The Undaunted Dharmadas
The Loyal Sentry
Dharmadas was the sentry who guarded the palace gate. He was known for being dutiful and alert. One day, the raja noticed that the poor sentry must be feeling quite tired from checking the stream of visitors to the palace.
“I will post a second sentry here. That should put you at ease,” the raja informed Dharmadas.
“It is not at all necessary, my lord. I’m fully capable of managing the work,” Dharmadas replied anxiously. Nevertheless, the kind raja appointed a second sentry at the gate.
The Roots of Anxiety
Dharmadas’s anxiety stemmed from his dealings with the visitors. Under various pretexts, he stopped many of them at the gate or created hurdles on their way to meet the king. However, once a visitor offered him a tip, he would quickly facilitate their entry.
The new sentry disapproved of this practice. “I will report your corruption to the king,” he threatened.
“Corruption? I had never heard of such a term! Isn’t it you who demands money from the visitors?” Dharmadas retorted. The new sentry was taken aback. Just then, a group of gentlemen approached the gate. Dharmadas stopped them and asked, “Tell me, gentlemen, you have seen me here for the last twenty years. Have I ever asked for a bribe? Please speak out if I have!”
The Weight of Reputation
Each gentleman in the group had paid Dharmadas a bribe at some point. But looking at the small crowd, nobody was willing to confess. They collectively chimed in, “Oh, who does not know that Dharmadas is as honest as a saint!”
The new sentry stood stunned. Now it was Dharmadas’s turn to threaten, saying, “I will inform the raja that you are trying to extort money from me!”
Terrified, the new sentry reluctantly handed Dharmadas a fifth of his monthly salary that day. Yet, this was not sufficient. Dharmadas continued to extract a similar amount every month.
Unmasking Corruption
However, the new sentry’s wife was sharp enough to notice Dharmadas’s exploitation. She approached the raja, requesting an explanation for the recurring deduction from her husband’s salary.
The raja summoned the new sentry and soon uncovered the truth. Annoyed with Dharmadas, he transferred him to another post. Now, Dharmadas was responsible for ringing the bell to mark the beginning and end of the workday in the king’s various offices.
The New Role
To signal the end of the day, Dharmadas was supposed to ring the bell at sunset. However, several employees asked him to ring it earlier so they could leave work early. Consequently, Dharmadas rang the bell an hour earlier each day, garnering regular tips from the satisfied workers.
Six months passed. One day, while the raja was strolling in his garden, he heard the bell ring. However, he noticed that the sun still had an hour until it reached the horizon!
A Lesson in Discipline
The raja quickly guessed the situation and appointed another person to ring the bell. Not wanting to deprive Dharmadas of his livelihood, he arranged for him to work in the household of his general, where he would learn to behave under strict authority.
As a servant to the general, Dharmadas initially worked humbly and dutifully. However, one afternoon, while pruning the garden, he overheard a loud quarrel between the general and his wife. The general, typically feared by all, was cowering before her outburst. As Dharmadas watched, the furious lady even struck her husband in the face with a toy.
The Art of Manipulation
The general, realizing Dharmadas was watching, hurried outside and whispered, “Do not mention our quarrel to anyone.”
“I will keep your secret, sir. However, if the raja asks me about the general’s home, I will have to tell the truth!” retorted Dharmadas cunningly.
“You must not say anything to the raja,” the general insisted as he pushed a coin into Dharmadas’s palm.
“As you wish, my master!” responded Dharmadas, feigning humility.
The Consequences of Gossip
From then on, Dharmadas collected small rewards every time the general faced humiliation from his wife. Although he kept this secret, he could not resist boasting to his wife about how even the general feared him!
Eventually, Dharmadas’s wife shared this juicy tidbit with her friends, and it soon became the town’s gossip, ultimately reaching the raja’s ears. Displeased with such humiliating tales about his general, the raja swiftly dismissed Dharmadas from royal service.
The Rise of a Reporter
However, Dharmadas did not lose heart. He gathered four unemployed youths from town and formed a team of reporters. Their role was to roam the towns and report any unusual happenings to Dharmadas. Each youth was assigned a specific area of the town.
A month later, on a festive day, the raja lost his precious diamond ring—a gift from the emperor. His servants searched everywhere but couldn’t find it.
The Revelation
Someone suggested, “Perhaps Dharmadas can provide a clue.” The raja summoned Dharmadas and inquired if he could help find the lost ring.
“All I can do is inform you of any unusual occurrences on the day you lost your ring. Well, my lord, your pet elephant was found tied to a tree in a narrow lane while your mahout rushed home. His wife was heard exclaiming with joy, ‘A dozen silk sarees for me, no less!’ I have nothing more to report, my lord!” Dharmadas said.
It was unusual for the raja’s elephant to be tied to a tree like that. The king confronted the mahout sternly, “Where is the diamond ring?”
The Return of Justice
The mahout trembled with fear. Accompanied by the police, he returned home and fetched the ring. It turned out that while the raja was descending from the elephant before the festival, the ring had slipped off his finger. The mahout had picked it up and rushed home to give it to his wife, returning just in time for the raja’s departure.
Realizing he should not be deprived of Dharmadas’s talents, the raja reinstated him and his team into the detective section of his police force.