Banyan Deer

This story happened long, long ago, when Banaras was ruled by King Brahmadutta. He loved to have meat as part of every single meal.

During that period, there lived a beautiful, golden deer. It lived in a forest near Banaras. It was known as Banyan Deer. Banyan Deer was the King of a herd of about five hundred deer. In the same forest there lived another deer, known as Branch Deer. Branch Deer was a King of another herd of about five hundred deer. Branch Deer was also a beautiful deer with a golden hue.

King Brahmadutta was very fond of hunting. He forced his subjects to hunt with him - he wanted them to leave their own businesses and join him regularly on his hunting spree each and every morning. The subjects did not like this routine, as they had better things to do in life.

The subjects were constantly looking for a solution to this problem.

The subjects thought of a plan where they would grow plants and dig water holes in the royal park. Then they would drive a number of deer into the confines of the park and shut the gates. Then the King could hunt at leisure and would not require any further help from his obedient subjects.

They had the royal park prepared to receive the deer before going into the forest armed with weapons and sticks in order to drive the deer into the royal park.

They surrounded the territories of both the herds - those of King Banyan Deer as well as King Branch Deer, and drove them into the royal park. As soon as both the herds were in the royal park, the gates were shut and the deer entrapped.

The King was excited when he set eyes on so many deer in the royal park.

He spotted the two beautiful golden deer and he decided to spare their lives. He issued an order that they were not to be shot at any cost. Each day after that, either the King or one of his hunters would shoot arrows at the deer. The deer would scatter wildly in every direction and get hurt in the ensuing stampede.

King Banyan Deer and King Branch Deer realized that each day their herds were getting wounded in great numbers and while a few were getting killed. Even though death was inevitable they could at least try to save the living ones from unnecessary pain and torture. They put their heads together and came up with a plan to save their herds from this mad hunting.

They decided to send one deer every day the royal palace to be slaughtered and served to the king each and every day. The understanding was that both the herds would send deer every alternate day.

This way the rest of the deer would be spared unnecessary havoc and torture. This system continued for some time until it was the turn of a female deer with a newborn baby. She belonged to the herd of King Branch Deer. She requested the King to send another deer in her place as her fawn who was too young to look after itself. She agreed she would willingly go to be slaughtered after her fawn was old enough to look after himself.

When King Branch Deer refused to send another deer in her place, the deer approached King Banyan Deer with her plea. King Banyan Deer directed her to take care of her fawn as he would send another deer in her place.

As a replacement, King Banyan Deer himself walked to the palace and placed his head on the execution block. The royal cook remembered the King's orders, and instead of slaughtering it, informed to the King of the situation.

King Brahmadutta arrived personally to see what was happening. On seeing King Banyan Deer he went up to him and inquired why he was there. King Banyan Deer related the story of the fawn and the mother doe and told him that as he could not order another deer to take her place, he had decided to do it himself. The King was highly impressed with this supreme sacrifice and the great love and compassion that this King of deer possessed. So he granted King Banyan Deer as well as the mother doe, their lives.

King Banyan Deer requested to spare the lives of other deer as well. King Brahmadutta granted him his wish. King Banyan Deer asked to spare the lives of all the other four-footed animals in the forest and then all the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. King Brahmadutta agreed to spare the lives of all.

King Banyan Deer thanked him from the bottom of his heart and returned joyfully to the park. The gates were opened wide and both the herds were set free.

Needless to say they lived peacefully and happily ever after.