The Pauper and the Omniscient Sage

The Pauper and the Omniscient Sage

A very poor householder brahmana had to maintain a large number of children.
The brahmana was almost a pauper and he lamented his prolonged poverty. The
local people never cared to help him but used to ridicule him in many ways, saying
that he actually possessed huge wealth and pretended to be a pauper with a motive
to misappropriate money from others on false pretexts. Thus the brahmana was
being scandalized without the slightest sympathy. As a result, the brahmana lived
in utmost depression and wept all the time for his unprecedented misfortune.
It just so happened that an omniscient saintly person once came to the brahmana and listened to his problems. The saintly person was in fact a omniscient sage and
told the brahmana, “0 brahmana, you are lamenting unreasonably without
knowing that your father had actually left for you a mass of wealth. Look out for
that treasure, and you will find it buried somewhere in your own courtyard.”
Upon hearing this, the brahmana immediately started digging a place on the
southern side of his house, when the omniscient sage warned him saying, “0
brahmana! You must be aware that there you will find something more dangerous
than the hornet. On that north side, there lives a black snake and it will surely
devour you, then there will be no chance of getting the treasure.”
Then the brahmana turned to the west side and just started digging in search of
the hidden treasure, when the enlightened sage advised him saying, “0 brahmana
You must be even more careful now. Here a ghost is staying appointed to guard
your father’s hidden treasure. He will kill you.”
Now the brahmana came to his wit’s end and entreated the sage, ” o master! You
to are mocking me. As you may know, I am a completely dejected pauper. Please
don’t harass me like this any more.”
The kind-hearted sage told him at last, ” Don’t get impatient. You should know
very well that there must be a lot of hindrances before arriving at the ultimate goal.
Your father had possessed great intelligence and so he buried the treasure on the
east side, while keeping several unusual sentries on all other sides for protecting
the wealth. Have a little more patience and just start digging at the east side of
your courtyard where you will reach the fortune.”
The brahmana was then encouraged to dig on the east side as advised and got the
hidden treasure in no time. Thereafter he was wealthy for the rest of his life.

PURPORT
Narrated by Sri Caitanyadeva, this story confirms that our Supreme Father has left
enough hidden treasure for us and our spiritual master comes into our life to lead
us perfectly to obtain that treasure . But we should be very careful to avoid going
in the wrong directions. In case our efforts are directed towards fruitive activities
with a material motive then we suffer from unending desires. On the other hand, if
we are inclined to renounce everything then it will be suicidal in the field of the
transcendental way of living.
And, at the last, if we are interested in the yogic practice, it will simply pollute
our spiritual lives. So, the best method is to take up the devotional aspect of living,
which surely helps us in achieving the real wealth without any danger.