Shankaraswamy was the Rajapurohit of Ujjain.

He was a very greedy person.

He would get people such as poets and artists to the king’s court and for this, he would take as his fee half of what the king offered them as gift.

He amassed a lot of wealth in this way and kept it hidden underground in pots in his back yard.

Shiva and Madhava were two conmen who lived in another place called Ratnapur.

They were friends.

They heard about greedy Shankaraswamy and the wealth he had.

They decided to rob him.

Shiva came to Ujjain first disguised as a brahmachari.

He started living in a mutt on the banks of river Shipra.

Shipra is the holy river that flows through Ujjain.

Every morning, he would take bath in Shipra, perform yoga, and meditate in the open.
Then he would go out to beg for alms.

Shiva would divide whatever he got in bhiksha into three parts; offer one part to birds, animals and insects; one part to hungry men, and take the third part himself.
Everyone observed the way he was conducting himself and started respecting him.

After some time, Madhava also came to Ujjain disguised as a prince.

He went to purohit Shankaraswamy and told him that he belonged to a royal family but due to family feud, left his family.

He had a lot of wealth with him.

He wanted to earn position and respect in Ujjain and sought the purohit’s help to become a member of the king’s court.

The purohit readily agreed and insisted that Madhava should stay in his own home as his guest.

Madhava started living with purohit and became a member of the king’s court.

Every now and then, Madhava would take out a pot that he brought with him and from that pot, take out some shiny objects like gems and diamonds, look at them, and put them back.

He used to do this when the purohit was around.

The purohit was convinced that he was really a prince with a lot of wealth in that pot.

One day, Madhava started complaining of a stomachache and lied down on his bed.

The purohit brought doctors for him and got him treated.

It didn’t help much.

Madhava stopped taking food and became weaker and weaker as days passed by.

He told that the purohit that he had lost all hopes and he was going to die.

He wanted to donate all his wealth to an eligible pious person.

He wanted purohit to identify such a person and bring.

The purohit started bringing people.

With everyone, he made a deal, that he would get half of whatever is received from the prince.

Madhava kept on rejecting all the people that the purohit brought.

Then, someone told about the pious brahmachari who lived on the banks of Shipra.

The purohit approached him.

The brahmachari Shiva said: I don’t need any wealth, I am a brahmachari, what will I do with wealth?

Purohit said: but you don’t have to remain a brahmachari throughout your life.

I will give you my daughter in marriage.

You can get all the wealth and live with her happily.

Shiva agreed and went with the purohit.

Madhava was convinced upon seeing Shiva and gave the pot of wealth to Shiva.

Shiva married the purohit’s daughter and said he would live separately with his wife.
He asked the purohit what is there in the pot.

Purohit said there are priceless gems and diamonds.

Shiva said: but I don’t know anything about gems and diamonds.

If I try to sell them, I will get cheated.

Better you buy them from me and give me money instead.

The purohit asked him: how much money do you want?

Shiva said: you only said they are priceless.

I am ready to accept whatever money you have as on date in return for the pot.

The purohit was more than happy.

He brought his own money filled pots from the back yard and exchanged them for the diamond pot.

Shiva started living separately with the purohit’s daughter.

Madhava started recovering and became normal again and said it is all because of the power of the daana he did.

All his sins must have been washed away.

After a few days, the purohit opened the diamond pot and took one of the pieces to a diamond trader for valuation.

The trader said: this a fake diamond.

Then the purohit brought the entire pot to him.

The entire thing turned out to be fake.

The purohit started fuming in rage.

He rushed to his son in law: give me back all my money.

Shiva said: what for ?

Purohit: the diamonds you sold me in exchange for all my money are fake.

Shiva said: that’s not my fault.

You only said they are priceless diamonds.

I knew nothing about gems and diamonds.

Why should I return the money to you?

Then the purohit went to Madhava.

The diamonds that you had in your pot were all fake, you cheat.

Madhava said: So what, when did I tell you they were good.

And moreover was there any deal between us?

I never gave them to you.

I gave them to someone else.

What right do you have to question me about them?

The purohit was completely lost.

He didn’t know what to do.

This is what happens to greedy people at the end.

They lose everything.

Only money earned through hard work will stay with you.

Only money earned through honest means will stay with you.