तुलसी की बोध-कथाएं

Summary

The text presents a collection of short moral stories. In the first story, a blind man named Surdas wanders into a large forest enclosure. A cowherd guides him to the perimeter wall, instructing him to follow it until he reaches the gate. After walking for some time, Surdas reaches the gate but stops to scratch his head, missing the exit. He must then walk the entire circumference again. The story notes that scratching one's head at the gate is like sinking a boat upon reaching the shore. The second story features a poor man who finds a shiny stone by a river. He wishes for food, a bed, and a furnished house, and all appear. However, a crow's constant cawing prevents him from sleeping. In frustration, he throws the stone at the crow, and the entire illusion vanishes. He is left alone on the riverbank, unaware that the stone was a wish-fulfilling gem. A third story tells of an old woman whose son has been gone for twelve years. She asks two astrologers when he will return. As she speaks, her water pot falls and breaks. One astrologer declares this a bad omen, saying her son is dead. The other interprets it positively, saying the elements have returned to their origins and her son will return. She goes home and finds her son waiting. Another story involves a king who accidentally spills perfume. He tries to hide his mistake by collecting the spilled perfume and applying it to himself. When Birbal laughs, the king builds large tanks and fills them with perfume, releasing baby elephants to spray the courtiers. When the king asks Birbal what the elephants are doing, Birbal replies that they are "taking missed opportunities." The next story describes a young man who climbs a tree to escape a mad elephant. He hangs from a branch being gnawed by rats, above a well with a snake, while bees sting him. A drop of honey falls into his mouth, and he becomes so absorbed in waiting for another drop that he refuses rescue from a passing vidyadhara