The Brahmin and the Gold-Giving Serpent

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a poor Brahmin named Haridatta. Despite working hard in his fields, he remained poor. One hot afternoon, while resting under a tree, he saw a majestic cobra sitting on an anthill. He thought, 'This serpent must be the guardian deity of this land, and I have never honored him. Perhaps that is why my crops fail.'

The next day, Haridatta brought a bowl of milk and placed it near the anthill. He prayed for forgiveness and went home. To his surprise, when he returned the following morning, he found a gold coin in the bowl. Overjoyed, Haridatta made this a daily ritual. Every day he offered milk, and every day he received a gold coin. Soon, he became a wealthy man.

One day, Haridatta had to visit another village for work. He instructed his son to offer milk to the serpent in his absence. The son followed the instructions and was amazed to find a gold coin. However, greed filled his heart. He thought, 'This anthill must be filled with gold coins. Why wait for one coin every day? I will kill the snake and take all the treasure at once.'

The next morning, as the snake came out to drink the milk, the son struck it with a heavy stick. The snake managed to escape death but was severely injured. In anger, it bit the son. The venom was so strong that the boy died instantly. When Haridatta returned and learned the truth, he was devastated. He realized that his son's greed had led to this tragedy. He went to the snake to apologize, but the snake said, 'Our friendship is over. You will always remember your son's death, and I will always remember the wound given by him. Greed has destroyed everything.'