Panchatantra:
Heron Bhagat and Crab
There was a huge pond in a forest area. Due to its food content for all kinds of animals, there used to live many types of creatures, birds, fish, turtles and crabs. Heron lived nearby, which did not like to work at all. His eyes were also weak. He has to work hard to catch the fish. Therefore, he would often starve due to laziness. Standing on one leg, he kept thinking about what to do to get food every day without moving his hands and feet. One day, he thought of a solution, so he sat down to try it.
Heron stood on the banks of the pond and felt tears pour from his eyes. When a crab saw him shedding tears, he came close to him and started asking, “Mama, what is it that you are shedding tears instead of hunting fishes for food?”
Heron hiccuped loudly and said with a sore throat, “Son, I have hunted many fish. Now I will not do this sin anymore. My soul has woken up. So I am not catching any fish that come near. You are watching.”
The crab said, “Uncle, you won't hunt, if you eat anything you won't die?”
Heron took another hiccup, “It is good to destroy such a life, son, we all have to die soon.” I have come to know that, “there will soon be a twelve-year-long drought here.”
Heron told the crab that this was told to him by a trikaldarshi mahatma, whose prediction is never wrong. The crab went and told everyone how the heron had taken the path of sacrifice and devotion and was going to be dry.
All the creatures of that pond, fishes, turtles, crabs, ducks and cranes etc. came running to the heron and said, “Bhagat uncle, now you tell us some way of rescue. Fight your wisdom, you have become a great scientist.”
Heron told some thinking that there is a reservoir in some distance from which a mountain waterfall flows. It never dries. If all the organisms in the reservoir go there, then there can be rescue. Now the problem was how to reach there? Heron Bhagat also solved this problem “I will take you one by one on my back and reach there because now the rest of my life will be spent in serving others.”
All the creatures shouted slogans of “Heron Bhagatji ki Jai.”
He would take a creature on his back every day and take something away and go near a rock and slam him on it and kill him.
Whenever there was a mood, Heron used to make two rounds and the number of animals in the pond started to decrease. A pile of bones of dead creatures began to grow near the rock and Heron's health began to build. He became very fat after eating. There was redness on the face and the wings started shining with fat. On seeing them, other creatures said, “Look, the fruit and virtue of serving others is felt in Heron's body.”
Heron Bhagat laughed a lot. He used to think how foolish creatures are lying in the world, who believe in everyone. In the world of such fools, if used a little cleverly, there are fun. A lot of feasting can be done without moving hands and feet. This sequence went on for many days. One day the crab said to Heron, “Mama, you have brought so many animals from here to there, but my turn has not come yet.”
Bhagatji said, “Son, today you put your number, come sit on my back.”
The crab was happy and sat on the back of the heron. When he reached near the rock, seeing the mountain of bones there, the crab's forehead was snubbed. He stammered, “How is this pile of bones? How far is that reservoir uncle?”
Heron laughed coldly and said, “Fool, there is no reservoir. I sit here with one on the back and keep eating here. Today you will die.”
The crab understood everything. He shivered, but he did not lose courage and immediately raised his claws and pressed the rogue heron's neck with them and held it till his soul flew away.
Then the crab heron returned to the pond with the chopped head of Heron and told the truth to all the creatures how the wicked heron Bhagat continued to cheat them.
Heron stood on the banks of the pond and felt tears pour from his eyes. When a crab saw him shedding tears, he came close to him and started asking, “Mama, what is it that you are shedding tears instead of hunting fishes for food?”
Heron hiccuped loudly and said with a sore throat, “Son, I have hunted many fish. Now I will not do this sin anymore. My soul has woken up. So I am not catching any fish that come near. You are watching.”
The crab said, “Uncle, you won't hunt, if you eat anything you won't die?”
Heron took another hiccup, “It is good to destroy such a life, son, we all have to die soon.” I have come to know that, “there will soon be a twelve-year-long drought here.”
Heron told the crab that this was told to him by a trikaldarshi mahatma, whose prediction is never wrong. The crab went and told everyone how the heron had taken the path of sacrifice and devotion and was going to be dry.
All the creatures of that pond, fishes, turtles, crabs, ducks and cranes etc. came running to the heron and said, “Bhagat uncle, now you tell us some way of rescue. Fight your wisdom, you have become a great scientist.”
Heron told some thinking that there is a reservoir in some distance from which a mountain waterfall flows. It never dries. If all the organisms in the reservoir go there, then there can be rescue. Now the problem was how to reach there? Heron Bhagat also solved this problem “I will take you one by one on my back and reach there because now the rest of my life will be spent in serving others.”
All the creatures shouted slogans of “Heron Bhagatji ki Jai.”
He would take a creature on his back every day and take something away and go near a rock and slam him on it and kill him.
Whenever there was a mood, Heron used to make two rounds and the number of animals in the pond started to decrease. A pile of bones of dead creatures began to grow near the rock and Heron's health began to build. He became very fat after eating. There was redness on the face and the wings started shining with fat. On seeing them, other creatures said, “Look, the fruit and virtue of serving others is felt in Heron's body.”
Heron Bhagat laughed a lot. He used to think how foolish creatures are lying in the world, who believe in everyone. In the world of such fools, if used a little cleverly, there are fun. A lot of feasting can be done without moving hands and feet. This sequence went on for many days. One day the crab said to Heron, “Mama, you have brought so many animals from here to there, but my turn has not come yet.”
Bhagatji said, “Son, today you put your number, come sit on my back.”
The crab was happy and sat on the back of the heron. When he reached near the rock, seeing the mountain of bones there, the crab's forehead was snubbed. He stammered, “How is this pile of bones? How far is that reservoir uncle?”
Heron laughed coldly and said, “Fool, there is no reservoir. I sit here with one on the back and keep eating here. Today you will die.”
The crab understood everything. He shivered, but he did not lose courage and immediately raised his claws and pressed the rogue heron's neck with them and held it till his soul flew away.
Then the crab heron returned to the pond with the chopped head of Heron and told the truth to all the creatures how the wicked heron Bhagat continued to cheat them.
“Lesson: Do not blindly believe anyone's words. One should work patiently and wisely in trouble.”
Share This Page On...