Once there was a Brahmin who had four sons. All four were close friends. Among them, *three were highly learned in scriptures, but lacked common sense. The **fourth had not studied the scriptures, but he possessed *great wisdom and practical intelligence.
One day, the four brothers decided to travel to distant lands and use their skills to earn wealth.
As they set out, the eldest said,
“Our youngest brother is uneducated. Kings honor only the learned, not the wise. He has no use in our mission and doesn’t deserve a share of the wealth we earn. It’s best he returns home.”
The second brother agreed, but the third brother objected. He said,
“We have grown up together and it would be wrong to abandon him now. We will share a small part of our earnings with him.”
So, the fourth brother continued on the journey with them.
On the way, they passed through a dense forest. There, they came across *a pile of bones. The learned brothers decided to *test their knowledge.
- The first brother carefully arranged the bones into the correct shape. They were the remains of a lion.
- The second brother skillfully reconstructed the flesh, skin, and organs. Blood began to flow through the body.
- The third brother was about to breathe life into the lion using his power when the fourth brother stopped him.
He warned,
“If you bring this lion to life, it will kill all of us.”
The third brother arrogantly replied,
“You’re a fool! I must use my knowledge and see its result.”
The fourth brother said,
“Then give me a moment. Let me climb this tree first.”
And he quickly climbed to safety.
As soon as the third brother brought the lion to life, it sprang up, roared, and attacked the three learned brothers, killing them instantly. It then walked away, disappearing into the forest.
The *fourth brother, safe on the tree, climbed down after the lion left, *weeping and heartbroken, and slowly made his way back home.
Moral:
That’s why it is said:
Wisdom is greater than knowledge.
Knowledge without wisdom can be dangerous.
Always stay content – What you have is enough.
One whose mind is at peace, has everything.