Kumar was a wealthy young man. He had inherited a big business from his father. He lived in a carefree manner, assured of a safe income.
One day he went to the town on business. As he was talking to a friend outside a shop, a mendicant approached him and said, “Can you give me a coin? I am hungry.”
“I don’t believe in giving alms to beggars,” said Kumar.
“That is a good ideal to follow,” said the mendicant.
Kumar had bought something from the shop and had handed over a gold coin to the shopkeeper. He was to receive five silver coins back. The shopkeeper gave him four silver coins and said, “Sorry, sir, I don’t have any more change at the moment. Should I give you anything of that value?”
“Who cares! I don’t need anything. Forget about that coin,”
The mendicant who stood there observing the goings-on, smiled. Kumar, of course, took no notice of it.
Days passed. Things are not always predictable in business. Several enterprises of Kumar failed. Before he had realised what was happening, he found himself neck-deep in debt.
His business establishment was put up for auction. He was declared bankrupt. He had to sell his mansion for a small price. He moved to a house which was no better than a hut.
“I must go to the town and seek my fortune there,” he thought. As he began walking towards the town, he came across a lake. He stood gazing at it. There was nobody nearby.
“What if I drown myself? That will put an end to all my problems,” he thought.
“No, that is not the solution to your problems. To drown yourself will be a sinful act. You have to suffer its consequences,” said a traveller who looked like a sage.
Kumar fell at his feet and said, “Since you could read my mind, you possess great powers, Won’t you help me to come out of my crisis?”
“I will, provided you promise to make the right use of money when you begin to earn again,” said the sage.
“I promise, but I must know what is right and what is wrong use of money!” said Kumar.
“That knowledge will be given to you when the time comes.” With these words, the sage taught him a hymn and asked him to offer obeisance to Goddess Lakshmi reciting that hymn. “The hymn will be effective for ten days,” he said.
Kumar thanked him and went home. He went to his neighbour who was a rich man and requested him to lend him a picture of Goddess Lakshmi for ten days. The rich man’s wife came out and showed him a picture and said, “The glass on it has broken, I can lend it to you for ten days provided you promise that you will not begin offering obeisance to the picture before fixing a new glass on it.”
“I promise,” said Kumar and he left with the picture. He went to an artisan who framed pictures. “The glass and my labour will cost one silver coin,” said the artisan and he demanded the amount in advance.
“I promise to give it after ten days,” said Kumar.
“Very well. I will take up your work after ten days,” said the artisan.
Kumar understood that the artisan who knew how poor he had become, suspected that he may not pay him at all.
“You can do another thing,” suggested the artisan. “Work in my field for three consecutive days. The value of your labour will be equal to one silver coin.”
Kumar agreed to the proposal and began working. After two days the artisan said, “I’ve no more work to offer for the time being. Come after two days.”
Kumar reported for work after two days. “Let me work for a day more so that I can have the picture covered by glass,” he said.
“Not one day. You must work for three consecutive days. That was the condition!” said the artisan.
Kumar sighed with anguish. He took the picture back and went to another artisan.
“Give me a silver coin and the work will be done,” said the artisan.
Kumar went to a moneylender and requested him to lend him a silver coin. “You can have it, provided you return it in five days with another coin added to it as interest,” said the moneylender.
Kumar agreed to the condition. Only four or five days more were left for the period of ten days during
which the hymn will be effective.
He got the picture covered by glass installed it on a clean pedestal and prayed to Goddess Lakshmi reciting the hymn. At night he dreamt that he was digging a particular spot on a piece of small land which still belonged to him. He discovered a large pot filled with gold ingots. As he grew happy in his dream, the sage’s face flashed before him.
“Kumar, now that you have got enough to start your business afresh, you ought to know how to spend money properly. If you really believe that alms-giving is bad, there is nothing wrong with your belief. There are arguments both in favour of alms-giving and against it. But while you did not give a coin to a hungry man, you left it with a shopkeeper who did not deserve it. This was an insult to money.”
Suddenly Kumar realised that the mendicant was none other than the sage. He woke up. It was still dark. He went to the field of which he had dreamt and discovered the pot. He began his business once again and earned much. He was very generous but generous for the right cause. He now realised how precious a single coin can be.
