One brahmana had a quarrelsome wife. Every time you look, she is always having a row with someone. True, she managed the affairs of the house quite well. The Brahman himself was a great slacker, and besides, he loved to eat deliciously.
One day a brahman returned home and saw his wife sitting, sorting and cleaning grain. He got angry:
- Why did you sit all day by the basket of grain today? And you didn’t even cook lunch? And I’m dying to eat! Since when do you promise to make sweet donuts for me? When will I expect them?
The wife also got angry, grabbed a broom and swung it at the brahman:
- Yes, of course, now I’ll run to cook for you! In the whole house, even the mice have nothing to eat, not a single piece of money, and give you sweet donuts!
Look, what an important gentleman! Get out now, or else look at me!
The brahmana could not stand the scolding, was offended by his wife and decided to leave home. What's good about such a life?
He thought so and left. He wandered for a long time until a holy hermit finally took him as a disciple.
The brahman began to live in the monastery with everything ready, and besides, he gained wisdom from the elder and learned various sciences. But then one day the brahman remembered his home. And he wanted to go back so much that he took his books under his arm, grabbed his staff and, without saying anything to his mentor, headed towards the house.
As soon as the brahman approached the house, he realized from the smell that his wife was preparing sweet donuts. He hid behind the door and began to count how many donuts his wife would throw into the boiling oil. I counted twenty-one. The wife finished cooking and began to wash her hands. And the brahman calls out to her:
- Wife, are you home? I'm back.
He entered the house and began to tell his wife:
– I studied a lot of different sciences. The wife didn't believe it:
– What sciences have you studied? Don't talk in vain! Okay, don't be afraid, I won't touch you. Where have you been for so long?
“I see you still don’t want to listen to me.” And I really learned a lot. For example, I knew in advance that you will be frying pampushki today, and I can even say that you made exactly twenty-one of them.
The wife was surprised, and the brahman continued:
- This is still nothing. After all, I can tell where in all of India, who cooks donuts and when.
The wife heard this and decided that the brahman had indeed become a great sage. She sat him down with honor, served him food, and she hurried to tell the neighbors how omniscient her husband had returned. So if there is a theft in someone’s house or a cow goes missing, he will immediately help.
People from all over the village came running to see the brahmana. He immediately realized that this was to his advantage. With an important look, he opened a book made of palm leaves and began to talk about something that people did not understand at all. And not understanding, they believed even more in the learning of the brahmana. Soon rumors about him spread to other villages.
The brahmana's life now began to be carefree: fame fed him. He treated the sick with spells and drove away evil spirits with spells. One day, the village dhobi, the clothes washer Motiya, lost his donkey. Motiya walked all over the area, looking for the donkey, but he never found it. Then he came to the brahmana: “Tell me, venerable pandit, where has my donkey gone?” Until you tell me, I won’t drink or eat. “Damn dhobi!” thought the brahman. “How can I not get into trouble with him.”
“I don’t have time right now,” he said. “When I’m free, I’ll take care of your business.” I will perform a ritual in honor of Goddess Bhavani. Then I'll let you know. In the meantime, sit here at the entrance. Just don’t try to leave, otherwise you’ll ruin everything.
-Where should I go, venerable pandit? All hope remains for you.
The brahman went to his wife: “What should I do now?” Come on, give me my umbrella!
His wife gave him an umbrella, and the brahman went secretly through the back door into the midday heat. For a long time he walked through the fields and forests, looking for the Dhobi donkey, but did not find it anywhere. He returned upset and went out to the dhobi:
- I'll tell you what. Goddess Bhavani gets angry. So don't bother me yet. Go home. Tomorrow your donkey will be found.
The dhobi heard that the goddess was angry, did not dare to argue and went home. And the brahman did not sleep all night, thinking about what he should do, and was angry with his wife, who was snoring nearby. Suddenly some noise was heard near the house. The brahman jumped up and pushed his wife aside:
- Listen, what's that noise?
- Isn’t Ude a thief? – the wife became worried.
And the Brahman was deathly afraid of thieves. He got scared and decided to hide. The wife was not timid.
- What kind of brahman are you? Come on, let's go! I’ll shine a lamp, and you grab the thief!
The brahman even lost his breath from fear, but there was nothing to do. He overcame himself and went, saying a loud prayer and holding on to his sacred thread. He went out the door and looked - someone was standing. The Brahman started to back away, but his wife pushed him from behind, so that the Brahman ran straight into the thief. The brahman grabbed the thief, tried to knock him down, but he himself was barely alive from fear. The wife arrived in time.
“Eh,” he says, “he’s not a thief.” This is the donkey that the dhobi lost.
While the Brahman was wrestling with the donkey, the end of the donkey's bridle was wrapped around his neck. It seemed to the frightened brahman that he was being strangled, and he screamed at the top of his lungs. The neighbors came running at the scream. The brahman came to his senses a little. His wife quickly took him into the house and said to the neighbors:
“The Pandit read prayers all night to enchant the donkey and bring it here. The poor fellow was so tired that he fell unconscious.
When the neighbors left, the wife tied the donkey near her door. Then she began to rub the brahmana’s head with oil. And it still seemed to him that he was fighting a thief. The brahman barely came to his senses, then he ordered to call the dhobi. The dhobi came and rejoiced at the sight of his donkey.
After this incident, the brahmin became even more famous. Stories about him reached the ears of the king himself. Meanwhile, the royal daughter lost a precious necklace. They looked for him and looked for him, but could not find him. Even the most famous astrologers could not help.
One day a brahman sees armed soldiers stopping at his door. They gave him a respectful bow and conveyed the royal command to immediately go to the palace and look for the necklace. The brahmana was afraid. He had great luck finding the donkey, but this time he might not be so lucky.
Trembling with fear, the brahman sat down in the palanquin that was sent for him and arrived at the royal court. Without further ado, the king ordered him to find the necklace. If a Brahmin finds a thief, he will receive a reward; if he doesn’t, he will be imprisoned.
The brahman grew cold when he heard such an order. Where can we even think about rewards? It would be nice to at least get out of this matter as soon as possible. He gathered his courage and turned to the king:
- Your Majesty, give me two days. I will call upon Goddess Bhavani. Let's see what she says!
The Brahman returned home. He began to beg the goddess to have mercy:
- Save me, mistress of the world! All hope lies in you alone. Avert a terrible disaster, Bhavani!
And at this time the royal maid, the gardener Bhavani, passed by. She heard her name along with the last words of the brahman and stopped dead in her tracks. Then she ran to the brahman, threw herself at his feet and wailed:
- Have mercy! Have mercy on me, venerable pandit! It was I who stole the princess's necklace!
The brahman's heart was immediately relieved. He put on an important look and said:
- How can I help you? The king told me to definitely find the necklace.
- Have pity, venerable pandit! I'll return the necklace! Wherever you say, I’ll bring it there. Just save me, don’t destroy me!
“Okay,” answered the brahmana. “Put the necklace in a pot and throw it into the pond in the royal garden.”
Gardener Bhavani did just that. The next day, the brahmana stood up, anointed himself with incense, imprinted the name of the god Rama on his entire body with sandalwood powder and drew a trident on his forehead. Then he threw a cape over his shoulders, on which the name of Rama was emblazoned everywhere, ordered him to carry a whole pile of books with him, and headed to the palace. He sat there in full view of everyone and spent the whole day, with a learned air, reading something from his books. Finally he said with importance:
- Well, now I know where the necklace is. Look in the royal garden, at the bottom of the pond.
The king immediately sent divers to the pond. Soon they pulled the pot out of the mud and saw a necklace in it. And the king appointed the brahman as a court sage and bestowed him with untold riches.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru