Don’t misappropriate others’ property – Story
Once the young princes of Dwaraka had gone to the nearby forests for a picnic.
There they saw an ancient moss covered well and peeped inside out of curiosity.
There was a huge lizard at the bottom of the dry well.
The children tried to pull it out with strings and hooks but without success.
They reported the matter to Krishna who came to investigate and at once pulled it out easily.
At his touch the creature at once changed into a shining deva dressed in gold bowing before them with folded hands.
Krishna knew who it was; still for the benefit of others he asked “O! You, shining deva; tell us your story”.
The deva bowed low and said
“Lord! I am Nriga son of Ikshwaku, and I ruled over this vast domain and delighted in gifting thousands of well adorned milch cows with calves to as many learned deserving brahmins. This, I was able to do for many days. One day, as an old brahmin was leading the cow and calf to his ashram, another brahmin met him on the way and claimed the cow. The two brahmins disputed long and at last came to me for a decision.
“The cow is mine. I was given this cow yesterday”.
“No No! it was given to me to day by the king”
Both were telling the truth. The fact was that the cow which had been gifted the previous day had strayed back to join the herd and not knowing this the king had gifted it again. Here was a dilemma. Neither brahmin would oblige though the king offered a thousand cows in exchange and both departed in high dudgeon. At this point the king suddenly died and was taken to Yama, the god of death, for judgment.
After consulting the great accountant Chitragupta, Yama decreed “You have gifted thousands of cows for which you deserve enjoyment in heaven. But you have though unknowingly given a cow that belonged to another, for which you deserve the life of a lizard. You shall have your choice. Which do you prefer first.”
The king pondered a little and said “Let me suffer the lizard’s life first and have heavenly life later. It was decreed like that and I am here now”
Saying this the deva slowly rose to celestial regions.
The yadava youths realized that even by mistake they should not misappropriate a Brahmin’s property.
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