,” said the first man to the second, “that this Somilaka should be given money enough only to meet the expenses of his food and dress Such being the case, why did you give him so much of wealth?”
“It is not my mistake. It is my duty to pay proper wages for one’s labour. I have done it. Leaving it with him or snatching it away from him is your duty. You may do It.” said the second man.
“All right. I shall do it.” said the first man. Immediately after that Somilaka woke up. He found that all the money be was having had disappeared mysteriously. He felt very sorry over this. He went back to the same village again and began to earn money. After earning sufficient money, he left for his village again.
This time also he had to pass through the forest during the night. But he decided not to sleep this time. So he was walking on with a firm mind. At midnight, he heard the same talk as he heard on the previous occasion. At the end of the talk he lost all his money. He became broken-hearted and decided to kill himself. For, he did not wish to go back to his wife without money. He decided to kill himself by hanging himself in a big tree. He climbed upon the tree. He tied one end of a rope to a branch of that tree. He made a loop with the other end of the rope and put his neck in that loop. He was then ready to move down so that the loop might get tight and he might die.
At that time, one of the two men he saw in his dream appeared before him and said, “Somilaka! What you do is not correct. I am the person who took away your wealth. According to your actions in your previous birth, you will have money. just enough for your food and clothing. You are not destined to have more. So, please don’t feel sad. Go back to your village. But I am very glad to see your sincere efforts. You can ask for a boon and I shall grant it.”
“In that case,” said Somilaka, “give me a large amount of wealth.”
“Dear man.” said the mysterious man, “having much money will not do you any good. Then what do you require it for?”
“Doesn’t matter,” replied Somilaka. “Only a man having wealth and money is being treated with respect. I don’t care whether money will be of any use to me or not. In any case, I do want to have the money.”
Thereupon the mysterious man said to Somilaka, “You do as I say.
There is a village called Vardhamanapura nearby. There are two merchants there by name Gupthadhana and Upabukthadhana. You can go and stay in both their houses.You must inutely watch the way of the two for your own living. I shall grant it.”
Somilaka left the forest at day-break. He reached the house of Gupthadhana, first. It was just getting dark. Even at the entrance, Gupthadhana, his wife and son were standing and tried to stop him from getting inside But he forcibly got inside and begged them to allow him to stay there for the night. As they had no other go, they allowed him to stay.
The family was about to take food. They did not think it proper to ignore the guest. So they gave him some food. After taking food, he slept in the space available between the front door and the next. In his dream at midnight the same two persons appeared and talked among themselves as follows :-
The First Man: “You have put Gupthadhana to extra expense today. For, he had to give food to Somilaka. Is it not extra expense for him? Why did you do like that?”
The Second Man: “I give both income and expense to a man. What should be the net result is your look out.”
On hearing this talk, Somilaka woke up. At that time Gupthadhana was suffering from stomach pain. He suffered like this throughout the next day. So he did not eat anything on that day.
The next night Somilaka went to the house of Upabukthadhana. All the members of the family gave him a hearty welcome and gave him all comforts. After taking food that night Somilaka went to sleep. As before, he again saw the two men in his dream. They talked between themselves as follows :--
The First Man: “Why did you give extra expense to this man today? As a result of the feast given by him he had to take away a greater amount from his savings Why did you do like that?”
The Second Man: “I have done my job. You do yours.”
When Somilaka woke up the next morning, he saw the King’s messenger at the doorsteps of that house.. He gave Upabukthadhana plenty of gift as having been given by the King.
Somilaka was no longer confused. He realized that it is no use merely having money. One should know how to enjoy it.
The next night the strange man appeared in his dream and asked him “Which way of living do you choose — that of Gupthadhana or that of Upabukthadhana?” “I choose the way of living of Upabukthadhana,” replied Somilaka. The strange man blessed him that he would have it and disappeared.
The moral of this story is :
Earning money alone is not enough. One should know how to enjoy it by spending it usefully for his own self and to help others also.
--INDIAN FABLES OF MORAL FROM PANCHATANTRA --
