King Vikram Singh ruled the kingdom of Chanakya Puri. He was a just and wise king, but lately, the kingdom had been plagued by a surge in thefts. Even the royal treasury was not safe. Disturbed by this, the king decided to investigate the thefts himself, in disguise.
The Meeting of the Saint and the Thief
One evening, the king, in simple attire, left the palace. At the same time, a saint arrived in the city. He saw a man hiding in a secluded spot.
The saint said, “My son, who are you, and why are you hiding?”
The man, startled, replied, “Your Majesty, I am a thief. I was about to steal, but seeing you, I stopped.”
The saint smiled, “Son, truth is mightier than anything. Make a vow: whatever you do, never lie.”
The thief said, “Your Majesty, stealing is my compulsion, but I vow I will never lie.”
The saint blessed him and moved on.
The Theft in the Royal Palace
Under the cover of darkness, the thief met his accomplice. The accomplice said, “Tonight, we rob the royal palace.”
The thief initially hesitated, but his accomplice reassured him, “I know the secret passages. Don’t worry.”
They infiltrated the palace. The thief did as his accomplice instructed, taking two diamonds from the treasury but leaving a third behind. Outside, he gave one diamond to his accomplice and kept one for himself.
The Price of Honesty
The next morning, the palace was in an uproar. The king ordered the thief’s immediate apprehension. The guards quickly captured him and brought him before the king.
The king asked, “Did you steal?”
The thief replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The king asked, “Were you alone?”
The thief answered, “No, I had an accomplice, but I don’t know his name.”
A minister interjected, “He’s lying! Three diamonds were stolen, but he only admits to two.”
The thief insisted, “No, Minister, I only took two diamonds; I left the third one behind.”
The king smiled, “Then where did the third diamond go?”
The minister fell silent. The king stood up and declared, “I was your accomplice!”
The king produced a diamond from his pocket and placed it on the table. The entire court was stunned. The king explained, “Last night, I tested the thief in disguise. He truthfully admitted to stealing only two diamonds. The minister took the third.”
The minister, panicked, retrieved the third diamond from his clothing and handed it to the king. The king ordered the guards to imprison the minister.
The Thief Becomes a Minister
The king addressed the thief, “You stole, but you did not abandon the truth. The power of your truth has proven your innocence before this court. I wish you to become my minister.”
The thief, folding his hands, said, “Your Majesty, forgive me. This transformation is not due to my simple understanding, but a miracle of the saint from whom I took the vow of truth. I wish to serve him.”
The king responded, “We too wish to meet such a saint. If his single lesson can transform a thief into an honest man, he will be a great asset to our kingdom.”
The king summoned the saint and appointed him the royal guru. Inspired by the saint, the former thief accepted the ministerial post and dedicated himself to the service of the kingdom.
Thus, through the influence of truth and virtue, the kingdom of Chanakya Puri received the guidance of an honest minister and a great saint, and theft ceased forever.
