लोहतुला-वणिक्पुत्र-कथा -- The Weighing Scales And The Merchant's Son

 लोहतुला-वणिक्पुत्र-कथा -- The Weighing Scales And The Merchant's Son

     तुलां लोहस्हस्त्रस्य यत्र खादन्ति मूषिकाः ।

     राजंस्तत्र हरेच्छ्येनो बालकं नात्र संशयः ॥

अस्ति कस्मिंश्चिदधिष्ठाने जीर्णघनो नाम वणिक्पुत्रः । स च विभवक्षयाद्देशान्तरगमनमना व्यचिन्तयत् --

     यत्र देशेऽथवा स्थाने भोगा भुक्ताः स्ववीर्यतः ।

     तस्मिन्विभवहीनो यो वसेत्स पुरुषाधमः ॥ तथा च --

     येनाहङ्कारयुक्तेन चिरं विलसितं पुरा ।

     दीनं वसति तत्रैव यः परेषां स निन्दितः ॥

तस्य च गृहे लोहभारघटिता पूर्वपुरुषोपाजिता तुलाऽऽसीत् । तां च कस्यचिच्छ्रेष्टिनो गृहे निक्षेपभूतां कृत्वा देशान्तरं प्रस्थितः । ततः सुचिरं कालं देशान्तरं यथेच्चया भ्रान्त्वा पुनः स्वपुरमागत्य तं श्रेष्ठिनमुवाच -- "भोः श्रेष्ठिन्! दीयतां मे सा निक्षेपतुला । "स आह -- "भो! नास्ति सा त्वदीया तुला; मूषिकेर्भक्षिता" इति ।

जीर्णधन आह -- "भो श्रेष्ठिन्! नास्ति दोषस्ते, यदि मूषिकैर्भक्षितेति । ईद्दगेवायं संसारः । न किञ्चिदत्र शाश्वतमस्ति । परमहं नद्यां स्नानार्थं गमिष्यामि, तत्त्वमात्मीयं शिशुमेनं धनदेवनामानं मया सब स्नानोपकरणहस्तं प्रेषय" इति ।

सोऽपि चौर्यभयात्तस्य शङ्कितः स्वपुत्रमुवाच -- "वत्स ! पितृव्योऽयं तव स्नानार्थ यास्यति, तद् गम्यतामनेन सार्धं स्नानोपकरणमादाय" इति ।

अहो, साध्विदमुच्यते --

     न भक्त्या कस्यचित्कोऽपि प्रियं प्रकुरुते नरः ।

     मक्त्वा भयं प्रलोभम वा कार्यकारणमेव वा ॥

तथा च --

     अत्यादरो भवेद्यत्र कार्यकारणवर्जितः ।

     तत्राशङ्का प्रकर्तव्या परिणामे सुखावहा ॥

अथासौ वणिक्शिशुः स्नानोपकरणमादाय प्रहृष्टमनास्तेनाभ्यागतेन सह प्रस्थितः ।

तथानुष्टिते स वणिक् स्नात्वा तं शिशुं गिरिगुहायां प्रक्षिप्य, तद् द्वारं बृहच्छिख्याच्छाद्य सत्वरं गृहमागतः ।

पृष्टश्च तेन वणिजा -- "भो ! अभ्यागत ! कथ्यतां कुत्र मे शिशुर्यस्त्वया सह नदीं गतः ?" इति ।

स आह -- "नदीतटात्स शयेनेन हृतः " इति ।

श्रेष्ठ्याह -- "मिथ्यवादिन्! किं क्वचिच्छ्येनो बालं हर्तुं शक्नोति ? तत्समर्पय मे सुतम् । अन्यथा रागकुले निवेदिष्यामि" इति ।

स आह -- "भोः सत्यवादिन् ! यथा श्येनो बालं न नयति, तथा मूषिका अपि लोहभारघचितां तुलां न भक्षयन्ति, तदर्पय मे तुलां, यदि दारकेण प्रयोजनम् ।"

एवं तौ विवदमानौ द्वावपि राजकुलं गतौ । तत्र श्रेष्ठी तारस्वरेण प्रोवाच -- "भो ! अब्रह्मण्यम् ,अब्रह्मण्यम्! मम शिशुरनेन चौरेणापहृतः ।"

अथ धर्माधिकारिणस्तमूचुः -- "भोः! समर्प्यतां श्रेष्ठिसुतः " ।

स आह -- "किं करोमि, पश्यतो मे नदीतटांच्छ्येनेनापृहतः शिशुः" ।

तच्छ्रत्वा ते प्रोचुः -- "भोः! न सत्यमभिहितं भवता, किं श्येनः शिशुं हर्तुं समर्थो भवति"?

स आह -- "भो भोः! श्रूयतां मद्वचः --

     तुलां लोहसहस्त्रस्य यत्र खादन्ति मूषिकाः ।

     राजंस्तत्र हरेच्छ्येनो बालकं नात्र संशयः ॥

ते प्रोचुः -- "कथमेयतत् "?

ततः स श्रेष्ठी सभ्यानामग्रे आदितः सर्व वृत्तान्तं निवेदयामास । ततस्तैर्विहस्य द्वावपि तौ परस्परं संबोध्य तुला - शिशुप्रदानेन सन्तोषितौ ।

--

     Where rats can devour a scale made of solid iron, then, a falcon can fly away with a boy -- there should be no doubt about it.

In a certain place lived a businessman's son by the name of Jeernadhan. Owing to bad financial condition, he thought of going abroad --

     No one can be more lowly than the person, who, has earned and enjoyed the luxuries of life in a country or town, continues to live there when his financial condition has become poor.

And

     Where in the past one has lived with self respect and enjoyed life, and then continues to stay on there during financially bad days, then, he falls in the esteem of other people. Other people look down on such a person.

There was a weighing scale that his ancestors had got made from solid iron. He kept the ironscales as security with a money lender and embarked on his journey to foreign lands. After a long time, when he had earned enough in various places, he returned to his hometown and asked the money lender, -- "O Respected Sir, please return my scales that were kept as security with you."

The money lender replied, -- "O Sir, your scales do not exist any longer. They have been eaten away by rats."

Jeernadhan said -- "O Respected Sir, its not your fault, since the rats ate away. The world is such. Nothing is permanent. I am going to the river for a bath. Will you please send your son, Dhandeva, with me to carry my bathing paraphernalia?

The money-lender, afraid of thieves, told his son --- "Son! This uncle of yours is going for a bath. Go with him and carry his bathing paraphernalia."

Well, it is rightly said, --

     "In the absence of fear, greed and gain, no one would honestly do good to others.

In addition -     "If great honour is being given without any apparent reason, then a person should be very alert.

In accordance with the father's instructions, the son (Dhandev) went alongwith Jeernadhan, carrying the bathing paraphernalia.They reached the river bank, and after bathing, Jeernadhan hid the moneylender's son in a cave and shut the entrance to the cave with a huge stone. Then he returned to the town.

Seeing Jeernadhan returning alone, the money lender asked, -- "O dear Sir ! where is my son who went along with you?"

He answered, -- "From the river bank, a falcon took your son and flew away."

The money lender said, -- "Liar, can a falcon fly away with a boy? Bring back my son, otherwise I will move the court."

Jeernadhan said (sarastically), -- "O Truthful Sir, if falcon's cannot take away a boy, then rats cannot eat a solid scale. If you want your son back, then return my weighing scale to me."

Arguing thus, both reached the court. On reaching the court, the money lender said in a high pitch, -- "Your honour! Great wrong has been committed. This man has stolen my son."

On hearing his cries the judges said, -- "O businessman! Restore the son to the money lender."

The businessman said, -- "What can I do? I saw a falcon take away the boy from the riverbank."

On hearing him, the judges said, -- "What you say does not appear to be true. Is a falcon capable of taking away a boy?"

Then the businessman pleaded, "Sirs, Please listen to me. --

     Where rats can devour a scale made of solid iron,  then, a falcon can fly away with a boy -- there should be no doubt about it.

The judges said, "How come?"

The respected businessman narrated from the start. The judges listened and made them understand. The boy and the scales were exchanged and the businessman and the moneylender were satisfied.