Digging One’s Own Grave

Introduction

Ratnakar, the physician, had no one in the world. He devoted all his attention to his profession and became very popular among the people of his area. He was not fond of luxury and lived simply, requiring little wealth to sustain himself. This allowed him to treat poorer patients free of charge.

Jealousy Brews

The landlord of the village grew extremely jealous of Ratnakar. Those who once sought the landlord’s advice now flocked to the physician for medical guidance and assistance with various other problems. The landlord could have easily driven Ratnakar from the village, but he feared that doing so would make him unpopular among the people. Besides, Ratnakar would simply find another place to settle, and people would continue to seek him out.

A Malicious Act

One day, as the landlord saw Ratnakar leaving with his bag of medicines, he seized a golden opportunity to harm the physician. That night, he instructed his confidants to dig a hole in Ratnakar’s wall and enter his house to destroy all his medicines. His henchmen followed his orders, tossing the valuable mixtures and pills Ratnakar had prepared over the years onto the ground and burning the rare herbs he had collected.

Consequences of Jealousy

When Ratnakar returned the next day, a crowd of people awaited him at his door. He opened the lock only to be taken aback by the scene inside. What kind of thieves would destroy his medicinal stock without taking his utensils or clothes? As he reflected on this, he realized that the act must have been committed by someone jealous of him. He knew he had no rivals in the nearby villages, so the perpetrator remained a mystery.

A Desperate Plea

The villagers gathered around Ratnakar, sympathizing with him, and soon the landlord arrived as well, secretly pleased at the physician’s misfortune. Just then, a servant of the landlord rushed in, breathless, announcing that the landlord’s son had been bitten by a poisonous snake. The servant was followed by villagers carrying the unconscious boy.

A Risky Situation

Ratnakar laid the boy down and examined him, noting his pale complexion. “Ratnakar! Kindly save my son, at any cost,” pleaded the landlord. “Sir! I am helpless. As you know, some rascals have destroyed all my valuable medicines only last night. I do not know what will happen. God alone can save the boy!” Ratnakar exclaimed with a sigh.

Redemption and Transformation

The landlord fell at Ratnakar’s feet, weeping and on the verge of confessing his misdeeds. Sensing the man’s turmoil, Ratnakar decided not to humiliate him further. “Please keep quiet,” he said and rushed out of his house.

“Is he going to seek revenge on me?” the landlord thought, filled with regret. A few moments later, Ratnakar returned, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat, holding some wild roots in his hand. He quickly prepared a remedy using the roots and put drops into the nostrils of the unconscious boy. Within minutes, the boy opened his eyes, and half an hour later, he sat up, gradually regaining consciousness.

A New Beginning

The landlord embraced Ratnakar as tears rolled down his cheeks, grateful for the physician’s intervention. From that day on, he became Ratnakar’s greatest well-wisher. People whispered among themselves about how the landlord’s nature had changed since his association with the physician. The landlord alone knew that he had almost dug his own grave, but Ratnakar’s goodness had saved him.