The Mythology & Folklore Database
His wife, overcome by poverty, every day would say: "Oh, you cowardly, heard-hearted Brahmin. Do you not see how your children are tormented by hunger, while you stand by without caring! Set forth from here and with all your strength seek a way to get some food, then come back as soon as possible."
Exhausted from her complaints, he set forth on a lengthy journey. After a few days he found himself in a great forest. Tormented by hunger he began to look for water when he saw a deep pit covered over with leaves. At the bottom of the pit he saw a tiger, a monkey, snake, and a man; and they saw him as well.
Perceiving that he was a man, the tiger said, "Oh, you honorable one, remember that it is a great virtue to rescue a living being, and pull me out, so that I can return to the circle of my dear friends, my wife, and my family!"
The Brahmin said, "The mere mention of your name brings fear to all living creatures. Should not I too be afraid of you?"
The tiger replied, "Repentance is possible for the murderer of a Brahmin, for drunkards, hooligans, thieves, and promise-breakers, but not for those who are ungrateful. I swear with a three-fold oath that you have no cause to fear me. Therefore have mercy on me and pull me out!"
The Brahmin thought to himself, "Death would bring salvation, if suffered while saving the life of another living being," and he helped the tiger out of the pit.
Then the monkey said to him, "My good man, help me out too!"
Hearing this, the Brahmin pulled him out.
The snake said, "Oh, consecrated one, pull me out too."
The Brahmin replied, "Just saying your name causes one to tremble, much less touching you!"
The snake said, "We do not act arbitrarily. We only bite if we are provoked into doing so. I swear with a three-fold oath that you have no cause to fear me."
After hearing this the Brahmin pulled the snake out.
Then they all said to him, "The man down there embraces every kind of sin. Take note of this, and do not help him out. Do not trust him."
Then the tiger spoke up again, "My den is in a crack in the cliff on the north side of the many-peaked mountain that you can see. You must come to me there so I can repay you and not be in your debt in a future life." Having said this he departed for his home.
Then the monkey said, "I live next to a waterfall in the vicinity of the tiger's den. You must visit me there!" And with that he went on his way.
The snake said, "If your life is ever threatened, just think of me!" And he went on his way.
Then the man in the pit cried out repeatedly, "Oh, Brahmin, help me out!"
Overcome by pity, the Brahmin finally pulled him out too.
"I am a goldsmith," said the rescued man, "and if you ever need any gold-work done, just bring it to me." Then he too went on his way.
The Brahmin wandered about without finding anything to eat. Tormented by hunger he turned towards home, but then remembered what the monkey had said and went to him instead.
The monkey gave him fruits as sweet as ambrosia, saying, "Whenever you have need of fruit, just come back to me."
Then the consecrated one said, "You have done well. Now show me the way to the tiger."
The monkey led him to the tiger's den. Recognizing him, the tiger gave the Brahmin a gold necklace along with other ornaments in payment for his good deed.
The tiger explained: "A certain prince, whose horse ran away with him, came under my claws, and I killed him. These things came from him, and I brought them here for you. Take them and go in peace!"
The Brahmin remembered the goldsmith and thought, "He will know who I am, and will help me sell this gold."
The goldsmith received him with every courtesy: foot-washing, refreshment, and so forth, then said, "Just let me know what I can do for you."
The consecrated one said, "I have brought gold that you should sell for me."
The goldsmith said, "Show me the gold!"
The Brahmin showed him the pieces, and the goldsmith recognized them as work that he himself had done for the king's son.
"Just wait here," he said, "while I show the gold to someone."
Then he went to the palace and showed the gold to the king.
"Where did you get this?" asked the king.
"There is a Brahmin in my house who brought it to me."
The king thought, "He is the villain who killed my son. He shall pay for that!"
The king had his watchmen bind the Brahmin, with the order that he was to be impaled at the break of day.
As he was being bound, the Brahmin remembered the snake, and in that same instant the snake appeared before him, and said, "How can I serve you?"
The consecrated one said, "Set me free."
The snake replied, "I shall bite the king's favorite wife. Neither the incantations of the greatest sorcerers nor the medications of the best physicians shall free her from the poison. It will only go away when you touch her with your hand. And then you shall be set free."
After saying this, the snake bit the queen. A cry of despair arose at the palace, and the entire city was in shock. Sorcerer, healers, magicians, and physicians all tried to cure her, but their efforts had no effect on the poison.
Answering the call of the public drummer, the consecrated one said, "I can free her from the poison."
Thus the Brahmin was taken from prison and led to the king, who said, "Free her from the poison!"
The Brahmin went to the queen, and with a mere touch of his hand he freed her from the poison.
Seeing his wife alive and well once again, he approached the Brahmin with honor and respect. "Where did you get the gold?" he asked.
The consecrated one related to him everything that had happened, from the very beginning. Now knowing the truth of the matter, the king had the goldsmith thrown into prison and he appointed the Brahmin as his minister and gave him a thousand villages.
The Brahmin summoned his family and lived happily with his friends, taking pleasure in good works and enjoying the fruits of a virtuous preexistence.