14 - Of Mice and Men

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Muni narrates a tale from the Jataka tales, illustrating how a seemingly worthless investment can lead to great success. The story follows Jeff, who turns a dead mouse into a thriving business, showcasing shrewd business practices like brokering and market cornering. It parallels modern business strategies, such as Amazon's seller interface. The episode also includes a mythological tale about the demon Arasur, who sought invulnerability from Brahma, only to be defeated by the goddess of insects, Bramari. The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, featuring a disease as a character.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India's rich cultural heritage.
• 👤 The host, Narad Muni, is a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future, and always speaks the truth.
• 🎶 The podcast is introduced with music and applause, setting the stage for the storytelling session.
• 🐭 The story of the week is from the Jataka tales, focusing on the success story of an enterprising individual who turns a seemingly worthless dead mouse into a fortune.
• 🧐 The story illustrates the power of determination, planning, and a bit of luck in achieving success from very little.
• 👦 The character 'Jeff' overhears a conversation about the potential value of a dead mouse and decides to capitalize on it.
• 🍬 Jeff's initial success comes from bartering a dead mouse for sweets and water, which he then sells to flower pickers.
• 🌸 By recognizing a latent need and exploiting it, Jeff builds a business selling refreshments to laborers and eventually becomes wealthy.
• 👑 The story of Jeff's rise to wealth and becoming the king's adviser parallels the success story of a major retailer, possibly Amazon.
• 🐝 The goddess Bramari is introduced as the deity associated with bees, hornets, and wasps, who uses insects as her weapon against demons.
• 🦊 The tale of Arasur, a demon who seeks invulnerability from Brahma, is used to illustrate the ingenuity of the gods in overcoming powerful adversaries.

Q & A

What is the name of the podcast and its main focus?

The podcast is called 'Stories from India' and it focuses on discussing myths, legends, and folk tales from India.

Who is the host of the podcast and what are some of their characteristics?

The host is named Narad Muni, a mythological character who has the gift of eternal life, knowledge of the past, present, and future, and always speaks the truth.

What is the central theme of today's story in the podcast?

Today's story is from the Jataka tales and it illustrates what can be achieved with very little, emphasizing the importance of determination, planning, and a bit of luck.

Who is the character in the story that is associated with bees, wasps, and hornets?

The character associated with bees, wasps, and hornets is the goddess Bramari.

What did the king's adviser see on the street that he initially thought was gold?

The king's adviser initially thought a dead mouse on the street was gold, but was corrected by his friend.

What is the name of the enterprising young man in the story and what did he do with the dead mouse?

The enterprising young man's name is Jeff. He took the dead mouse and sold it to a cat's owner for two copper coins.

How did Jeff turn the two copper coins into a profitable business?

Jeff used the two copper coins to buy sweets, which he then sold to flower pickers in exchange for flowers. He sold the flowers in town for a profit and repeated this process to grow his capital.

What opportunity did Jeff seize when he saw the fallen branches in the king's garden after a storm?

Jeff offered to clean up the fallen branches in the king's garden before the king's visit in exchange for 20% of the gardener's bonus.

How did Jeff become the richest person in town?

Jeff capitalized on various opportunities, such as buying out the entire inventory of grass from grass cutters and selling it to a horse merchant, and buying rubies before a trading ship arrived, knowing that they were in high demand. These ventures allowed him to accumulate wealth and become the richest person in town.

What is the story of Arasur and how did he receive his powers?

Arasur was a demon who prayed to Brahma for 40,000 years, surviving on minimal sustenance. Brahma granted him invulnerability to all two-legged and four-legged creatures as a compromise for not granting him immortality and omnipotence.

How was Arasur defeated by Parvati?

Parvati, Shiva's partner, wore a costume made of bees, hornets, and other insects that were not two-legged or four-legged. She unleashed these insects on Arasur, which eventually tore him apart.