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Hindu Moral Story – Brahmin Blessed With Jackal Form

Once there lived a Brahmin by name Kashyapa. He went to a Gurukula, had formal education, but he had no land to till, and no students to teach in the remote place. He was forced to live by begging alms as he had a large family to feed and support. Every day he set out early in the morning for begging and returned in the noon, with whatever he begged.

One noon, while he was on his begging rounds, slowly walking on a road, a rich man’s horse carriage ran over the Brahmin’s left leg. He fell unconscious. Bleeding profusely, with pain and with great difficulty, he somehow crossed the road and sat on a rock.

He was brooding over his misfortune. He could no longer beg. His children were very young. Cursing himself, he decided to commit suicide, as he felt he was useless to his family and was a burden to them. Kashyapa crawled across and reached slowly to a lonely place to end his life. Indra, the king of gods, wanted to teach him a lesson.

Suddenly a Jackal appeared before him from somewhere, and spoke to him like a human being! In great pain, he did not realize it must be an angel. He however, looked at the strange animal in surprise.

The Jackal said, “Oh the learned one, why are you into this heinous crime? You are learned, capable of advising other people. What are you achieving by ending your precious human form gifted by God?

You will again be born as an animal like me or even worse. Instead, cure your pain by patience and resume your work and look after your family.

So saying, the jackal gave him an option. ‘If you are unable to bear this pain, you can enter into my form, and I shall take your painful form.” Kashyapa readily agreed. ‘Be it so ‘, he said and with the help of the jackal, took over the animal form and the jackal took his painful, bleeding human form.

Soon after the exchange of bodies, the Brahmin had a moment’s joy, free from pain and walked freely in the forest. His happiness did not last long. A herd of Jackals arrived to greet the newcomer. Some of them even licked his body with their foul smelling tongue, some sniffed at him.

Kashyapa was unable to live among jackals. He felt the painful human form was much better than this foul smelling animal form. Now he realized Gods might have put him to this test. Kashyapa honestly prayed to God to return to his earlier form, though painful, and wanted to get rid of this jackal’s body. The Gods were pleased and he was made to take over his wounded human form. In a few months, he was fit to work. He started a new life, worked hard, cleared all his debts, and soon became a respectable man of the town. He now realized how precious the human form is!

Don’t expect happiness to come from somewhere. It lies within us. Explore it. You will surely be happy.