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In the ancient kingdom of Banaras, when Brahmadutt was the ruler, there lived a wise Bodhisatva who served as the king's procurator. The procurator's role was crucial: he was responsible for acquiring various properties and commodities essential for state affairs. This job demanded expert knowledge in estimating the value of goods.
The Bodhisatva excelled in his position. He was not only highly capable but also fair-minded in his dealings. Under his administration, the royal stores were always well-stocked with the right goods at fair prices. He purchased elephants, horses, gold, silver, and other necessities for the kingdom, ensuring that merchants who brought these items were paid justly.
His skill and integrity were such that the kingdom's administration never faltered due to a lack of any particular commodity. The Bodhisatva's fairness in dealing with merchants and traders from other countries earned Banaras a respected name in far-off places.
However, King Brahmadutt was a miser. He began to think that his procurator was paying too much for everything, squandering the state's money. "At this rate, I shall be bankrupt in no time," he said to himself, blinded by his miserliness.
The king's next action was to dismiss the Bodhisatva and appoint someone else in his place. He did this in the crudest possible manner. Opening the window of his chamber, he looked down at his attendants and selected one at random. "From now on, you are my procurator," the king declared to this unknown and insignificant fellow.
The king hoped that a common man without any rank or status would be more economical in his purchases. But this particular man was quite a fool, and the king didn't know it.
The new procurator was utterly incompetent. He could not distinguish between a donkey and a horse, let alone assess the value of fine goods. He was, however, an expert in offering astoundingly low prices for anything he had to buy. The merchants who came from far-off countries could hardly argue with the king's official. They had to sustain huge losses on their state purchases and were forced to make up for these losses elsewhere.
In his anxiety to buy cheap goods, the new procurator bought useless and unwanted things. These began to accumulate in the royal store. Even when some of these items were stolen, no one felt their loss. The foolish procurator could not anticipate what commodities would be required in the near future. Administration was often held up for want of urgently needed supplies.
Above all, the name of Banaras acquired a very bad reputation abroad, and reputable merchants stopped visiting the city for fear of the procurator's unfair practices.
One day, a merchant arrived at Banaras with five hundred horses of very good breed. The king came to know of it and instructed his procurator to buy them. The procurator called for the merchant, inspected the horses, and fixed their price—a measure of rice!
The merchant was astounded but did not protest. Instead, he sought out the Bodhisatva, the ex-procurator, and told him what had happened.
"The new procurator seems to be a queer person. I depend upon you, sir, to see that I get justice," the merchant said.
The Bodhisatva pondered over the problem for a while and said: "When you go to court tomorrow to receive the value for your horses, ask the procurator what he is going to pay. When he says 'a measure of rice,' ask him what the value of a measure of rice is. Let us see what will happen next. I, too, shall be in the court."
The merchant put his faith in the Bodhisatva, thanked him, and took his leave.
The next day, in court, the merchant addressed the procurator and said, "Sir, you bought from me five hundred horses of the best variety. May I know before witnesses what I am going to be paid for them?"
"Why, a measure of rice, of course. I told you so yesterday," replied the procurator.
This reply amazed everyone in the court, including the king.
The merchant put his next question, "And may I know before witnesses what the value of a measure of rice may be?"
"Ah, anyone can tell you that. The value of a measure of rice is exactly equal to the value of the kingdom of Banaras and her dependencies," said the procurator.
Like anyone who is considered to be a good bargainer, the procurator was exaggerating the value of what he was paying and depreciating what he was buying. But being a born fool, he overdid it. That was all.
The entire court resounded with peals of laughter at the stupidity of the procurator. Some of them even made jokes about it by estimating how many kingdoms each one of them could buy with the rice stored in their houses; in how many days a good eater could gobble up a kingdom and so on.
The only persons who could not enjoy the joke were the foolish procurator and the ashamed king who had employed him. When some of the courtiers asked the procurator to buy them a couple of palaces for a handful of rice, the king bent his head in mortification.
The Bodhisatva decided to put a stop to this jocularity. He stood up and said:
"Do not mock a man for his ignorance. When a person is entrusted with a job for which he is not qualified, he is bound to make a laughing-stock of himself sooner or later. It is not this poor fellow's fault that he was made the procurator."
The king raised his head and said, "The fault was mine, O Bodhisatva. I have learned my lesson. No one can do wrong except the king."
The king at once removed the new man from the job of procurator and reinstated the Bodhisatva in his place, having learned the importance of wisdom and competence in governance.
Competence is crucial in leadership: The story demonstrates that expertise and skill in a role are far more valuable than cutting costs through incompetence. The Bodhisatva's capable management as procurator kept the kingdom running smoothly, while the incompetent replacement caused significant problems.
Miserliness can lead to poor decision-making: King Brahmadutt's excessive focus on saving money led him to make a poor decision in replacing a competent official with an incompetent one. This shortsightedness ultimately cost the kingdom more than it saved.
Fair dealings build reputation and relationships: The Bodhisatva's fair treatment of merchants gave Banaras a good reputation, attracting quality goods and traders. In contrast, the new procurator's unfair practices damaged the kingdom's standing.
Leaders should acknowledge and correct their mistakes: The king's admission of his error and willingness to rectify it by reinstating the Bodhisatva shows the importance of learning from mistakes and valuing wisdom over pride.
Wisdom and foresight are essential in governance: The Bodhisatva's ability to manage resources effectively and anticipate future needs contrasts sharply with the new procurator's short-term thinking and inability to plan.
Mockery is not the answer to incompetence: The Bodhisatva's intervention to stop the courtiers from mocking the incompetent procurator highlights the importance of addressing systemic issues rather than ridiculing individuals.
Responsibility ultimately lies with leadership: As the king states, "No one can do wrong except the king," emphasizing that leaders are ultimately responsible for the consequences of their decisions.
The overarching moral of the story is that wise, competent, and fair leadership is essential for the prosperity and good reputation of any organization or kingdom. It warns against prioritizing short-term savings over long-term stability and emphasizes the importance of placing qualified individuals in positions of responsibility.