Parable Of The Boy Who Purchased One Brinjal For The Rupee A man had two sons. He gave them ten rupees each one day and said to them: “These ten rupees you can spend as you like. But please bring me some brinjals for tonight’s dinner.” They both went away to the bazaar. The foolish boy produced the ten-rupee note to the vegetable seller and said: “Please give me ten brinjals for the whole amount; my father wants to give a good dinner tonight.” The vegetable-seller at once noticed the foolishness of the boy, gave him ten rotten brinjals and sent him away. The wise boy went to the shop and produced a ten-rupee note and said: “Look, I want ten brinjals—the best ones at the cheapest rate. And, give me the balance.” He got the brinjals for four annas. With two rupees he did Puja in the local temple and took the Lord’s Prasad. He gave away five rupees in charity to poor boys who heartily blessed him and his family. For the balance he purchased the best spiritual books available in the book-shop. They both returned to the father and produced what they had brought. “Look, father what I have brought! Ten brinjals for ten rupees; they ought to be wonderful,” said the foolish boy, and produced the ten rotten brinjals. The father threw away the brinjals in great disgust, remarking: “You have not only lost the money, but purchased rotten brinjals which would spoil even other good dishes. What a fool you are!” Turning to the other boy, the father asked: “What have you brought?” The wise boy lay before the father the good brinjals, the sacred Prasad from the temple, the spiritual books, and added: “Father, these cost me only five rupees. I distributed the other five rupees in charity. How happy the poor boys were! They sent up heart-felt prayers to the Lord to bless us all. Surely, the Lord is well pleased with us all.” The father warmly embraced the wise boy and appreciated his wisdom. “You are my own. I am well pleased with you. I hereby make you the sole heir to all that belongs to me. You and I are one.” 32 PARABLES OF SIVANANDA The Lord gives riches to people in order that they might utilise the same properly. Artha should be utilised in such a way that it satisfies the three other Purusharthas—Dharma, Kama and Moksha—and not one (viz., Kama) alone. The foolish man, however, spends all his wealth, all his energy and time, on the enjoyment of sensual pleasures. These pleasures that he purchases at such expense—are they really pleasures? No, they are all pain and rotten at the very core. They are useless. The wise man, on the contrary, spends sparingly on the necessities of life, and lavishly on those items that enhance Dharma and earn Moksha for him. He does charity. He spends on Puja, etc. He obtains Jnana with the help of his wealth. (He feeds Mahatmas and Sadhus; looks after their bodily comforts, so that they could impart Jnana to him and look after his spiritual progress.) The Lord is well pleased with the wise man. He embraces him. They become one. The man inherits divine Aisvaryas and shines as His Divine Heir—a great saint Siddha and Jivanmukta—on earth.