Page 10 - Bhakthinivedana-English-January-2022-Magazine.pmd

The Price of

Haste !

fter narrating the story of how a rat saved
a cat, Karataka said to Damanaka, “even
Aif we befriend an enemy we should be

careful and make it a temporary affair. We should
maintain right distance with our detractors.”

To this Damanaka responded, “I am not a
fool like that foolish Brahmin, to act in haste and
spoil the work. I know my limits”.

It was now Karataka’s turn to get curious and
enquire Damanaka about the story of the Brahmin
who acted in haste.

Once there lived a Brahmin couple in a village.
The Brahmin’s wife was a bit more intelligent than
him. They had a month old child. They also had

a mongoose as pet. While the couple were busy stick he had on hand and killed it.
on their errands, the mongoose used to take care
of the child. The wife used to feed the mongoose On the other hand the Brahmin’s wife entered
with some food everyday. the hut from backyard. She saw the dead snake
next to the cradle and guessed what had happened.

Once the Brahmin went out for some work. She felt grateful for the mongoose, for saving their
His wife put the child to sleep in a cradle and went child from the snake. Suddenly hearing the noise
to the stream nearby to fetch some water. from the front end of the house, she ventured out
see what had happened.
In the meanwhile a snake climbed up
the cradle and was about to bite the child. The The moment she saw the dead mongoose
mongoose saw this and pounced on to the snake. and her husband raging in anger she knew what

He pulled the snake down the cradle, fought with had happened.
it and bit it to two pieces. As he was feeling happy

about saving the child, there was some noise In anguish she cried out, “the mongoose had
outside. saved our child. In haste you did not realise what
help she had done to us. Instead of being grateful
He guessed it should be the Brahmin and you have killed him.”
ventured out. The mouth was filled with blood
that oozed out of the fight with the snake. The The Brahmin was taken aback and rushed
Brahmin mistook the blood marks on mongoose’s inside the hut and noted the dead snake by the

mouth. He thought the mongoose has harmed side of the cradle.
his child. In anger he beat the mongoose with the He felt ashamed for having acted in haste.

10 Bhakthi Nivedana Jan 2022