There is a Time for Everything

King Udarsen’s Dilemma

King Udarsen had enacted many rules and laws for the benefit of his subjects; however, he was surprised to find that the common people of his realm were not happy. His subjects, especially the poor, were growing poorer by the day.

Every day, reports of discontent from various parts of his kingdom reached him, causing the king to feel quite upset. Determined to uncover the cause of this malaise, he asked one of his trusted friends, Swetaketu, to investigate the situation and report back to him.

The Investigation

Swetaketu traveled throughout the land and discovered that those causing misery to the people were, ironically, the very individuals who held great influence over the king. They were relatives and friends of the king’s ministers and courtiers and employed some of the kingdom’s most educated and intelligent individuals.

These educated men wrote glowing articles praising the king and his officers, which delighted the king as he read them. However, upon learning that Swetaketu was tasked with surveying the condition of the kingdom, they tried to manipulate him with gifts and flattery. They also issued veiled threats, warning him of danger should he report unfavorably about them.

The Truth Revealed

Realizing that the time was not right to expose these corrupt individuals, Swetaketu told the king, “My lord! I fail to understand why there should be so much misery in our land with so many gifted people among us. For instance, there are individuals who can transform sand and pebbles into rice, or plain water into milk. There are devotees of one goddess who can enlist the help of devotees of another!”

The king was initially pleased with Swetaketu’s comments, but his happiness was short-lived as the land soon faced the threat of famine, causing him great concern. He promptly asked Swetaketu, “Who is the person who can transform sand and pebbles into rice?”

“Dhanagupta, the chief rice merchant of the kingdom, my lord,” replied Swetaketu.

Confrontation

Dhanagupta was summoned to the court. Upon being greeted with courtesy, the king said, “You alone can come to the rescue of my people in this crisis. I will arrange for as much sand and pebbles as necessary. Please transform them into rice!”

“What do you mean, my lord? How can I perform such a miracle?” asked Dhanagupta, taken aback. The king grew annoyed and immediately turned to confront Swetaketu.

“My lord, I know for certain that a man named Chandraverma supplies sand and pebbles to Dhanagupta, who then sells them after mixing them with rice,” stated Swetaketu.

Dhanagupta went pale at this revelation and chose to remain silent. The king became suspicious.

A Shocking Discovery

The king himself paid a surprise visit to Chandraverma’s warehouse. There, he found piles of sand and pebbles. Upon further investigation, he learned that Chandraverma provided these materials to Dhanagupta, who mixed them with rice at a ratio of one bag of sand and pebbles to nine bags of rice.

“If a bag of sand and pebbles mixed with nine bags of rice can yield ten bags of rice, should we not conclude that the bag of sand and pebbles turned into rice? The same occurs with plain water mixed with milk: it becomes all milk! Miracles like this happen with many other things,” Swetaketu explained.

He continued, “The wealthy merchants, the devotees of Lakshmi, enlist the services of the educated, the devotees of Saraswati, and influence the administration and other gentlemen in society. This is the root of the evil.”

The King’s Resolution

“Why did you not reveal all this to me sooner?” the king inquired. Swetaketu responded, “My lord, there are penalties for those who break the law, but these individuals are so powerful that they evade punishment. You have made the law, yet they seem to be more powerful than you. Had I opposed them, I would have been in danger.”

“How is it that you speak so openly now?” asked the amused king.

“Because the current crisis has made you determined to uncover the evil’s root. You will not be swayed by their agents,” explained Swetaketu. “There is a proper time for everything!”

The king then threw the corrupt traders into jail and devoted all his attention to correcting his administration.