part 15

After some time, the goldsmith saw a woman adorned with fine clothes in the bright moonlight. Astonished! How did this woman come to this dreadful forest? Is she an illusion, a witch, a spirit, or a forest deity? He was afraid. Then he thought, why fear a woman? He approached her, but she neither spoke nor moved from her place.

Observing closely, he exclaimed, "Oh! This is a statue! I thought she was alive."

He pondered, "But she is so beautiful. She is dressed, but without ornaments. A woman's beauty, prosperity, and fortune are signified by her jewelry. Why not adorn her with ornaments?"

With this thought, he began crafting jewelry. He made necklaces, waistbands, bangles, nose rings, earrings, and various other ornaments, adorning the statue. Now, clothed and ornamented, the statue of the woman appeared like a complete young maiden.

The goldsmith then called out to the Brahmin, "Friend, wake up! The final hour of the night has begun."

The Brahmin replied, "Brother, this is the time of my daily awakening. You may sleep peacefully; I will continue my chanting."

The Brahmin began reciting mantras. The young sun in the east was eager to be born. Rays of light were ready to descend into the courtyard of the earth. Birds had begun their morning songs in their nests. The stillness of the night was about to fade. Nature was coming alive.

At that moment, the mantra-chanting Brahmin noticed the statue of the woman. The golden-hued statue bathed in the bright moonlight was an embodiment of unparalleled beauty. Enchanted, he forgot his mantra recitation and approached the statue.

Observing the wooden sculpture adorned with clothes and jewelry, he understood that this rare idol was a creation of the wood sculptor, dressed by the cloth-maker, and adorned by the goldsmith.

A person passionate about art finds it easy to pass time, while for someone without purpose, every moment becomes a burden.

The Brahmin's thoughts surfaced: "If the wood sculptor can create the idol, the cloth-maker can dress it, and the goldsmith can enhance its beauty with ornaments, then why should I not use my mantra power? Knowledge is considered the greatest wealth; is its utility meaningless?

Soon, my three friends will wake up, praise each other's skills, and mock me. What is the worth of my knowledge?"

A thought suddenly struck him—"If this statue, with its beauty and grace, were to come alive, she would be the most beautiful woman in the world!"

With this idea, he resolved to breathe life into the statue through his mantras. Chanting life-giving mantras, he continued for some time, and soon, the wooden statue came to life—transforming into an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

The Brahmin declared, "I have breathed life into this statue, so I have the greatest right over her. I shall marry her."

By then, the sun had risen. The rays of light touched the faces of the three friends, waking them up. They found the Brahmin standing beside the now-living woman.

When they approached him, he proudly said, "Friends, behold my mantra power! I have breathed life into this wooden statue. She can now speak, act, and behave like a human. I will marry her."

The three looked at one another in disbelief.

Breaking the silence, the wood sculptor spoke, "Friend, how can you marry her? I am the creator of this masterpiece. I should be the one to marry her."

The Brahmin countered, "Can anyone marry a mere wooden statue? You only created the form. If not for my mantras, she would have remained lifeless."

The wood sculptor retorted, "Had I not sculpted her so artistically and attractively, would you have even considered breathing life into her? If she were ugly, would you have chanted your mantras? This living woman is the same statue I created—I have the foremost and rightful claim to marry her."

Before the argument could proceed further, the cloth-maker interjected, "The rightful claim is mine. Would anyone desire to marry an unclothed woman? It was I who gave her an identity by dressing her. Without my contribution, neither the goldsmith would have adorned her with jewelry, nor would the Brahmin have brought her to life. I will marry her."

The goldsmith, seeing the three friends arguing over her, decided to present his claim as well.

He said, "All women love jewelry. Without ornaments, a woman remains incomplete. Without my craftsmanship, she would not have attained her full beauty. I am the rightful one to marry her."

The Brahmin responded wisely, "Property, women, and land are the primary causes of conflict. If we begin arguing at the very start of our journey, we will stray from our goal of acquiring wealth. Our lifelong friendship will turn into enmity.

One woman cannot have four husbands. This is against the moral order and ethics. She can only belong to one of us. We must decide this matter rationally. If we continue fighting, the consequences will be tragic."

Dear wise and discerning readers, can anyone among you decide who among the four friends rightfully deserves to marry the woman born from the wooden statue?

To be continued...