The sprite said, “Your majesty! there is a city named Jaysthal, the
king of which was named Varddhamãn. In his city was a Brahman named
Vishnuswami, who had four sons; one a gambler, the second a lover of
women, the third a fornicator, the fourth an atheist. The Brahman was
one day admonishing his sons, saying, ‘Wealth abides not in the house
of him who gambles.’ The gambler became greatly annoyed at hearing this.
And he (the father) spoke again, saying, ‘It is said in the Rãjnit (or
book of policy), Cut off the nose and ears of a gambler, and expel him
from the land, so that others may not gamble; and although the gambler
may have a wife and family in his house, do not consider them as in the
house, for there’s no knowing when he may lose them (at play). Again,
those who are attracted by the wiles of courtesans purchase suffering
for their own souls, while they part with their all under the influence
of harlots, and take to stealing in the end. It is said, further, that
wise men keep far away from such women as ensnare their hearts in a
moment; whereas the unwise give up their hearts, and so lose all their
honesty, good disposition, reputation, conduct, judgment, piety, and
moral character. Moreover, the exhortation of their spiritual preceptors
is unpalatable to them. It is also said that--When one has lost his own
sense of shame, why should he fear to dishonour any one else? And there
is a proverb to the effect that--When will the cat that devours its
own young allow a rat to escape!’ He went on to say, ‘Those who do not
acquire knowledge in their childhood, and who on attaining to manhood
become engrossed in amorous pleasures, and continue to pride themselves
on their youth,--those persons, in their old age, are consumed with
regretful longings (for that which they have neglected in their
youth).’”
“On hearing these words, all four of them came mutually to the decision
that it was better for an ignorant man to die than live; and hence,
it was best for them to visit some other land and study science.
Determining on this, they went to another city, and after some time,
having studied and become learned, they set out for their home. What do
they see on the road but a Kanjar, * who, after skinning and cutting up
a dead tiger, and making a bundle of its bones, was about to take them
away. Thereupon they said to one another, ‘Come, let each of us put his
knowledge to the proof.’ Having determined on this, one of them called
him (the Kanjar) and gave him something, and taking the bundle, sent him
away; and, quitting the road, they opened the bundle. One of them
arranged all the bones in their proper places, repeated an incantation
and sprinkled something over them, so that they became united. In the
same way the second brought the flesh together on the bones. The third,
in the same manner, fixed the skin on the flesh. The fourth, in the same
way, raised it to life. Thereupon it devoured the whole four of them as
soon as it arose.”
After reaching this point of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty!
who was the greatest fool of those four?” King Vikram replied, “He who
restored it to life was the greatest fool. And it is said, that
knowledge without wisdom is of no use whatever; on the contrary, wisdom
is superior to learning; and those who lack wisdom die just as he who
raised the tiger to life died.” When the sprite heard these words, he
went and suspended himself on that same tree. Again did the king bind
him, place him on his shoulder, and carry him away as before.
* Kanjar is the name of a low caste of people generally
employed in mean offices, such as carrying away carcasses,
&c. The snake-charmers are of his caste.