Jewels From The Sky
This happened during the reign of King Brahmadutta of Varanasi. In a certain village lived a Brahmin who knew a rare hymn. Once in years, upon a full moon night, a certain combination of stars exercised a secret influence on nature. If the Brahmin recited the hymn looking at the sky at the auspicious moment, the sky rained jewels on him. The Brahmin was a renowned scholar and many youths lived with him as his disciples. Bodhi was also one of his disciples. Once the Brahmin, accompanied by Bodhi, was on his way to a distant land. The way passed through a forest. As the two travelers were crossing the forest, a gang of bandits surrounded them and took them, prisoners. "We shall hold the Brahmin as a hostage. Go and fetch a hundred gold coins for us if you wish him freedom. We give you a week," the chief of Bandits told Bodhi. Bodhi agreed to fulfill their demand. While leaving for the locality, he whispered to the Brahmin: "As you know, tonight is going to take place the rare combination of stars capable of raining jewels. But let me warn you, sir, that under no circumstance should you feel tempted to perform the miracle. I feel that there will be a catastrophe if you do that."
The Brahmin promised not to perform the miracle. Satisfied, Bodhi left him. But as soon as it was evening and the full moon rose, the Brahmin was taken up by an urge to prove his powers before the bandits. Besides, he was eager to win his freedom. "You have detained me because you want wealth. Well, do as I say and soon I will give you wealth equal of which you might not have earned during your whole career," the Brahmin confided to the Bandit chief. The chief believed him. According to the Brahmin's instruction, the bandits gathered flowers and lighted a fire. The Brahmin bathed in the river and was provided with new clothes. He then sat down near the fire and, offering the flowers to the stars, recited the rare hymn. Instantly there was a shower of jewels on and around him. The bandits sat stunned for a moment. Then they broke into wild jubilation and collected the scattered jewels. They praised the Brahmin in many flattering words, gave him more clothes and food, and escorted him to leave him outside the forest. But they had proceeded only a hundred yards when a far more ferocious gang of bandits swooped down upon them and demanded the wealth of them. The hullabaloo had attracted them. The first gang of bandits was most reluctant to part with their wealth. Their chief came forward and told the chief of the superior gang, "We are brethren. Let us not fight between ourselves. If you wish to possess the kind of jewels we are possessing, take away this Brahmin. By the power of his hymn, he made these jewels fall down from the sky for us. He can do the same for you!"
The chief of the superior gang caught hold of the Brahmin and asked him to bring down a fresh shower of jewels. Trembling with panic, the Brahmin said that the auspicious moment when the miracle could be possible was already past and that it would repeat after five years. "What! You could bestow wealth on the other gang instantly, but when ti concerns us you say you will take five years!" shouted the chief of the superior gang and he beheaded the Brahmin. At a hint from him, his followers attacked the earlier gang and killed each one of them and took possession of their jewels. But they had not gone far when a quarrel broke out between the chief and his deputy. The gang got divided into two camps. They were locked in a bloody fight. It continued throughout the night. In the morning only two bandits saw each other alive! "Let us not be fooled like the rest. We two lucky survivors can divide the jewels between ourselves," said one of the two. The other gladly agreed to the proposal. They carried the jewels to another part of the forest which was nearer a village.
Both were hungry and tired. "Let us hide the wealth here and go to the village and buy some food," said one. "It will do if only one of us goes to the village. The other ought to be here, guarding the wealth," said the second one. Accordingly, the first one waited there and the second one went to the village. Left alone, the first one decided to own the entire wealth. He kept his sword handy. As soon as the second one returned, he killed him with a lightning movement of the sword. The second one too had nursed the same desire. In order to get rid of his companion, he had mixed poison in the food he had brought. The murderer gulped the food and lay dead by the side of the huge bundle of jewels. Two days later Bodhi returned to the forest with the necessary amount of money to secure the Brahmin's release. By and by he saw the Brahmin's dead body and the scattered corpses of the hundreds of bandits. Advancing further, he, at last, came across the last two corpses lying beside the jewels. "The Brahmin knew well that the shower of jewels was not to be caused for one's own interest or for a show of power. But, despite my warning, he could not check his temptation to resort to the miracle. He brought disaster to himself and others!" muttered Bodhi as he sighed. He then carried the wealth home and spent them in a well-planned charity.
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