Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.415

c5.415

Story one. Once upon a time there lived in Gauḍadeśa a brahmin called Devaśarman with his wife Yajñasenā. When his wife got pregnant Devaśarman told her that a good and lucky son would be born to them to which she replied as follows :—"On no account build castles in the air and brood over things. I shall tell you a story about a danger which happened to one who built castles in the air. A brahmacārī was carrying home in a pot on his head some rice flour. On the way he thought thus : "I will purchase a she-goat with the money I get out of the sale of this rice powder, and it will deliver two kids every year. I will sell all the kids and with the sale proceeds purchase a cow and when it multiplies I will have the wherewithals for cultivation and then I will do cultivation in a good field and produce much paddy. And when I have thus money in hand I will renovate my house and marry. We will then have a good son whom I will name Somaśarman, and if my wife, without caring for the boy, goes to milk the cow I will go to the cow shed and give her a good beating. "When his imagination reached this point the pot on his head received, without his knowing, a blow with the stick in his hand and it fell down on the ground and was broken to pieces."