The Panchatantra - Story 65

STORY NO. 65. THE TRAVELLER AND THE BRACELET

In a southern forest there was an old tiger. One day, he bathed and sat on the banks of a lake with kusa(A long grass used for making ropes. It is sacred to the Hindus and is used by them on ceremonial occasions) grass in one hand and a gold bracelet in the other and cried out to all the passers-by, 'Oh, ye travellers, here, take this gold bracelet as a gift.' All passed by without responding to the offer. At last, there came a traveller whose greed was roused and he said to himself, 'I am lucky to have this offer made to me. But I should proceed cautiously since there is some risk. Even a desired object when got from an undesirable source, leads to evil just as even nectar, if contaminated by poison, will bring about death But every attempt to obtain wealth is attended with risk.

Without risking something, nobody will grow wealthy. He who risks something and survives

will become wealthy. I shall scrutinize this offer further. He then asked the tiger » ^Where is the bracelet ?' The tiger stretched forth his paw and showed it. The traveller said, 'How am I to trust such a ferocious creature like you?' The tiger replied, 'Oh, traveller, listen to my tale and be convinced. In my youth I was extremely wicked. Owing to my slaughtering many men and cows, my wife and sons perished, leaving me as the sole survivor. I was then advised by a holy man to give charity and do such holy acts. Acting on his advice, I am now bathing daily and giving gifts. I am old and have lost my teeth and the power of ray claws. Why should you then mistrust me? Sacrifice, study of the Vedas, charity, penance, truthfulness, patience, forgiveness and absence of greed, this is the eight-fold path of righteousness laid down in our scriptures. Of these, the first four may be practiced for mere display, but the last four can only be found in a great soul. I am so far free from greed that I wish to give away to anybody who will have it this valuable gold bracelet which is in my hand. But it is difficult to dispel the slander of the world that a tiger will eat a man whenever it gets a chance.

Blindly following one another, people do not regard a preaching bawd as an authority in religious matters though they recognize even a Brahmin who has killed a cow to be such an authority. I have studied all the sacred laws. A gift to a poor man is as fruitful as rain in a desert or food given to a hungry man. Everybody loves his life just as dearly as we do. The good regard all creatures with kindness comparing them unto themselves. A man will know what to refuse and what to give, what is pleasure and what is pain, and what is agreeable and what is disagreeable, by applying the test to himself. He alone is a wise man who looks upon another's wife as a mother, another's wealth as a lump of earth, and all creatures as equal unto himself. You are very poor. I want to give you this valuable bracelet. Wealth should be showered on the poor and not on the rich. Medicine is for him who is sick. Of what use is it to a healthy man ? The sages consider that to be the best of gifts which is given purely for the sake of charity, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place to one who has not done anything in return and who is a proper recipient. So, bathe in the lake and accept this bracelet.' 

The traveller believed the tiger's words and, moved by greed for the bracelet, entered the lake for bathing. No sooner had he entered it than he got stuck waist-deep in the mire and was unable to run away. The tiger, seeing him stuck in the quagmire, said 'Alas, you have got stuck in the quagmire- I shall pull you out.' Saying this, he approached him

slowly. Seeing him approach, the traveller said to himself, 'A villain is not to be trusted simply because he reads the sacred law books or studies the Vedas. It is the innate nature of a person that matters in the last resort just as cow's milk is sweet whatever the now eats. The actions of those whose senses and mind are not under control are as unreliable and worthless as the bath of an elephant(An elephant covers itself with dust immediately after a bath).' Mere preaching without practice is so much heavy lumber like ornaments bestowed on an ugly woman. 

I committed a folly in trusting this ferocious beast. One should never trust rivers, armed men, clawed and horned animals, women, and Kings. It is innate nature that has to be looked into, for it prevails in the end. Even the mighty moon, the wanderer of the sky, the destroyer of darkness and sin, the thousand-rayed one marching in the midst of stars, is devoured by Rahu(The reference is to the eclipse- In Hindu mythology, the eclipses are brought about by the demon Rahu trying to swallow the sun and the moon) by Fate's decree. Who can go against what is written on his forehead by Fate ?' When he was thinking in this strain, he was killed and eaten by the tiger.