Such is Human Nature

In a certain village lived Nityanand, a poor peasant. He owned a small piece of land, but it was not large enough to produce sufficient food for his family. Often, he found himself having to borrow money from others, unable to repay the debts.

The Decision to Sell

One day, his wife told him, “It is a shame to remain constantly in debt. We should sell our land. We can clear our debts with the money we receive. I don’t mind if we have to starve afterwards!”

Nityanand accepted his wife’s suggestion and announced his decision to sell the land. Prospective buyers, believing he was desperate for money, offered very low prices.

A Fair Transaction

In the same village lived Rajan, another peasant whose father had greatly benefited from the friendship and generosity of Nityanand’s father. Naturally, Rajan had a deep affection for Nityanand and decided to buy the land at a fair price.

With this sale, Nityanand freed himself from all his debts and began working as a laborer. Rajan then invited him, saying, “You should work on the very land you sold me. We will divide the produce between ourselves.”

The Discovery

Nityanand was delighted at this proposal and worked hard on the land. One day, while tilling the soil, his plough struck something hard. After digging, he discovered a pair of pots filled with gold coins and ornaments. Excited, he proceeded to meet Rajan.

“My friend! These pots were found in your land. Please take charge of them,” he said.

The Debate of Ownership

Rajan was surprised by Nityanand’s honesty and replied, “My words cannot adequately express my admiration for your nobility. However, this wealth belongs to you since you found it on the land that was yours until recently!”

Nityanand responded, “How can you say that? I sold the land to you; it is now yours. Anything found on it belongs to you as well. I cannot take these pots simply because I found them.”

“Listen, my friend! I bought the land to cultivate crops, not to claim hidden wealth. God will not bless me if I deprive you of the fortune you have discovered,” insisted Rajan firmly.

The Chief’s Intervention

After a lengthy argument, neither could convince the other, so they decided to approach the village chief. The chief advised them to each take one pot and to stop arguing. However, this solution was not satisfactory to either friend, as they both felt they had no right to keep even half of the wealth.

A New Proposal

At this point, the chief’s younger brother, Ramnath, said, “I can solve this problem if you heed my advice!”

“What is your advice?” asked the two friends. “You each take home one pot. The issue will naturally resolve itself in a month,” Ramnath suggested. The two friends left, each carrying a pot. The chief turned to his brother, asking, “What kind of solution is this? What are we supposed to tell them in a month?” “Do not worry,” replied Ramnath. “They will not come to you after a month.”

The Passing of Time

More than a month passed. One night, Ramnath took the chief with him to stand outside Nityanand’s house, where they could hear Nityanand speaking. “I can no longer work as hard as I used to. My children are growing up and need an education. I am the legitimate owner of both pots of wealth. Had I not sold the land to Rajan, they would have been entirely mine. Now I must be content with one. One pot is enough for a comfortable life!”

Ramnath then took the chief to Rajan’s house. Listening near his window, they heard Rajan lamenting, “I made a mistake by not keeping both pots. The land was mine, so whatever was found there should have been mine too. But now it’s too late; it would be embarrassing to ask the chief to retrieve the other pot.”

The Chief’s Realization

The chief and Ramnath returned home, with the chief saying, “You were right, Ramnath! I am sure they will not come to us again. But how did this change occur?”

“Both Nityanand and Rajan are honest men. Yet, the weakness of human nature means that constant exposure to wealth can make a person greedy. That is what happened to both of them. I had a mutual friend who was able to engage them in conversation and reveal their true feelings.”

The chief smiled, acknowledging the truth of his brother’s insight.