Once there lived four Brahmins in a town. They were very good friends but all were very poor. They always passed their time with each other and discussed the solution of their problem.
One day as they were discussing their problem they reached a conclusion. They concluded, “We should leave this place, where we are suffering from poverty and have nothing else. Let us seek some other place to prosper in life.”
As they all agreed, they meet their friends and relatives and started on their journeys. After sometime they reached a town and they decided to stay there for some time. There was a temple of Lord Shiva near the bank of a river. First they bath in the river and then worshipped the God in the temple. In the temple they meet Yogi and then they went along with him to his hermitage.
The Yogi asked them, “Who are you? Where do you come from? Why did you come in this town? And what do you want from me? Immediately the Brahmins explained their condition to him, “Sir, we are suffering from poverty in our town and if we did not leave our town we would die there. So we come on this journey to earn money. You are a skilful Yogi, and we believe that you must have wonderful powers. Please guide us to the path of earning money for our livelihood.”
They continued, “We devote ourselves to you and we are ready to follow whatever path you guide us to follow. Please help us. We need you.”
Yogi took pity on their condition and agreed with them. He then took out four cotton wicks and gave each of them a wick. He said to them, “Sons, I gave you a wick in your hand, with this wick you go to path that takes you all to the Himalayas. Listen carefully, keep walking till one of the wick of you drop accidently. Then locate the place where the wick drops accidently from you, that location is the place where you find a hidden treasure. Dig the place and take the treasure and then return home with the collected treasure.”
Then the four Brahmins took the blessings from the Yogi and then they started their journey towards the Himalayas. They travelled for many days and one day the wick of one of them dropped accidently. They reached the place and dug that place where the cotton wicked had fallen. He found there a treasure filled with copper. Then the Brahmin whose wick had fallen said to the others, “Come on My Friends, there is too much treasure for even four of us to carry it. Let us collect it and return to our homes. We are now rich men and we need not to go further to earn money now.”
The other three Brahmins discussed and then said, “Dear, you found this copper treasure which is in your destiny. We may be destined to some richer treasure. You collect all your copper treasure and return home. We will continue our journey till we reached our goal.”
Thus the Brahmin collected all his treasure and then started travelling to his home. All the other three Brahmins continued their journey with their wicks in their hands. They continued travelling for many days and one day accidently one of them dropped his wick. Then he reached the place and dug the place where the cotton wick had fallen. He uncovered a treasure filled with silver. He said to his friends, “Dear friends, come here, there is too much treasure here and even much more than three of us to carry. Wes should collect it and go home. We are now rich and you need not go further to earn money.”
Then the two other Brahmins discussed and said, “Dear, you found this silver treasure which is in your destiny. We may be destined to some richer treasure. You collect all your silver treasure and return home. We will continue our journey till we reached our goal.”
Thus the Brahmin collected all his treasure and then started travelling to his home, while the other two Brahmins continued their journey with their wicks in their hands.
They travelled for many days and one day the wick of one of the Brahmins dropped accidently from his hand. He reached the place and dug the place where the wicked had fallen. He uncovered a treasure filled with Gold, he got surprised and said to his friends, “Dear friends, come here, there is too much treasure here and even much more than to carry by both. Wes should collect it and go home. We are now rich and you need not go further to earn money.”
Then the fourth Brahmin replied to him, “O stupid, don’t you understand what is all happening. First copper then silver and now it is gold. You all get the treasure which is in your destiny. I will sure now that next time I will find a costlier treasure of like diamonds or something else. You may collect all your treasure and return home but I will continue my journey. I am sure I will found a costlier treasure which is in my destiny.”
The other Brahmin said, “If you want to continue your journey then you definitely do but I will return home only with you. I will stay here and guard this treasure of Gold till you not find your treasure. After that we will return home together when you return with your treasure here.”
Therefore the fourth Brahmin started his the rest journey with his wick in his hand. He travelled for many days and one day he felt very restless. He was very thirsty and felt very hot. Within few moments he missed his way and then started moving in circles. While he was trying to find the right direction, a man came there with a spinning wheel around his head. His body was messy with blood. As the fourth Brahmin was felt so tired and thirsty so instead of helping him, he asked the man, “Sir, can you please tell me where I can get some water, as I feel very thirsty. Whoever you are I don’t want to know but please tell me quickly.”
As the man heard these words within few moments, the wheel moved from the other man to the fourth Brahmin. Then the wheel started spinning around the Brahmin’s head and it gave so much pain to him which he cannot bear. Thus he cried in pain, “What nonsense is this? What is the meaning of all this? How the wheel shifted itself from your head to mine? Please help me to get rid of this.”
The man replied him, “Dear, when someone carrying a miraculous cotton wick in his hand is come here, and speak to you as you came here. Only then you will get rid from this wheel, and this wheel attaches itself to him.”
The Brahmin did not understand him and told him to explain. The man explained to him, “I do not remember how long I have been here. It was during the reign of king Rama, that I got a magical wick from a Yogi to get rid from my poor condition. But out of my greed I continued my journey even after I got treasure many times. I wanted the most costly treasure. Thus in this way I met a man here under the same circumstances as you found me. And in this way I got this wheel around my head from his head. You will be free from hunger, thirst, aging or death but you have to bear this pain.”
He continued, “I know it was the Kuber (God of wealth) who made this wheel so that no one can approach this place and steal the treasure. And only a man with a magical wick in his hand can reach this place.”
As the other man finished himself, went away from there and the forth Brahmin was left alone. On the other hand the other Brahmin was worried about his friend as his friend was not return still. So he decided to search his friend. As he followed the path and reached the place where his friend was suffering from pain due to a spinning wheel around his head. His body was messy with blood.
The third Brahmin immediately asked him, “Dear, what happened to you? What is all this? How can I help you?
The forth Brahmin was in very pain and tears were in his eyes. He replied, “Dear, I understand that I was destined for this. This is in my fate”. And then he explained the whole story of the wheel to his friend.
When the forth Brahmin heard all this, there was nothing which he could do for him. So he started to leave and said, “Dear, even being a intellectual person, you lacked the sense to control your greed. You did not satisfy with Gold as you want pearls or diamonds or something more costly things. Now there is no point to in giving you company, as no one can help you. I should leave this place and return home.”
Thus the forth Brahmin started his journey to his home and the forth Brahmin was left all alone there in pain.
The wise indeed say:
Greed only brings misery.
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