Dhanilal’s Journey: From Laziness to True Respect

Once again, as King Vikram carried the elusive Betal on his shoulder through the dark forest, Betal began to narrate another tale.

In a small town, there was a wealthy man named Chandu. Despite his riches, Chandu had a son named Dhanilal who was young, lazy, and had little ambition. Dhanilal spent most of his days in idleness, dreaming of wealth and status but unwilling to work for it.

One afternoon, as Dhanilal lay sleeping, he had a strange dream. In the dream, he heard his father, Chandu, say, “Dhanilal, you are merely my servant!” When he woke up, Dhanilal was furious, feeling insulted. He went to his father and demanded that he be treated with respect. But Chandu was unimpressed by his son’s laziness and refused to indulge him.

Determined to change his fate, Dhanilal went to a wise sage and shared his frustration. The sage gave him a special mantra and said, “Whenever you desire something deeply, chant this mantra with all your heart. If your wish is genuine, it may come true.”

Excited, Dhanilal went home and started chanting the mantra, dreaming of wealth and respect. That night, he had another dream where his father, Chandu, had arranged for him to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman. When he awoke, Dhanilal began chanting with even more enthusiasm, hoping his dreams would turn into reality.

Miraculously, his wish was granted! Chandu indeed arranged a marriage for him with a wealthy woman, and Dhanilal became his father’s son-in-law as well as his son. However, things did not go as Dhanilal expected. Despite his new status, the servants in the household showed him no respect, seeing him as lazy and unworthy. This troubled him greatly, and he went back to the sage, explaining his predicament.

The sage advised him, “Respect cannot be gained merely through wealth or status. It must be earned through hard work and character.”

Unwilling to change his ways, Dhanilal instead chanted the mantra again, wishing to become a rich businessman who would earn wealth without effort. Once more, his dream came true, and he found himself in a position of immense wealth. But other businessmen in the town dismissed him, seeing him as someone who hadn’t earned his success. Dhanilal realized that despite his wealth, he lacked the respect and admiration he longed for.

In frustration, Dhanilal finally learned that shortcuts and dreams without hard work lead to emptiness. Respect, he understood, could not be bought or magically granted; it had to be earned through genuine effort and integrity. He returned to the sage, asking him to take back the mantra, vowing to earn his success the right way.

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As Betal finished the story, he posed a question to Vikram, “Tell me, O King, why did Dhanilal give up the mantra when it could give him anything he desired?”

Vikram replied, “Dhanilal realized that without hard work, he could acquire wealth but not the respect he craved. True respect and fulfillment come only from genuine effort, not from shortcuts or unearned privileges.”

Pleased with Vikram’s wise answer, Betal said, “You are right, but you have broken your silence. So, back to the tree I go!” And with that, Betal flew away, leaving Vikram to continue his pursuit.

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**Moral:** This story teaches that true respect and fulfillment come from hard work and integrity. Wealth and status may be achieved through shortcuts, but they lack value without the foundation of genuine effort and character.