The Fisherman's Greedy Wife

 

Trying to gain more than you need or deserve, through shortcuts and unfair means, will only lead to destruction. Here is an oft-repeated fable that reminds us of this.

Jaggu, a fisherman, was sitting all day in his boat waiting for a catch, but alas, there was none. Just as he was about to wind up and go back home, a huge golden fish got stuck in his net! Jaggu was delighted. But as he pulled up his net, the fish spoke, “My dear man, I am a divine being, living in the form of a fish due to an evil curse. It is almost time for me to go back to deva-loka. So, please do not harm me. Be kind enough to let me go.” The fisherman was stunned to hear a fish talk, and instantly threw it back into the river.

When he went back home empty-handed, his incensed wife shouted, “What use is this net, and what use are you, to me? Always coming back home with nothing!” The fisherman replied, “I did catch a beautiful golden fish today, haughty woman! But it spoke to me, and requested to be released, so I let it go.” The wife was furious. She raged, “Oh mad man! You actually beheld a talking fish, and let it go? You should either have brought it back alive, or asked for some boon in exchange for its release!” She did not let him sleep a wink that night, pestering him to go back to the fish and ask for a comfortable house to live in. She was tired of living in a dingy hut, she said.

The fish grants boon after boon

Next day, the fisherman went back to the spot where he caught the fish, and reluctantly said, “Oh divine being, it looks like my wife will not give me a moment’s peace till I ask you for a boon. Can you please give her a comfortable house to live in?” The fish, which was grateful to Jaggu for releasing it the previous day granted his boon, and said, “When you go back, you will find your wife in a comfortable house in the place of your hut!”

Jaggu was happy to see this development, and he thought he would get a good meal and a good night’s sleep! However, that was not to be. All night his wife lamented that she had asked for too less – after all, a divine being’s life was worth much more. So, she drove her husband back to the fish, to ask for a palace with all comforts. The divine fish granted that too.

That was not the end of the story. Now, the wife wanted her husband to become a king. He refused, saying that he had no desire for wealth or power. “Then, I shall rule,” she said, and sent him back to the fish. The fish granted this boon too, seeing kind-hearted Jaggu’s dilemma.

The divine fish grants boons aplenty to the fisherman
Image courtesy: Playground.com

Greed knows no bounds

When Jaggu went back home, his wife was the queen of a small kingdom, shooting out orders to all those around her. But the greedy woman was not satisfied with being a queen, she now wanted to be the empress! When Jaggu refused to go back to the fish with more requests, she said, “This is not a request, this is an order, stupid man! I am now the queen of this region, and will behead you if you do not follow my orders!” Not knowing what to do, Jaggu went back to the fish, hoping this would be the last boon the greedy woman would ask for. The fish too reluctantly granted it. When Jaggu came back home, he found his wife in a big fort, as the empress of all surrounding kingdoms.

However, her desires knew no bounds. She now wanted to be in control of the Sun and the Moon! When a hassled Jaggu came and asked the fish for this, the divine being replied, “Dear man, go back home, and you will find your wife in the same dingy hut you were once living in!” And so it was that the woman’s unbound greed brought her back to square one.

Here is an easy shloka to remind us of the fate of greedy people…  

लोभमूलानि पापानि सन्कटानि तथैव च।

लोभात्प्रवर्तते वैरं अतिलोभात्विनश्यति॥

lobhamoolāni pāpāni sankaṭāni tathaiva ca|

lobhātpravartate vairaṁ atilobhātvinaśyati||

Greed leads to sin, causes calamity, gives rise to enmity, and ultimately destroys a person.

 

By Janani G. Vikram

gjanani@gmail.com