The tale of the golden mongoose is missing here in the version of Kasidas. I looked through many versions of the Bengali books, assuming that the printer may have omitted the part by mistake, but I did not find that.
The tale occurs towards the end of the version of Vyasa.
Below is the tale.
When the great sacrifice was over, gifts were given to all assembled. Flowers rained from the sky. Suddenly a mongoose came there. One side of its body had turned to gold. It started rolling on the ground. Then, in a loud voice it said to Yudhistira, Your sacrifice is not equal to the sacrifice of the poor brahmin who offered me powdered flour.
Yudhistira started worndering. He asked - Who are you? What do you know about sacrifices and their significance? Ones who were to be worshiped were given their due respect. No one was disregarded. Proper offerings were made in the fire . You seem to be wise. Your body is half gold. Please xplain what you mean.
The mongoose said - I have not said anything which is false. Let me tell you what happened to me and how my body became part gold. This happened in the house of a poor brahman who lives in Kurukshetra. The brahmin lives in Kurukshetra with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. He used to have a meal at the end of the day. If there was nothing to eat, the family would fast. Once there was a famine. The brahman had nothing to eat at home. All crops had dried up. When the time for eating came, there was nothing to eat. It was the month of June and the sun was beating down on all. Somehow the brahman managed to get a few handfuls of flour. As soon as they were about to sit, a guest came. Seeing this person, the brahman gladly gave a portion of the flour to the guest. The guest was not satisfied. The brahman's wife gave her portion. Still not satisfied, the son then gave his portion to the guest. Similarly, the daughter in law also gave her portion.
The guest then took the form of Dharma and said he was pleased with the brahman's sacrifice and wanted to take him and his family to heaven with him.
I had been listening to the conversation. As soon as the family had left, I sniffed the flour lying on the flour, which was mixed with water and had flowers on it, which had rained from heaven. Half my body turned to gold.
Hearing of your sacrifice, I have come to convert the rest of my body to gold. That is why I said your sacrifice does not compare with the sacrifice of the brahman.
Saying this, the mongoose left.
Ending this tale, Vaishampayana said to Janmajeya - Do not ever pride in yourself. Do not harm anyone. Be content with what you have. Conduct yourself well. Be sincere.
Janmajeya asked - Please tell me who was this mongoose with a human voice?
The sage said - Once the sage Jamadagni started a sacrifice. His cow came to him, the sage milked the cow himself. He kept the milk in a vessel. The God Dharma, entered the vessel of milk. He spoiled the milk and wanted to see what would the reaction of the sage. Jamadagni knew he was being provoked. He did not budge. The Anger then took form of a woman and came before him. She said - O sage, I have been defeated by you.
The anger then took the form of a mongoose and approached Yudhistira. By having displeased Yudhistira, who was none other than Dharma, the mongoose lost its power and went back where it came from.
The tale occurs towards the end of the version of Vyasa.
Below is the tale.
When the great sacrifice was over, gifts were given to all assembled. Flowers rained from the sky. Suddenly a mongoose came there. One side of its body had turned to gold. It started rolling on the ground. Then, in a loud voice it said to Yudhistira, Your sacrifice is not equal to the sacrifice of the poor brahmin who offered me powdered flour.
Yudhistira started worndering. He asked - Who are you? What do you know about sacrifices and their significance? Ones who were to be worshiped were given their due respect. No one was disregarded. Proper offerings were made in the fire . You seem to be wise. Your body is half gold. Please xplain what you mean.
The mongoose said - I have not said anything which is false. Let me tell you what happened to me and how my body became part gold. This happened in the house of a poor brahman who lives in Kurukshetra. The brahmin lives in Kurukshetra with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. He used to have a meal at the end of the day. If there was nothing to eat, the family would fast. Once there was a famine. The brahman had nothing to eat at home. All crops had dried up. When the time for eating came, there was nothing to eat. It was the month of June and the sun was beating down on all. Somehow the brahman managed to get a few handfuls of flour. As soon as they were about to sit, a guest came. Seeing this person, the brahman gladly gave a portion of the flour to the guest. The guest was not satisfied. The brahman's wife gave her portion. Still not satisfied, the son then gave his portion to the guest. Similarly, the daughter in law also gave her portion.
The guest then took the form of Dharma and said he was pleased with the brahman's sacrifice and wanted to take him and his family to heaven with him.
I had been listening to the conversation. As soon as the family had left, I sniffed the flour lying on the flour, which was mixed with water and had flowers on it, which had rained from heaven. Half my body turned to gold.
Hearing of your sacrifice, I have come to convert the rest of my body to gold. That is why I said your sacrifice does not compare with the sacrifice of the brahman.
Saying this, the mongoose left.
Ending this tale, Vaishampayana said to Janmajeya - Do not ever pride in yourself. Do not harm anyone. Be content with what you have. Conduct yourself well. Be sincere.
Janmajeya asked - Please tell me who was this mongoose with a human voice?
The sage said - Once the sage Jamadagni started a sacrifice. His cow came to him, the sage milked the cow himself. He kept the milk in a vessel. The God Dharma, entered the vessel of milk. He spoiled the milk and wanted to see what would the reaction of the sage. Jamadagni knew he was being provoked. He did not budge. The Anger then took form of a woman and came before him. She said - O sage, I have been defeated by you.
The anger then took the form of a mongoose and approached Yudhistira. By having displeased Yudhistira, who was none other than Dharma, the mongoose lost its power and went back where it came from.
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