In ancient time during the reign of
Brahmadatta there was a town Andhapura by name. There lived two hawkers. One
was Seriban and Seriba the other. They decided on which way they were to hawk.
If oney
Only
two of family members were alive. One of them was a girl and old grand mother
the other. They lived a very poor life.
In
good days of solvency the chief of the family took his meal on a plate of gold.
But the plate became dirty being unused for many days. It seemed to be not a
plate of gold. The hawker Seriba was greedy and sly as well. One day he was
passing by the house of that wealthy merchant family. ‘Buy a jar’-he shouted.
On hearing the shouting the girl said, ‘Grandmother, please buy me a jar.’
The
grandmother said, ‘Oh my darling, we are poor, where shall we get money from?’
The
girl gave the golden plate to her. She said, ‘This plate is of no use for us’.
The grandmother called on the hawker Seriba. She asked him to sit on and gave
him the plate. She said, ‘Give something to my grand daughter instead of it.
‘The hawker Seriba over turned the plate for one and two times. On observation
he could realise that the plate was made of gold. An evil thought grew in his
mind. He thought how to take the plate deceiving the two. He said, ‘Not a
quarter of pice be given instead of it.’
Seriba
put the plate into the ground with negligence and went away. Within a short
time the hawker Seriban came by that way. ‘Buy a jar, buy a jar, saying so he
appeared before that house. The grandmother said, ‘The plate is valueless, the
hawker will pay nothing.’
The
girl said, ‘Oh my grandmothet, the former hawker was not a good man. This man
seems to be good. He may give something taking the plate.’
is
less than one fourth of a price. You are an honest man. I must give the plate
to you. Please give what you have for the time being instead of it.’
Seriban
had rupees five hundred in his hand and some cormmodities. He kept eight rupees
for himself and a balance with weight. The rest amount of money and the
commodities he gave to the grandmother and grand daughter.
Then
he reached the bank of the river. There was a boat on the bank of the river.
Seriban said to the boatman, ‘Please take me across the river quickly.’ In the
mean time the greedy hawker Seriba came back once again. He said to the old
woman. ‘I considered, I shall give you some money. Bring me the plate. ‘What
kind of man are you my child? Did you not say that the price of the plate was
not even a pice? Just a few moment before another hawker gave us much money
with commodities. I gave the plate to him in return. The man was very honest.
He cheated no body.’
The
greedy Seriba went to the bank of the river running. The honest Seriban then
crossed the river and reached the other bank. The wicked Seriba looked the
other bank with great lamentation. He lost his sense and died there with grief
and repentance. The honest hawker Seriban got a lot of money by selling the
plate of gold. He earned a lot of virtue with pious deed and help with that money.
He became happy in life.
Moral
: Avarice begets sin and sin begets
death.