Based on मगध की लोक कथाएं : अनुशाीलन एवं संचयन by डॉ. राम प्रसाद सिंह
Tags: Loyalty, Courage, Kindness, Adventure, Redemption
The story follows a poor Baba who discovers a pot containing a tiger, a snake, and a goldsmith. After releasing them, all three pledge their loyalty to him. When Baba later visits the tiger and snake, they honor him with gifts and wisdom. However, when he visits the goldsmith, he inadvertently gets accused of theft when the goldsmith turns over his belongings to the king, leading Baba to be imprisoned. Facing execution, Baba calls out to the snake for help. The snake bites the king's son, causing chaos, but then with Baba's assistance, it revives the son, earning Baba the king's gratitude and a reward of wealth. Ultimately, Baba returns home enriched, illustrating themes of loyalty, courage, and the rewards of kindness.
एगो बाबा जी हलन । ऊ बड़ा गरीब हलन। एक दिन बाबा जी सबेरे मैदान गेलन । इनरा पर कुल्ली करे अयलन । इनरा में पानी भरे ला लोटा-डोरी डाललन तो लोटा उहईं पकड़ा गेल। ऊ इनरा में पहिलहीं से एगो बाघ, एगो साँप आउ एगो सोनार गिरल हल । ओखनी कहे लगलन कि हमरा निकाल दऽ। बाबाजी सोचलन कि बघवा के निकालम तो खाइये जायत। सँपवा के निकालम तो काटिए लेत। बाकि सोनरा के निकाल देब, तो पुन्न होयत काहे कि ऊ अदमी हे। बाकि सोनरा के निकाले तो कइसे? बघवा छोड़वे न करे । पंडी जी पहिले बघवा के निकाल देलन । ओकरा बाद सँपवा के निकाललन, तब फिनो सोनरा के निकाललन। बघवा बाबा जी के गोड़ पर गिर के कहलक कि अपने हमरा गुरु ही । एक दिन हमरा हीं आईं । सँपवा भी उनका गुरु मानलक, आउ अपना हीं आवे ला बिनती कयलक । सोनरा भी अइसहीं कहलक। पंडी जी घरे आ गेलन।
कुछ दिन के बाद पंडित जी बघवा के इहाँ चललन तो जंगल में बहुत बाघ मिललन। सब बाघ खाय ला इनका पर टूट पड़लन । पंडी जी कहलन कि बंडा बाघ हमर चेला हे । ई सुन के सब बाघ उनका बंडा बघवा भीरू पहुँचा देलन। उहाँ ओकरा हीं दू-चार दिन रहलन। फिन कहलन कि अब हम अपन घरे चलम चेला ! तब बाघ-चेला उनका दान-दछिना में बड़ी मानी सोना-चाँदी देलक । बाबा जी उहाँ से चललन तो सोचलन कि तनी सँपवा चेला हीं से भी होयले चलीं ।
उहाँ से साँप के झुंड में चललन । आगे जाइत हलन कि चेलवे से भेंट हो गेल । ऊ गोड़ लागलक आउ अप्पन घरे ले गेल। उहाँ भी दू-चार दिल रहलन। फिर कहलन कि साँप-चेला। अब हम घरे चलम । साँप सुन के मुनरिका लौलक, आउ दे के कहलक कि हमरा गरीब से एही बनइत हे । साँप बोलल कि मुनरिका में गुन हे कि जब अपने पर आफत आयत, तो आग के धाह देखा के कहब कि हे सत् के मुनरिका, हमरा पर सहाय होवऽ । बाबा जी चेला के आसीर्वाद दे के चल देलन । रास्ता में सोचलन कि बाघ आउ साँप हो हमरा एतना मानलक । चलीं देखे सोनार चेला हीं, कइसन मान होवऽ हे?
उहाँ से बाबाजी सोनरा ही पहुँचलन। चाल कयलन तो जबाब मिलल कि कउन टर्रटराइत हऽ जी? तब बाबा जी कहलन कि ''ए जजमान, खिसिआ मत । तनी हमर मोटरिया देखिहँऽ। हम दीसा फिरले आवइत ही !'' बाबा जी अप्पन मोटरी रख के दीसा फिरे गेलन । तब तक सोनरा खोल के मोटरी देखे लगल । ओही दिन राजा हीं चोरी होयल हल। ओही-ओही चीज बाबा जी के मोटरी में हल। सोनरा चट दिन ओकरा ओयसहीं बान्ह के राजा साहेब हीं देखा देलक । राजा पूछलन कि बाबा जी कहाँ गेलन? सोनरा कहलक कि दीसा फिरे। जब बाबा जी सोनरा ही पहुँचलन, तो राजा पूछलन कि ई सब तूं कहा से लौले हें? बाबा जी कहलन कि हमरा बाघ आउ साँप-चेला देलन हे । राजा डाँटलन आउ पकड़ के ले चललन कि तोरा ई सब धन बाघ आउ साँप देलक हे? ले जा के ओकरा काल कोठरी में बंद कर देलक।
फँसिआरा के फाँसी देवे के हुकुम भेल । फँसिआरा कुछ देर ला गाँजा के दम लगावे लगल, तो बाबाजी भी कहलन कि जरा हमरो एक दम लगावे दऽ । आखिर जान तो मारवे करवऽ। एगो फँसिअरवा कहकई कि दे देहीं एक दम ! फिर तो मरहीं ला हई। बाबा जी के चिलिम मिलल, तो ऊ मुनरिका के धाह देखा के कहलन कि हे सत् के मुनरिका, हमरा पर सहाय होवऽ । सुनतहीं साँप हनहनाइत पहुँच गेल । बाबाजी सब हाल कह देलन । साँप बोलल कि हम राजा के एकलौता बेटा के जाके डँस देबवऽ, तो ऊ मर जतई । तूं जा के कहिँहँऽ कि हमहूँ झाड़ऽ ही । फिन साँप उहाँ से चलल आउ राजा के बेटा के आन के डँस लेलक। राजा के बेटा मर गेल। चारो दने हाहाकार मच गेल।
बाबा जी काल-कोठरिए में से ही कहलन कि कउची के हल्ला हे? एतना सुन के लोग कहलक कि राजा के बेटा के साँप डंस लेलक हे। बाबा जी कहलन कि हमहूँ तनी-मानी झाड़-फूँक कर ही । ई खबर राजा के सुनावल गेल, तो राजा जल्दी बाबा जी के बोलौलन । बाबा जी उहाँ जा के कहलन कि जल्दी से एक मन लावा आउ दूध जुटाईं। राजा साहब के हुकुम देते दूध लावा तइयार हो गेल। बाबा जी दूध-लावा मिला देलन आउ केंवाड़ी बंद कर देलन । साँप धरन से उतरल आउ दूध-लावा पी गेल आउ राजा के बेटा के लहर भी तीर लेलक । राजा के बेटा जी गेल। साँप जंगल में चल गेल। राजा बेटा के जान बचे के खुसी में बाबा जी के पहिले के धन तो देइए देलन, अपना तरफ से भी ओकर दोगुना लगा के विदा कयलन । बाबा जी खुसी में अप्पन घरे आ गेलन । उनका उपकार के फल मिल गेल । खिस्सा गेलवऽ वन में, समझ अप्पन मन में !
Once, there was a Baba who was very poor. One day, he went to the field in the morning. While digging, he found a pot that was stuck in the ground containing water. Inside the pot, there was already a tiger, a snake, and a golden man (goldsmith). They pleaded with him to let them out. Baba thought that if he released the tiger, it would eat him, and if he freed the snake, it would bite him. But he could let the goldsmith out because he was a human. However, how could he get the goldsmith out? The tiger wouldn't allow him. The priest released the tiger first. After that, he let the snake out, and then finally the goldsmith. The tiger fell at Baba's feet and said, "You are my guru. One day, I will come to you." The snake also accepted him as his guru and requested him to come to visit. The goldsmith said the same. Then the priest returned home.
A few days later, the priest went to the tiger, and he found many tigers in the forest. All the tigers pounced on him wanting to eat him. The priest said, "This is my disciple, the tiger." Hearing this, all the tigers accepted him as a disciple. He stayed there for two to four days. Then he said, "Now I will return home, disciple!" The tiger-disciple offered him a considerable amount of gold and silver as a gift. As Baba left, he thought about whether he could also visit the snake disciple.
He then went to the snake's den. As he was going forward, he met the disciple. The disciple bowed down to him and took him to his place. He stayed there for two to four days. Then he said, "Snake-disciple, now I will go home." Upon hearing this, the snake's disciple came back and said, "This is what is appropriate for a poor person like me." The snake said, "There is a power in the snake that whenever a calamity strikes you, you should call out to the truth with a voice saying, 'Oh, true snake, help me!'" Baba blessed the disciple and departed. On the way, he thought about how respected he was by the tiger and the snake. "Let's see how respected I am by the goldsmith disciple!"
From there, Baba reached the goldsmith's place. When he arrived, he was asked, "Who is making such a ruckus?" Baba replied, "Oh, my host, don't be upset. Just look at my belongings. I will return shortly!" Baba placed his belongings and went out. By then, the goldsmith had opened his belongings to see. On that very day, a robbery had occurred in the kingdom, and the things in Baba's belongings belonged to the king. The goldsmith immediately bound them and took them to the king. The king inquired, "Where has Baba gone?" The goldsmith replied, "He has returned." When Baba reached the goldsmith's place, the king asked, "Where did you find all this?" Baba replied, "The tiger and snake disciples gave them to me." The king scolded him and took him away, saying, "Did the tiger and the snake give you all this wealth?" They imprisoned him in a dungeon.
An order was given to hang the prisoner. The prisoner began to smoke ganja, and Baba also asked him to let him take a puff. After all, they were both going to be killed. One of the prisoners said, "Go on, give me a puff! Then I will die." Baba got a chillum (a smoking pipe) and showed the power of the snake, saying, "Oh, true snake, help me!" The snake heard this and hurriedly came. Baba explained everything. The snake said, "I will go and bite the king's only son, and he will die. You go and say that I too am chanting the mantra." Then the snake left and bit the king's son. The king's son died. There was chaos all around.
From the dungeon, Baba called out, "What's all this commotion?" Upon hearing this, people said, "The snake has bitten the king's son." Baba replied, "I will also chant a mantra!" When this news reached the king, he quickly summoned Baba. Baba went there and said, "Quickly, bring some milk!" The king ordered for milk to be fetched, and it was prepared. Baba mixed the milk with a spell and closed the lid. The snake descended and drank the milk, and also revived the king's son. The king's son came back to life. The snake returned to the forest. The king, overjoyed at his son's revival, presented all the wealth initially given to Baba and also doubled it as a farewell gift. Baba returned home happily. He reaped the rewards of his service. The tale concluded in the forest; understand it in your heart!