Brief Summary
This story revolves around four Brahmin friends – Som, Vesh, Jeevan, and Bud – who learn various skills from a sage. The tale highlights the importance of common sense over mere skill. Som can mend broken pots, Vesh can heal wounds, and Jeevan can reattach dead leaves. Bud, seemingly unskilled, possesses common sense. The friends decide to travel, and their skills are put to the test when they encounter lion bones. The story underscores that wisdom lies in thinking before acting, a lesson the three skilled Brahmins learn too late, while Bud's common sense saves him.
- Skills alone are not enough; common sense is crucial.
- Thinking before acting can prevent disastrous outcomes.
- True wisdom lies in the practical application of knowledge.
The Four Brahmanas and Their Skills
The story introduces four Brahmin friends: Som, Vesh, Jeevan, and Bud. They are students of a sage living in the forest. The sage emphasises that skills alone are insufficient; one must use them wisely. Each of them possesses unique skills: Som can mend broken pots, Vesh can heal wounds without touching, and Jeevan can reattach dead leaves to trees. Bud, however, doesn't seem to have any special skills, making him the butt of jokes among his friends.
The Importance of Common Sense
Bud asks his teacher about the meaning of "common sense." The sage explains that common sense means thinking before acting. One day, Som, Vesh, and Jeevan decide to travel to gain more knowledge, considering their village too small for their ambitions. They initially plan to leave Bud behind, viewing him as useless, but Jeevan insists that they invite him along, as it is their duty to protect him.
The Journey and the Lion's Bones
The four Brahmins set out on their journey after receiving a reminder from their teacher to think before acting. During their travels, they come across a pile of bones. Bud identifies them as belonging to a lion. Som, Vesh, and Jeevan decide to test their skills on the bones. Som rearranges the bones into a lion's skeleton, and Vesh puts flesh, fur, and skin back onto the skeleton, creating a dead lion.
Bringing the Lion Back to Life
Jeevan boasts that he can bring the dead lion back to life. Bud, sensing danger, advises against it, but his friends dismiss him, questioning his skills and knowledge. Bud, remembering his teacher's words about common sense, asks permission to climb a tree before Jeevan proceeds, explaining that he wants to have a better view to decide who is the most learned and also save himself if something goes wrong.
The Consequences of Skill Without Wisdom
Jeevan ignores Bud's warning and chants the words to bring the lion back to life. The lion awakens, hungry and angry, and attacks the three Brahmins, killing them one by one. Bud, safe in the tree, witnesses the tragic outcome. After the lion leaves, Bud climbs down and laments that his friends' lack of common sense led to their demise, reinforcing the sage's lesson about the importance of thinking before acting.
