One day, the King Krishnadevaraya
told his court jester Raman: "When we have plenty of wealth, we should gift a
portion of it to the poor and needy. Raman, you have plenty of money, houses
and landed property, you can donate something to some poor people. Why dont
you do it? "
Raman answered: "Yes, my lord,
what you said is right. I will arrange to give the gift of a house tomorrow!"
The king was very happy with
Ramans reply. Raman went home thinking about his answer to kings inquiry.
Raman was not willing or
interested in parting with anything he had amassed, but
he had promised to the king that
he would gift a portion of his wealth.
So, he placed a notice board in
front of one of his houses, which read:
This house will be given to any
person who is satisfied with what he has!
All the passers by read the
notice, but for so many days, nobody came forward to claim the gift.
Then, one day, one person came to
Raman, requesting for the gift of house. He said: "Raman, you have decided to
give away your house. If you give it to me, it will be a great help."
"You have no house of your own?"
Raman asked.
"I have a house, but it is very
small. And very old! My family is not able to live in it,"he explained.
Raman asked him: " Have you read
the notice before this house?"
"Yes"
"What is written there? "
"This house will be gifted to any
person who is satisfied with what he has."
"You are not satisfied with what
you have? "
The person was unable to answer
Ramans question. Raman would not give the house if he said he was not
satisfied. So he replied: "I am satisfied with what I have!"
"So you are satisfied with the
house you have? "
"Yes."
"Then why did you come asking for
my house? "
The person could not answer that
direct question from Raman. He left, totally disappointed.
Next day Raman told the king that
he could not give his house to some needy person as there was no one who was
not satisfied with what he had.
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