Today I am going to share the story of the Monkey Brothers- Jatak Tales. The story is about two monkey brothers, Nandak and Chullanandak, who live in a snow forest and take care of their old mother in the forest of Himwa. They travel to a distant forest with their companions and bring back fruits for their mother. However, when they return, they find their mother has died due to starvation as the fruits were eaten by fellow monkeys. The two brothers camp at a new place with their mother's body. A hunter arrives and tries to kill the mother, but the two brothers sacrifice their lives to save her. The hunter eventually dies due to his own misfortune. The story teaches the lesson of never doing anything that leads to regret and to be hardworking. 

Story Of The Monkey Brothers ~ Jatak Tales In English

Once upon a time, two monkey-brothers lived in the snow-forest. The elder's name was Nandak and the younger's name was Chullanandak. Both of them were the heads of eighty thousand monkeys living there.

Once those two monkey-brothers went to a distant forest jumping and jumping with their companions; And kept enjoying the fruits of new crops with his companions. He also had an old mother who could not jump and jump in her old age. That's why she used to live in the forest of Himwa. Both the monkey brothers used to take full care of their mother. Therefore, he kept sending fruits for his mother through the hands of his followers even from the new forest.

After a few days, when both the monkey-brothers reached their home in Himwa, they found their mother in the form of a skeleton; She had become completely bone-chilling. He had not eaten anything for many days. Even the fruits sent by him did not reach the old and sick mother, because the fellow monkeys licked those fruits on the way.

Seeing the pitiable condition of their mother, those two monkeys thought it appropriate to stay away from the rest of the monkeys and camped at a new place with their mother.

One day a hunter came to that forest. On seeing him, both the monkeys hid behind the dense leaves of the tree. But his old mother who could see less than her eyes could not see the disease.

Vyadha was a Brahmin who had once been a student of the world famous Guru Parasaria of Taxila; But due to his demerits, he was expelled from there. As soon as the sight of the hunter fell on the old monkey, he wanted to shoot her with an arrow. To save his mother's life, Nandak jumped in front of the hunter and said, "O hunter! You take my life but do not kill my mother." The hunter obeyed Nandak and killed him with a single arrow. Violating the promise given to Nandak, the evil hunter again tried to aim the arrow at that old Markati. This time the younger brother Chullanandak jumped and stood in front of him. He also said to the hunter like his brother, O hunter! You take my life, but don't kill my mother." The hunter said, "Okay, I will do so" and in no time he killed Chullanandak with the same arrow. Then, not keeping his word, he took his quiver. He took out another arrow and pierced old Markati as well.

The hunter was very happy after hunting three monkeys, because he had hunted them in a single day. He wanted to reach his home as soon as possible and show his might to his wife and children. As he was getting closer to his house, he was informed that his house had been destroyed by a thunderbolt and his family members had also been killed. His mind did not accept the separation of his family members. Still running in astonishment and frenzy, leaving behind his arrows, hunting and even his clothes, as soon as he entered his burnt house, a burnt bamboo fell heavily and with it a large part of the roof of his house right on his head. He fell and died instantly.

Later some people narrated the eye-popping account of the above mentioned incident. They said that as soon as the Vyadha entered his house, the earth burst and fierce flames rose from it in which he died. Yes, at the time of his death he had definitely repeated this saying of the Guru of Takshashila:-

Now I remember that teaching of Gurudev, be hardworking and never do such a thing that you have to burn in the fire of repentance.

Read More : Complete Jatak Tales/Stories In English