The King, the Minister and the Wise Merchant

- "We shall summon the wealthy men of the city to a gathering. You will ask them a question. If they answer correctly, let them go. If they answer incorrectly, fine them one lakh rupees each."

O nce, there was a king. He had a minister who handled all the affairs of the state. The king spent his time enjoying himself and wasting a lot of money. As he continued to blow through riches, the royal treasury began to empty until there was no money left.

The treasurer informed the minister, who then went to the king. "Your Majesty, the treasury is empty," he said. The king replied, "Find a solution for it."

The minister said, "Maharaj, there is only one way to refill the treasury." The king was delighted. "Excellent! If there is only one way, then we only have one task to perform. If there were many, we'd have much more work. Apply that solution quickly and fill the treasury."

The minister folded his hands and said, "Bapu, please understand clearly. The solution is ready. But you must do one thing first, and then you can return to your pleasures." The king asked, "Tell me, what is it?"

The minister explained, "We shall summon the wealthy men of the city to a gathering. You will ask them a question. If they answer correctly, let them go. If they answer incorrectly, fine them one lakh rupees each."

The king sat up straight. He stroked his beard and fell into deep thought. Taking a long breath, he said, "Minister, until today, I have done everything you said. If you called night 'day,' I closed my eyes and agreed. But this solution of yours is wrong." The minister asked, "How so?" The king said, "What if they give a correct answer?"

The minister was cunning and clever. He felt that if he didn't use this trick to get money, he might lose his position. He snapped his fingers and said, "Maharaj, do not worry! The question is such that the answer is bound to be wrong. Then, lakhs of rupees in fines will come pouring in."

The king was extravagant and fun-loving, but he was a good man at heart. He had the wisdom to know right from wrong. He asked, "Even if lakhs or billions come, tell me, what is this question?"

The minister said, "Ask them: 'Which religion is the greatest?' Everyone will name their own religion as the greatest. You should then say, 'We are the king, so our religion is the greatest. By calling your own religion the best, you have insulted me.' Fine them for that. This is the only way I see to get wealth."

The king asked, "But what if they say my religion is the greatest?" The minister replied, "Then ask them, 'If my religion is the greatest, why don't you follow it?' You can fine them for that instead."

The king thought the plan was clever and ordered all the wealthy merchants to assemble.

The Assembly Meets

The city's leading merchant, the Nagarsheth, arrived along with other wealthy men. After bowing to the king, they took their seats. The king asked, "Tell me, Nagarsheth, which religion is the greatest of all?"

The Nagarsheth fell into thought. He realized there was a hidden motive behind the question. He decided to answer a mysterious question with a wise answer. When the king pressed him for a response, the Nagarsheth said, "Maharaj, all religions are equal. No religion is smaller or greater; they are all the same."

The king was stunned. He couldn't call the answer wrong. He looked at the minister, who realized the plan had failed for the day. The minister dismissed the assembly until the next morning.

The Lesson of the Shirts

The next day, the assembly met again. As coached by the minister, the king asked, "How can you say all religions are equal? They all have different rules."

The Nagarsheth replied, "Maharaj, it is like a shirt." "Meaning?" the king asked.

The Nagarsheth shared a story: "Once, a king had three sons whom he loved dearly. He brought them three shirts. But instead of identical ones, he gave one a cotton shirt, the second a silk shirt, and the third a woolen shirt. The princes asked why they weren't given the same thing.

The king asked his sons, 'When we grind wheat, what is it called?' 'Flour,' they said. 'Is it not still wheat?' 'No.' 'And if we make a roti from that flour, is it called wheat or flour?' 'No, it is called a roti.'

The Nagarsheth continued, 'Cotton becomes thread, thread becomes cloth, and a tailor turns cloth into a shirt. It is no longer just cloth; it is a shirt. The materials-cotton, silk, and wool-are different, but their use is the same: to protect the body from heat and cold. Because the purpose is the same, all shirts are equal.'"

"Similarly," the Nagarsheth said, "Religions have different rules and customs, but the result is the same. People follow religion to live with Truth and Justice. Gold ornaments have different names-necklace, ring, or belt-but the substance is only gold. Likewise, the root of all religion is Truth. Therefore, all religions are equal."

The king found this logic undeniable. The minister, now frustrated, whispered to the king, "Maharaj, let's not ask anything else. Just order them to pay one lakh rupees each!"

The king replied, "That would be an injustice." The minister argued, "A king can do as he pleases! There is no such thing as injustice for a king." The king asked, "And if they refuse to pay?" "Then throw them in jail!"

The king looked at the minister and said firmly, "Minister, it is you I must throw in jail. A minister who advises his king to wrongly rob and trouble his people is a bad minister."