14. The Tale of Four Brothers: Wisdom, Foolishness, and Common Sense

Vikram Bethal stories continue…

Vikramarka having agreed to Bethal’s proposal, settled down to listen carefully as Bethal began his tale.

“In the holy city of Kasi, there once lived a learned Brahmin who had four sons. Unfortunately, these young men were lazy and lacked common sense, spending their days idly swimming in the nearby river. Realizing that his life was coming to an end, the Brahmin called his sons and shared his last words of wisdom with them. He expressed his disappointment that they had not acquired knowledge or a means of livelihood. He urged them to seek education at the nearby Gurukul, where his childhood friend served as the Guru. The Brahmin’s final wish was for his sons to learn the mantras and tantras, which would enable them to live fulfilling lives. The next day, the Brahmin passed away.”

The four sons set out on their journey to the Gurukul, where they met the Guru and explained their situation. The Guru was happy that they were the sons of his old friend and welcomed them into his Gurukul. Despite their initial laziness and lack of wisdom, the Guru patiently taught them the mantras and tantras, and over time, they acquired some educational skills.

Observing their progress, the Guru called his four disciples one day and imparted a valuable lesson. He acknowledged their newfound wisdom but expressed concern about their lack of common sense. He advised them to use their knowledge wisely for the betterment of society and themselves, warning against any misuse of their newfound abilities.

Grateful for their Guru’s guidance. The next day they thanked and respected their Guru and started their journey. Where they stumbled upon a pond, thirsty, they drank from the pond and decided to rest for a while. During their rest, they noticed a heap of bones nearby.

One of the brothers proposed a test of their skills, suggesting that they restore the scattered bones into a complete skeleton. The others agreed, and they set to work. The second brother chanted the mantras, and in a flash, the bones were assembled into a skeleton. Proud of their achievement, the first brother used his knowledge to give the skeleton flesh and blood, while the third brother added limbs and skin, completing the figure.

However, the fourth brother remained silent and hesitant to contribute. Encouraged by his siblings to bring the creature to life, he expressed his reluctance, arguing that they had already proven their abilities and should not breathe life into such a dangerous and cruel animal.

The three brothers told to last brother like “Don’t you want to prove your abilities?” they surprisingly asked.

“I got confident in our Guru. It is already proved. It is a cruel animal. It will eat us” he said.

“We are giving it life. How can it eat us?”

“It doesn’t know all these things. Remember our Guru’s words. He asked us to use our common sense,” the fourth brother requested.

The three brothers burst into laughter and teased him. The eldest brother said, “I command you to use your knowledge to give it life.”

The fourth brother replied, “Dear brothers, you are all my elders, and I respect you. But please allow me to go to a secret place to hide.”

“Ha! You’re such a weak,” they laughed. “But fine, if it satisfies you, go ahead and hide. We will take care of the rest.”

“I will climb this tall tree,” the fourth brother said. “I’ll sit on one of its thick branches, and from there, I’ll chant the mantras.”

The three brothers continued laughing, thinking he was being overly cautious, and permitted him to do so. The fourth brother climbed the tree and found a hidden spot among the branches. He sat securely on a large branch, leaned against the sturdy trunk, closed his eyes, and started chanting.

All of a sudden, the lion’s body stirred. It stood up and looked around, spotting the three brothers nearby.

 It roared hard. It was hungry. It jumped on the first one and ate him. The other two brothers ran in terror. But it did not leave them. It jumped on the running brothers and ate them. It began to eat slowly.

The fourth brother saw this and began to weep silently. After two hours the lion went on its way.

The fourth brother climbed down the tree. He wept before the half-eaten dead bodies of his brothers. 

On his way back to the city, the fourth brother’s skill of giving life proved to be limited, and he felt his knowledge was of little use.

The story ends, and Bethal then asks Vikram, “The four brothers are indeed skilled, but do you agree that the fourth brother acted selfishly? He seemed timid and only concerned about saving himself. What is your opinion?”

Vikramarka remained silent, but Bethal reminded him of the consequences if he didn’t answer. With no choice, Vikramarka replied, “Bethal, the fourth brother is not selfish. He simply trusted his Guru’s words and showed wisdom by not giving life to the lion. The other brothers lost faith in their Guru, wanting to test their skills rather than the Guru’s teachings. They were eager to prove themselves and lacked common sense. Their actions were foolish, not brave. On the other hand, the fourth brother displayed prudence and developed his common sense after receiving his education. Therefore, his actions were appropriate and correct.”

Bethal agreed with Vikramarka’s response, and despite the unkept promise, he flew away into the sky.

The moral of the story is this: Knowledge is valuable, but wisdom is priceless.

While the brothers possessed impressive skills, they lacked the wisdom to use them responsibly. They were eager to test their newfound knowledge without considering the consequences. In contrast, the fourth brother, though hesitant and labeled “timid,” displayed true wisdom by using his common sense and remembering his Guru’s teachings.

The story emphasizes the importance of:

• Thinking before acting: Don’t be impulsive, especially when using powerful knowledge. Consider the potential outcomes of your actions.
• Responsibility: Knowledge comes with responsibility. Use your skills to make the world a better place, not cause harm.
• Common sense: Formal education is important, but common sense is equally valuable. Don’t be afraid to question things and use your judgment.

By learning from the brothers’ mistakes, we can strive to be not just knowledgeable, but also wise individuals.