The Story of the Merchant’s Son
The Story of the Merchant's Son: Do your best but leave it to destiny.” Sagardatta was a merchant who had a handsome young son. One day, he observed that his
“Do your best but leave it to destiny.”
Sagardatta was a merchant who had a handsome young son.
One day, he observed that his young son had bought a costly book. But the book contained only one verse: “You get what is destined for you!”
When the merchant realized that his son was a fool to buy a book with so much cost, but only one verse, he grew very angry. He said, “How can you do well in business, when you can buy a book which contains only one verse! Get out of my house, and never show me your face again!”
The young man was utterly dejected for being driven out by his father; he started travelling with only his book along with him. He learnt the verse well, and kept repeating it, all the way.
On his way, he arrived in a village. The villagers asked him his name and he replied from the book, “You get what is destined for you”
Thus, the young man became known as ‘You-get-what-is-destined-for-you’.
One day, the princess of the country visited a festival and saw a handsome prince, who was also attending the festival. She fell in love immediately and asked her attendant to find a way to send a message to the handsome prince.
She wrote a note, and gave it to her attendant. The attendant gave the note to the young merchant’s son by mistake. He read that she wrote, “I have fallen in love with you, the very moment I have set my eyes on you. Please meet me in the castle. You will find a rope hanging from one of the windows, which will lead you to my room.”
He thought, “I will honour the wishes of the princess to meet me in person.”
When he climbed up the rope, and entered the princess’s room, it was very dark. The princess thought he was the prince at the festival, and received him warmly. She served him food and drink, and entertained him in every manner.
She said, “I have deeply fallen in love with you. I shall have no other man as my husband, except for you. Please tell me what you have in your mind.”
The merchant’s son replied, “You get what is destined for you”
She was surprised to hear the prince speak so, and immediately enlightened her room. She got furious when she realized he was not the handsome prince, she thought him to be, and ordered him out of her room.
The young man was sad on being treated in such manner without being at fault, and walked to a nearby temple. He decided to spend the night there, and fell asleep.
The temple remained un-inhabitated and the night watchman carried out tasks of ill-repute during the night. He wanted the young man to leave and said, “This temple is old and broken. You may sleep in my home.”
Thus, the young man went to his house. But he made a mistake and got into the wrong room, where the watchman’s daughter was waiting for her lover to arrive during her father’s absence.
In the darkness of the night, the watchman’s daughter mis took him for her lover and exchanged garlands in front of the picture of God. Thus, according to traditions they got married.
The young man said, “You get what is destined for you”. When she heard this, she realized she had done a mistake, and thought, “Such mistake is bound to happen, when you rush into doing something without thinking sufficiently about it!” She cursed him and threw him out of the house.
Saddened for being treated in such manner without being at fault, he was walking slowly, when he saw a marriage procession approaching.
They had magnificent clothes, and wore precious jewels. He followed the groom’s procession, which was going to the bride’s home, where a lavish ceremony was arranged.
All of a sudden, a mad elephant rushed towards the procession, and everybody ran helter-skelter. The bride stood there in the middle of the turmoil, too afraid to run.
When he saw this, the young man got hold of a huge nail, and jabbed it into the elephant. The elephant got frightened and ran away.
After a while, when the bride’s friends and relatives returned, she said, “At the moment when my life was in danger, there was none to help me except for this courageous stranger. I will marry none other than him. This is my firm resolution.”
The groom’s friends and relatives were offended by these words, and there was a heated argument.
When the words reached around, the king had to come himself to pacify everybody and stop the argument. Everyone including the princess and the watchman’s daughter came to the place.
The king asked the young man, “You were present in the ceremony. You saved the would-be bride and everybody from the elephant, it is said. I ask you to explain the whole thing to me!”
All the young man said was, “You get what is destined for you”. The princess and the watchman’s daughter were embarrassed to hear the words.
When the king heard this and saw the princess and the watchman’s daughter blushing, he demanded to know the truth.
The night watchman’s daughter confessed of marrying him by mistake, and said, “It was my destiny, and I do not repent it!”
The princess explained to the king that she had spent time with him by mistake, and said, “It was my destiny, and I do not regret it!”
On hearing them, the bride confronted the king and said, “O King, what destiny has given to me, none can take away from me!”
After hearing everybody and consulting his ministers, the king arranged for a ceremony. He gifted the young merchant’s son with a thousand villages, apart from ornaments and golds. He married the young man with his young princess, and made him his heir to the throne.
The bride-in-waiting, and the watchman’s daughter were also married to him, by their respective parents, in the same ceremony.
When he built his own castle, he arranged for his parents and relatives to be brought to his place, and they all lived happily ever after.
Moral
The wise indeed say: Do your best but leave it to destiny.
Book 2: The Gaining of Friends Story 27
What is the moral of The Story of the Merchant’s Son?
The moral is: To value wisdom and make thoughtful decisions. This story teaches us that every action has consequences, and we must think carefully about the impact of our choices on ourselves and others.
What collection does The Story of the Merchant’s Son belong to?
The Story of the Merchant’s Son is from the Bengal Folk Tales, an ancient literary work. The Bengal Folk Tales is a timeless collection of stories that teaches important life lessons through memorable tales.
What age group is The Story of the Merchant’s Son suitable for?
The Story of the Merchant’s Son is best suited for Ages 6-10. Younger children will enjoy hearing it read aloud for its engaging narrative, while older children can read it independently and explore the deeper meanings and moral lessons embedded in the story.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Panchatantra (Sanskrit: Pañcatantra, “five treatises”) is an ancient Indian collection of interlinked animal fables traditionally attributed to Vishnu Sharma in roughly the 3rd century BCE. Composed to teach three reckless princes the arts of governance (niti-shastra), its stories were carried by merchants and translators across Persia, Arabia and Europe, seeding the world’s fable tradition.
This Panchatantra tale teaches lessons from the Niti-sastra tradition on self-reliance and the perils of unchecked privilege. The apprenticeship narrative, where a privileged youth must labor and learn, appears across multiple Panchatantra recensions. This motif belongs to the broader ‘education through adversity’ theme found in Sanskrit wisdom literature (c. 200 BCE-300 CE) and later Islamic adaptations. The story emphasizes Arthasastra principles: that true wealth comes from knowledge and virtue, not inherited fortune alone.
Reflection & Discussion
- How did losing everything change the merchant’s son’s understanding of what really matters?
- Can you think of a time when doing hard work or failing at something taught you more than easy success?
- What if the merchant’s son had refused to work and expected others to help – where would he be?
Did You Know?
- Ants can carry objects 50 times their own body weight. A colony of ants can contain millions of members.
- The Panchatantra was written around 200 BCE by Vishnu Sharma to educate three young princes.
- The Panchatantra has been translated into over 50 languages, making it one of the most translated works in history.
What This Tale Teaches Us Today
Old stories keep their power because their lessons never stop being useful. Here is how this one still applies:
- The tension between family business and personal ambition is still a live question for many young people today.
- Travel teaches character in a way nothing else can. The merchant’s son returns home different – and better.
- Business ethics is as old as business itself. Indian merchant tales prove that fair dealing has always been part of real success.
Why This Story Still Matters
The Story of the Merchant’s Son belongs to a sprawling Indian genre of tales about young men leaving home to learn the world. These stories once formed a kind of informal curriculum for the sons of trading families – teaching them caution, hospitality, alliance-building, and the dangers of the road. Today, as young Indians and diaspora children travel further and faster than any generation before them, the tales still resonate. The questions they raise – who are you away from your family, what do you owe home, how do you come back changed – are still the questions of any meaningful journey.
What We Can Learn
Every story teaches us something important. This tale shows us that good things can happen when we are kind, honest, and brave. It reminds us that even small acts of goodness matter. We learn that it is important to help others and to do what is right, even when it is hard.
The characters in this story face challenges, just like we do every day. By watching how they solve their problems, we can discover new ways to be brave and smart. Stories like this one have been told for hundreds of years because the lessons never get old.
Why This Story Matters Today
Even though this story is very old, it still teaches us things we need to know. In our busy modern world, we sometimes forget to be kind or to think about others. This tale reminds us that being a good person is always important, no matter what time we live in.
The values in this story—like honesty, courage, and helping friends—are things we all need. Whether you are at school, at home, or playing with friends, these lessons will help you make good choices.
Talk About It
Questions to ask while reading:
- What would you have done in the same situation?
- Which character did you like the most, and why?
- What was the hardest choice any character had to make?
- How did the characters show they cared about each other?
- What surprised you most about how the story ended?
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