Motive is The Thing
The Dream of Wealth
In a small village lived a man whose only ambition in life was to become rich. He worked tirelessly, hoping to increase his income, but despite his efforts, he found little success. On his deathbed, he called his only son and said, “Look here, my boy, I had only one dream in life: to become wealthy. But all I have managed to save are a couple of mohurs. Take these and use them wisely. May they multiply and bring you wealth. Perhaps that would bring me peace even in death!”
New Beginnings
After his father’s death, the son, Shriman, invested the two mohurs in a small business and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to making the best out of them. His hard work paid off; he soon became an affluent trader. As time passed, he realized that to prosper further, he needed to move his business to the town. He did so and quickly proved himself to be cleverer than the established merchants.
A Shift in the Business Landscape
One season, a crop failure forced the town to source rice from distant countries, causing prices to soar. The common people had no choice but to borrow money from merchants who charged exorbitant interest rates. Sensing their plight, Shriman decided to lend money at very low interest rates, and he even charged no interest at all to the poorest among them.
The Anger of Moneylenders
This compassionate action angered the wealthy moneylenders of the town. In an attempt to undermine Shriman, they decided to borrow all his funds at low interest rates, hoping to leave him with nothing to lend to the poor. However, when they approached him, Shriman quoted them a very high interest rate.
The King’s Intervention
Frustrated, the moneylenders went before the king and complained, “O King, there is a merchant named Shriman who demands different rates of interest from different people. This is unjust, and he should be punished for the sake of fairness.” The king, intrigued, decided to investigate and disguised himself as a rich man to seek a loan from Shriman. When Shriman quoted a high rate of interest, the king refused and left.
Questioning Justice
The next day, the king summoned Shriman to his court and declared, “Those who operate in money-lending charge a fixed rate of interest. Your variable rates are wrong and against tradition. I approached you in disguise yesterday and you demanded a hefty interest. Yet I hear that many borrowers come to you without having to pay any interest at all. If this is true, how do you justify your actions?”
The Defense
“O King, it is true that I set different rates for different borrowers, but I do no wrong,” Shriman replied. “If you think deeply about it, you will understand the truth of my claim.” After Shriman left, the king consulted his ministers on the matter. They argued for some time but could not reach a consensus on whether Shriman’s actions were right or wrong. “It is illogical to charge different rates for the same service,” they said.
A Princess’s Wisdom
However, the king was not satisfied. He posed the question to others: “It seems clear that Shriman is wrong. Can anyone prove he is right?” The king’s only child, the princess, spoke up, “I can, if you agree to grant me whatever reward I ask!”
A Higher Morality
“You shall have whatever you wish, my dear daughter,” the king replied. “Listen, O father,” she began. “There are various levels of morality and truth. At a basic level, it is indeed wrong to charge different rates from different parties. However, we must consider the motives behind their borrowing. The poor borrow to survive hardships, so Shriman charges them minimal interest. In contrast, the wealthy intend to exploit this by borrowing money at low interest only to lend it to the poor at a higher rate. Shriman’s actions seek to thwart the greedy moneylenders’ scheme, so he is acting from a higher moral standpoint.”
A Happy Conclusion
The king was thoroughly satisfied with his daughter’s reasoning and asked, “Now, what reward do you seek?” It just so happened that the princess had long loved Shriman in silence. “I wish to marry Shriman,” she declared. The king granted her wish, and thus they were united.