Akash Shloka and a sack of Paddy

Once there was a very rich old man who lived in India. His name was Mukesh Ambari. Mukesh was a big businessman in farming sector in his town. He had a large farm with lots of people working under him. He had a son named Akash.

As Akash was the only child of Mukesh, he brought him up with great care and pampered him with the  things Akash asked for.

Akash became a young man and his father was worried that how will he manage the business. Being a spoiled child now a grown up man, he was still selfish and arrogant. Mukesh handed over the business to Akash. Akash started to take a good care of the business but his arrogance grew with it. It was a time for him to get married. Akash told to his father “Father, we own a big farm business; the girl whom I am going to marry should also be very intelligent and smart like me. And she should not waste any money that we earn. So I myself will choose my bride”.

Mukesh agreed to his son.

Akash said “Father, to find the bride I need to look out for her in every village and town. So please give me a servant who drives the chariot drawn by four horses with 50 bags of paddy.

Mukesh accepted his request and gave him the servant and the chariot. His father asked “But why you need 50 bags of paddy??”

Akash answered “Father, that’s the key ingredient to be used for testing the intelligence and smartness of the bride”.

Mukesh raised his eyebrow and questioningly asked “What …Paddy for testing the intelligence?” He was upset hearing his son’s condition.

Akash started his journey with his servant, chariot and 50 bags of paddy to find his bride.

He went to the first village and announced “I would want to marry a girl who will cook food for me only with a sack of paddy I give her. She should cook boiled rice served with ghee, a cup of curry, two vegetable dishes and fresh curd. The girl should not bring any ingredients from her home”.

Hearing Akash’s strange condition no woman came forward to try. But in other villages a few beautiful women tried but they could not succeed.

Akash kept searching for the right smart woman but he couldn't find one. Akash was tired and lost his hope of getting such a woman in the villages and towns. He became exhausted after travelling many months around the state. Even his servant became weary and turned skinny. The horses were weak.

One afternoon he came to a village named Vasai near Palghar in Mumbai. He wanted to get some sleep as he was very tired of hopeless travel. Akash saw a small hut. The hut was neat and clean. There was a neem tree and a tamarind tree in front of the hut which gave shade and cool breeze.

Akash knocked at the door. A beautiful girl opened and asked him “Who are you? Have you come to see my father?”

Akash liked the girl the moment he saw her. He said “Yes, I have come here to meet your father. Could you please call him?”

Shloka called her father.

Akash seeing her father told him, “Sir, I am a businessman I came here in search of a bride”. He told his condition to Shloka and her father.

Shloka answered “I can cook the food. Please give me the sack of paddy”.

Akash gave her the paddy sack with a surprising look.

Shloka asked him to rest in front seating area of the hut. Akash lied down and took a nap. Few hours later Shloka silently called and woke him up. In front of Akash was a big bowl of cooked rice, a cup of hot curry, two vegetable dishes, a cup of fresh curd and a small bowl of ghee.

Akash who was really hungry, finished off the tastiest meal within few minutes. Out of astonishment he asked Shloka how she managed to get the veggies and other items to prepare these delicious dishes.

Shloka humbly replied,  "I cleaned the rice seed from the husk/hull and sold it to a Rice bran oil maker. He paid me for it. With the money, I bought some vegetables and groceries. The cleaned rice was more than eaten by one person. Hence I sold it, that money was used to buy ghee and curd”.

Akash was amazed by Shloka’s smartness and intelligence. He said “I wanted to marry you”. But Shloka rejected his proposal and said “Look at the state of your poor servant and your horses. All these months they would have travelled with you. But you didn’t take a good care of them. And you asked me to cook food only for you and not for them. You are a very selfish man. Before marrying and bringing someone home you should learn to show kindness to fellow men and others around you. Because that's the same way you will treat your bride”.

Disappointed Akash went back to his home. He realized his mistake and slowly learned showing love and kindness towards everyone.

After a few months, he came back to Shloka’s hut in Vasai. This time, Shloka saw a humble and kind Akash. She accepted to marry him. Both loved each other and respected and treated the others well.

Shloka even supported and ran Akash’s businesses very smartly.

Moral: Selfish people don't consider how their decisions affects others. Their own convenience  is all that matters. If you sense you have that nature kindly try to change it because when you have given nothing we have nothing to ask for. Grow and spread the sense of kindness with everyone.