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48
The flame of avarice
the more the greed for more profit. In such a scenario, where is peace, where is rest?
Take the example of Maharşi Kapila. In his piteous state of poverty, even two grams of gold was a lot. It was all he wished for. Let me tell you about it.
Once there was a king who had announced to his subjects that whoever arrived first at the palace gate every morning would receive two grams of gold. So every morning there would be countless subjects trying to reach the palace first, drawn by their greed for the grams of gold. The one who got his name written first was lucky for that day. The rest had to return disappointed.
Was this charity or a ridicule of charity? But let us not spend time on this analysis. True charity is in giving up attachment, not in such pretentious acts, which only kindle the fire of greed among people.
Coming back to the story, whenever Kapila went to the king's court, he returned empty handed. But it is a universal truth that hope is eternal. Kapila struggled for months to get those two grams of gold.
One day his wife rebuked him for how lazy he was by saying, "If you don't wake up early, how will you reach in time to get that gold? It is your laziness that keeps the gold out of your reach."
Kapila agreed sheepishly, “You are right. Okay, wake me up early. Let me reach before the others."
Saying this he went to bed, determined to rise early. But his sleep was a disturbed one. Somewhere around midnight, he awoke thinking it was daybreak and set out towards the palace. Seeing him wandering at that unearthly hour aroused the suspiscion of the guards and they arrested him.
Kapila pleaded repeatedly, “I am neither a thief, nor a dacoit. I have just come for the two grams of gold!" But none heeded his words. “Is this the time for gold?" they quizzed him with suspicion and locked him in prison.
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