Once upon a time hard by Benares was this same wild forest and this same banyan tree. The merchants strayed from the way and saw the banyan tree.

The Master, in his perfect wisdom, explained the matter:–

“Merchants from many a kingdom came, and all together met,

Chose them a chief, and straight set out a treasure for to get.

To this parched forest, poor in food, their way the travelers made,

And spied a mighty banyan tree with cool and pleasant shade.

There underneath that shady tree those merchants all did sit.”

One merchant with lack of wit said:

“Full moist the tree is, and it seems as water there did flow:

One of the branches let us cut which to the eastwards grow.”

“The branch was cut; then pure and clear the trickling waters flow:

The merchants washed, the merchants drank till they had drunk enough.

Again merchant with lack of wit said:

‘One of the branches on the south come let us cut away.’

This branch being cut, both rice and meat out in a stream it brings.

Thick porridge, ginger, lentil soup and many other things.

The merchants ate, the merchants drank they took their fill of it,

Then again merchant with lack of wit said: “Come, fellow-merchants, let us cut a western branch away.’

Out came a bevy of fair girls all pranked in brave array.

And O the robes of many hues, jewels and rings in plenty!

Each merchant had a pretty maid, each of the five and twenty.

These all together stood around beneath the leafy shade;

These and the merchants in the midst, much merriment they made.

Again merchant with lack of wit said:

“One of the branches on the north come let us cut away.”

“But when the northern branch was cut, out came a stream of gold,

Silver in handfuls, precious rugs, and jewels manifold;

And robes of fine Benares cloth, and blankets thick and thin.

The merchants then to roll them up in bundles did begin.

Again merchant with lack of wit said:

“Come let us cut it by the root, and then we may get more.”

“O then uprose their chief, and said, with a respectful bow,

“The eastern branch gave water-streams, the southern gave us food, the western gave us pretty maids, the northern all things good:

‘What mischief does the banyan do, good sirs? God bless you now!

The tree that gives you pleasant shade, to sit or lie at nee,

You should not tear its branches down, a cruel wanton deed.”

“But they were many, he was one whose voice forbade them:

They struck the whetted axes in to fell it by the root.”

Then the Serpent King thought to himself: “I gave these fellows water to drink when they were thirsty, then I gave them food diving, then beds to lie on and maidens to attend them, then treasures to fill five hundred wagons, and now they say, Let us cut down the tree from the root! Greedy they are beyond bounds, and except the chief of the caravan they shall all die.” Then he mustered an army.

“Then five and twenty mail-clad snakes stood forth and took the field,

Three hundred bowmen, and six thousand armed with sword and shield.”

The Serpent King said:

“Strike down the men, and bind them fast, spare not the life of one,

Burn them to cinders save the chief, and then your task is done.”

And so did the serpents. Then they loaded the rugs from the northern branch and all the rest of it upon the five hundred wagons, and conveyed the wagons and the chief of the caravan to Benares, and put up the goods in his house, and taking leave of him returned to their own place of abode.

When the Master had seen this, he said:

“So let the wise his own good see, and let him never go

A slave to greed, that he disarm the purpose of his foe.

So let him, seeing this evil thing, pain rooted in desire,

Shake off desire and fetters, and to holy life aspire.”

Having ended this discourse, he said, “Thus, Brethren, in days of yore merchants possessed with greed came to dire destruction, therefore you must not give place to greed.”