In ancient times, there lived two Brahmin sons in a city—one poor and the other rich. They were neighbors. The poor Brahmin’s wife constantly taunted and argued with him.
One day, on the holy day of Gyars, tired of the daily quarrels, the poor Brahmin decided to leave for the forest, thinking:
“Maybe a lion or some wild animal will kill and eat me, its hunger will be satisfied, and I will be freed from this endless bickering.”
As he walked through the forest, he saw a cave. Curious, he approached it. Inside, a lion was asleep. To avoid disturbing the lion’s sleep, a swan stood guard outside.
When the swan saw the Brahmin coming from a distance, he grew concerned:
“If this Brahmin comes close, the lion will wake up and eat him. On this holy day, that would be a great sin for me too. How can I save him?”
An idea struck him. He began praising the lion loudly:
“O King of the Jungle! Wake up! Arise! Today is your lucky day—on this holy occasion, a Brahmin has come to your door! Quickly honor him and earn salvation. Rarely does such a moment come again in a lifetime!”
The lion roared awake. The swan’s words touched him. The lion, remembering past teachings, brought out all the jewels and ornaments he had collected from past hunts, laid them at the Brahmin’s feet, bowed his head, and even licked his feet in reverence.
The swan signaled the Brahmin:
“O revered one, take these ornaments and return home quickly… this is still a lion—who knows when his mind may change!”
The Brahmin understood and returned home.
When the wife of the rich neighbor heard this, she forced her husband to go to the same cave on the next Gyars day. But this time, the lion’s guard had changed. Now, the crow was the watchman.
As is typical of a crow’s nature, he thought:
“Great! A Brahmin has come. If I wake the lion, he’ll be disturbed and furious. He’ll kill the Brahmin, and I’ll get some leftovers to eat!”
So he loudly cawed:
“Caw! Caw! Caw!”
The lion woke up angrily. He saw the Brahmin and recalled the previous incident with the swan. But now he understood the crow’s ill intent.
Still, being a lion, he was agitated. He roared and said to the Brahmin:
“The swan has flown to the lake, and now the crow is in charge. Though you are a Brahmin, go back to your home—I am not your host!”
Meaning:
“The good-hearted swan who inspired me to do virtue is gone. Now, this crow, filled with selfish motives, urges me to kill you. Before I lose my reason, leave—lions aren’t meant to be hosts. It was the swan who made even me do a good deed.”
The second Brahmin quickly understood the situation and ran back home, saving his life.
Moral:
One who feels sorrow for others’ pain and wishes good for them is a swan in nature.
One who gets jealous of others’ happiness and takes pleasure in others’ pain is like a crow.
Those who promote harmony, kindness, and unity are like swans.
Those who encourage conflict, division, and harm are like crows.
Identify the hidden crows around you, stay away from them, and walk with those who are like swans. In that lies the welfare of all.
Always be happy – what you have is enough.
The one who has a joyful heart has everything.