In a certain town, there lived a Brahmin named Mitra Sharma, who was a fire worshipper.
One day, in the month of Magha, a gentle breeze was blowing and the sky was overcast with clouds. The Brahmin set out for another village to visit a certain devotee, so that he could beg a goat for sacrifice.
When he arrived there, he said to his devotee, “My son, on the coming of Amavasya, I want to perform a sacrifice, so please make me a present of some fat animal.” His devotee agreed and gave him a fat goat. The Brahmin put him on his shoulder, so that he shouldn’t run away, and started the return journey.
On his way home, he was seen by three crooks, who were almost starving. They said to one another, “If we could only lay hands on this fat goat, we wouldn’t have to suffer from cold and hunger. So, let’s play a trick on the Brahmin and make him part with him.”
Then the first crook disguised himself, went ahead of the Brahmin by a side road, and stood in his path. When the Brahmin approached, he cried, “Ho! Fire worshipper! Why are you behaving so ridiculously? Why are you carrying this profane dog on your shoulders?”
The Brahmin got excited and cried, “Are you blind that you call this sacrificial goat a dog?” And the crook replied, “Please don’t get cross. Have it your own way and do as you please.”
When the Brahmin had gone a little further, the second crook accosted him and said, “Ho! Brahmin! Shame on you, shame! Even if this dead calf was very dear to you, you shouldn’t carry him about on your shoulders like that.”
The Brahmin replied in great anger, “Are you blind that you call this living goat a dead calf?” And the crook replied, “Please don’t get cross. My mistake for talking to you! Have it your own way and do as you please.”
When the Brahmin had gone still a little further, the third crook appeared on the scene and said, “Ho! Brahmin! It’s highly improper for you to carry a donkey on your shoulders. Drop him quickly, before anyone sees you!”
Now, after all this, the Brahmin thought that he must really be carrying a goblin, which was changing shape all the while. He threw him off on the ground, and, terrified, ran home.
The three crooks caught hold of the goat, killed him, and ate him up to their heart’s content.
“And so,” continued Sthirajeevi, “that’s why I said, ‘Through intrigue, three shrewd crooks Robbed a Brahmin of his goat.'”
“In just the same way, a clever and tricky person can outwit a strong enemy. As they say: ‘Most people are taken in by The intriguing talk of a rogue, The pretended politeness of a new servant, The charming conversation of guests, And a woman’s false tears.'”
“Now, I shall unfold my plan as to how we can outwit and destroy the enemy. Listen carefully.”
“Please tell me,” said Meghavarana, “and I shall follow your advice.”
“Well,” said Sthirajeevi, “pretend that I am your enemy. Curse me with cruel words, spatter me with blood, and throw me at the foot of the banyan tree, so that the enemy spies are misled into thinking that it is you who have reduced me to this condition. Then, fly with your entire family and court to Rshyamukam Mountain. Entrench yourself there, until I can inspire confidence in the enemy. I shall make a thorough investigation of their stronghold and afterwards, we shall burn the owls during the daytime, for it’s then that they are blind and will be unable to escape. Now, please don’t be afraid of me and put obstacles in my way.”
“Very well then,” replied the king. “I agree.”
And so, Sthirajeevi started a sham quarrel with Meghavarana. When the crow king’s followers heard Sthirajeevi’s abusive language, they were ready to kill him, but Meghavarana restrained them and said, “Away! I’ll take care of this enemy agent personally.” Then he pounced upon Sthirajeevi and began to peck him with his beak. He smeared him with the blood of a dead animal and left him lying at the foot of the banyan tree. Then he flew away with his court.
Now, the wife of the owl king happened to be spying at that time. She went and reported to her husband, “Your enemy is in a state of panic. He has flown off with his court.” When the owl king heard this, he waited for sunset and then set out with his retinue and the rest of the owls to look for the crows and kill them.
“Hurry up!” he cried. “It’s good luck to have a terrified enemy!”
And so, all the owls flew to the banyan tree to be sure that the enemy had really left, and surrounded it from all sides. When they failed to find the crows, Arimaradana, the king of the owls, perched himself on a branch of the tree. His court gathered round him and started flattering him on his success, but he said, “Enough! Find out which way the enemy went. We must overtake them and kill them before they entrench themselves!”
Meanwhile, Sthirajeevi had hidden himself at a vantage point. He thought to himself, “Now, whatever I have started, I must see through to the end, for they say: ‘A wise man never begins What he cannot bring to fruition.'”
“I think now is the moment for my next move. I shall make them aware of my presence.”
And so, he began to caw feebly. Immediately, all the owls converged on him to kill him. “Stop!” cried the crow. “Listen to me! I am Sthirajeevi, the crow king Meghavarana’s minister. It is he who has reduced me to this plight. Communicate this to your master. And tell him that I have some particularly interesting information to give him.”
When the owl king heard this, he was very surprised. He hurried to Sthirajeevi and said, “Good Gracious! How did you come to be in this state! Tell me.”
“My Lord,” replied Sthirajeevi, “this is how it happened. Yesterday, when Meghavarana saw so many of his crows killed by you, he got very excited and was preparing to attack you, but I said to him, ‘Master! It’s not wise to attack them, for they are strong and we are weak. They say: “A weak man, with his own interests at heart, Never dreams of provoking his enemy.”‘
“What is more,” continued Sthirajeevi, “I advised Meghavarana to make peace with you, by offering presents, for they say: ‘When you encounter an enemy much stronger than you are, To save your skin, hand everything over, For money and possessions are easily regained, But your life, once lost, you can never recover.’
“But, Your Majesty, the other crows incited Meghavarana against me and they are responsible for my present condition. They did this because they suspected me of being on your side. And so, now I look to you for protection. What more is there for me to say? As soon as I am able to fly again, I shall lead you to where they are and you can kill them.”
When Arimaradana heard this, he took counsel with his five hereditary ministers. Their names were Raktaksha, Kruraksha, Deeptaksha, Vakranasa, and Prakarakarna.
First of all, he turned to Raktaksha and said to him, “My friend, my enemy’s minister has fallen into my hands. What shall I do with him?”
“My Lord,” he replied, “what else can we do? Kill him at once without any hesitation. They say: ‘Destroy an enemy Before he becomes too powerful to be defeated.’
“And now to kill him is easy. But if you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you may not have such a chance again, even if you desire it. And, don’t be taken in by his pretense of friendship. He is our enemy! As the cobra said: ‘Look at the funeral pyre And then at my injured hood. Love, once shattered, Can never be restored by a show of affection.'”
“How was that?” asked Arimaradana.
And Raktaksha told: THE STORY OF THE BRAHMIN AND THE COBRA
