Buddhiman Vanzaro - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Buddhiman Vanzaro" (The Intelligent Merchant) by Bechardas Doshi, based on the provided pages:

Core Theme: The story, presented as a religious discourse (Dharmakatha) concerning a past life of Lord Buddha, highlights the principle that true wisdom and intelligence transcend caste or birth. It emphasizes the importance of intelligence and foresight in navigating life's challenges, leading to prosperity and well-being.

The Story:

The narrative begins by stating that the soul's journey continues even after the physical body perishes, leading to eventual perfection. This thought inspires the story of Lord Buddha's past life as a merchant.

The Setup: In the land of Kashi, ruled by King Brahmadatta, the Bodhisattva was born into a merchant family. After completing his education and marrying a suitable woman, he began a prosperous trading business, sending hundreds of carts of goods eastward and westward, and likewise north and south.
The Rival: During the same time, another young merchant in Kashi was foolish, dull-witted, and unintelligent.
The Dilemma: When the Bodhisattva prepared to travel abroad with 500 carts of valuable goods, the unintelligent merchant also decided to undertake the same journey with 500 carts.
The Bodhisattva's Foresight: The Bodhisattva, with his sharp intelligence, immediately recognized the potential problems of traveling together. He realized that with a thousand carts, there wouldn't be adequate roads, sufficient fuel, food, fodder, and clean water for the thousands of people and animals. Moreover, competition would drive down prices, leading to a loss instead of profit. Therefore, he decided it was best for them to travel separately.
The Proposal: The Bodhisattva approached the other merchant and asked if he would travel first or if the Bodhisattva should.
The Other Merchant's Decision: The unintelligent merchant, thinking he would gain more by going first (clearer paths, fresh grass for oxen, better provisions for his men, and the opportunity to sell his goods at a higher price), decided to go first.
The Bodhisattva's Strategic Decision: The Bodhisattva, understanding the benefits of following, agreed. He reasoned that the first merchant would pave the way, clear the paths, consume the less fresh fodder leaving the freshest for his oxen, and his men would consume the available produce, leaving the newly growing ones for the Bodhisattva's men. The first merchant would also dig wells, ensuring water for those who followed. Most importantly, the first merchant would handle the difficult task of negotiating prices for goods, making the Bodhisattva's sales easier. Thus, the Bodhisattva made the firm decision to travel second.
The Unintelligent Merchant's Journey and Demise: The unintelligent merchant set off with great enthusiasm. He was aware of five types of perilous forests (Chorakantar - thieves, Vyalakantar - wild animals, Nirjalakantar - waterless, Bhutakantar - ghosts, Alpabhakshyakantar - scarce food). He instructed his men on how to navigate them. However, upon entering a vast desert-like region (likely the Nirjalakantar or a similar desolate area), he encountered a demon king disguised as a royal figure. The demon, along with his twelve followers, appeared as if emerging from a heavy rainfall, with wet clothes, flower garlands, and mud-splattered chariots. They claimed that a torrential rain was occurring ahead and that lotus-filled lakes were present. The foolish merchant, believing this fabricated story, ordered his water carts to be emptied, discarding all his precious water. The demon king and his followers then vanished. The merchant's caravan soon suffered from extreme thirst. At midnight, the demons returned, revealing their true nature, and devoured all the people and animals, leaving the 500 carts abandoned. The unintelligent merchant and his entire company perished due to his foolishness.
The Bodhisattva's Journey and Encounter: After some time, the Bodhisattva set out on the same route. He warned his companions about the dangers of such forests, the potential for demons disguised as humans, and the importance of conserving water and staying vigilant. Upon reaching the same desolate region, they too encountered the demon king and his followers with the same deceptive appearance.
The Bodhisattva's Intelligence Prevails: The Bodhisattva, however, was not fooled. He observed the demons' red eyes, the absence of shadows in the moonlight, and realized they were not ordinary humans. He intelligently questioned their claims of rain by asking if the wind felt cold, if they had seen lotuses in a desert, if they had seen rain clouds, or heard thunder. When his companions confirmed the absence of any such signs, the Bodhisattva concluded that the demons were trying to trick them and that the preceding merchant and his caravan had fallen victim to this deception.
The Outcome: The Bodhisattva politely refused the demon's advice to discard water, stating they would only discard water after seeing it with their own eyes. The demons disappeared, unable to ensnare the intelligent Bodhisattva. He then led his caravan to the site where the other merchant had met his end, witnessing the abandoned carts and the remains of the people and animals. His companions were grateful for his wisdom. The Bodhisattva's caravan proceeded to their destination, successfully sold their goods, made a good profit, and returned safely to Banaras. They informed the previous merchant's family of his tragic fate.

Moral: The story concludes with the moral that those who succumb to misguided arguments and lack intelligence meet a bad end, while those who wisely utilize their intellect prosper.