The
Miser of Karaveerapura
There lived in the town of Karaveerapura a Pandit. He used to carry the
Vedic texts with him and was always reciting mantras (hymns). But all that was for no good
purpose. He would not even drive away a crow with his unwashed hand after meals lest any
morsel of rice should fall down and the crow might eat it! He was not poor but miserly.
Bharat is a big country. There are many mountains, rivers, forests and open plains. In the
North, Ganga, Yamuna and Brahma- putra are very big rivers.Likewise big rivers
like Cauvery, Krishna and Godavari flow in the South.
Karaveera town was on the banks of Krishna. There was much greenery; good crops grew on
the fertile lands, and Mother Earth was bountiful to the people. But the pandit was so
miserly that people had named him Krupanaraya'('Krupana' means a miser). His wife
Gayyalibai was an amazon, quarrelsome woman, and was always insulting -people and picked
up quarrels with them. She was neither a devotee of God nor helpful in any way to others.
No charities for her, and she would not entertain any guests at their house. The couple
had a son whose name was Oaduraya. Neither the father not the son
dared to open their mouth, and the woman ruled the household as per her wish.
Krupanaraya had taught the Vedas to his son but it was mere parrotlike learning.
Matters from the sacred texts filled his brain, but his heart was barren. He had not
developed any good qualities like being friendly, helpful and kind to others.
People used to keep away from this family.While some feared the wife'sverbal
onslaughts, others did not like to have any contact or dealings with these misers who
only loved money.
As the son reached marriageable age, his parents began to look for a bride to him. But who
would offer their daughter to such a person and the family? 'Better throw the girl into a
well than marry her into such a household,' they would say. Realizing that none in the
town were willing to offer their son a bride, his father began to search for one in
neighboring places. |
