The saint accepted king's invitation. His stay was respectfully arranged in the king's palace itself. The king attentively listened to the saint's discourses, and also took him to around to see the state treasury. The king himself showed all the magnificent jewels and stones he possessed. The saint heard the king quietly.

After a few days the saint invited the king. King reached the saint's hut in time and was warmly welcomed. After a while the saint began to show the king around the hut and all the small paraphernalia lying in the hut. Out of courtesy the king saw all the cheap items of regular use. The saint then took a long time to explain the functioning and utility of the hand grinder made of stone for grinding grains. The king now was bored and said, "Each house has this grinder and it hardly costs a rupee or two. What is so special about it?"

The saint replied seriously, "Your jewels are also stone. They have no utility and demand so much protection. This grinder provides food to so many people. It is much more special than your jewels."

The king understood that the value of an object must be decided based upon its utility and not external appearance.  

Lessons in Righteousness

King Chitradutta was a very noble soul. He wished that people in his kingdom were also noble and spiritual like him. But the scene of the state was exactly the opposite. Cheating others, looting, gambling, and all kinds of vices were commonplace in the kingdom. The king was dejected to see the state of affairs. He wanted a plan of action so that the evil tendencies among his people would get removed and good virtues were adopted. With his ministers he came up with a secret plan one day.

Chitradutta ordered his army to burn down the houses in his kingdom indiscriminately. The king's soldiers followed the orders and put many houses and buildings on fire in all the cities and towns of the kingdom. The whole kingdom began to look as if a major catastrophe has hit it. There was chaos and tumult everywhere. Several people gathered together and took a petition to the king asking him why are they being subjected to such an evil treatment. The king got all the people who came with the plea rounded up by his soldiers and put them in jail. He then announced in the kingdom that whoever would try to protest against his actions would be hung in public.

Everyone was in great panic. Pain and sorrow have one great utility: they propel man to reach out to God and turn spiritual. All illegal and immoral activities were suddenly put on hold and everyone in the kingdom turned to God and began to pray to Him to save them from the king's ire.

In a few days Chitradutta saw that the state of affairs are changing for the positive. He felt happy. Now he announced to all that God Himself came in his dream and has ordered him to stop the acts of arson and hanging in public for six months. So all the acts of arson and public execution shall commence after six months.

People heaved a sigh of relief. They had got six months of respite. They began to follow religious practices to please God, as God Himself, being happy with their prayers, had given them the protection from the king's ire and may continue to protect them in future as well. The entire impious and unrighteous populace turned righteous and pious in one stroke.

After six months the king again announced that much to his chagrin, God has asked him to postpone his decree for six months. As soon as the period of the next six months elapse, he would resume the mass-killings and acts of arson. People felt very happy that their prayers and good conduct were showing results and perhaps if they lived righteously this problem could get solved for ever.

The one year of practice of righteous living brought immense happiness to the kingdom and the clasp of evil tendencies on people's minds got loosened. Their minds got purified and they began to stay away from unrighteous practices. The king was very pleased to see all this. After one year he told the public that he did all this to teach his people a lesson. Though all had to bear agony but their change in conduct would bring in much more happiness in return. All those who suffered losses shall be compensated from treasury and all prisoners will be sent back home.

We are also engulfed in many difficulties and problems today, probably this also is to teach us a lesson that unless we adopt righteousness we can never find everlasting peace.