GREEDY BRAHMIN

Dr.Soroj Mishra

Greedy Brahmin:

 A carpenter had a small workshop on the eastern side of a village near Annadapur. A greedy Brahmin Kailas would pass through that road while going to take bath in the village Pond. Why Brahmins were always described in the history books and stories as poor and greedy one never knows, now too they remain greedy(like me) to get something free like present day Odisha’s common men.

Kailas one day told the carpenter Harihara to make a pidha for him. Pidha is a wooden stool used by Brahmin while performing puja and common men while taking their meals. Carpenter knew that he will not get money for that tool from Kailas babu. Every alternate day our Brahmin would remind Harihara about the Pidha. He would give the same answer “trying to get a good piece of wood for you, sir”. But you must hurry up commented our Brahmin. After a month or so, one day Harihara was not there in his workshop. Kailas babu met him and asked where he had been to, all these days.

“Was in search of a piece of sandal wood for your Pidha, sir” was the reply from Harihara. Actually he had gone out to town for some other work. After a month Kailas lost patience and rebuked the carpenter. With apology Harihara said “sir, it’s very difficult to get sandal wood, you please bring a piece for me and the next day your Pidha will be delivered in your house”.

That was the last time Kailas would ask about that Pidha, he changed his route to the pond.

(This story is written by Sanjoy as narrated by his friend Soroj Mishra while going to Dibrugarh on a malaria project some 15 years back. Health Director Dr B.S.Dash, Soroj Mishra, Sanjib Mohanty and Sanjoy were the participants. Out of these four two are RIP, Director Das& Soroj Mishra .Today 28.9.16 is Soroj Mishra’s death anniversary.)