The old men of Uttam Nagar
This unprecedented short story is a chapter in the annals of the city of Uttam Nagar. Many years ago, there lived two old men. This story begins with Suryabhan, who was a wealthy individual but was notorious for not giving any charity to the poor and needy. That’s why he was infamous as a miser. On the other hand, there was Chandranath, a humble and honest man. Although he was not rich, but he would definitely give something to anyone who went to him and asked for either alms or any help. Everyone in the city admired him and he was celebrated as a great philanthropist for his generosity.
One day a beggar came to Suryabhan’s residence and started asking for some charity.
“What’s your city?” Suryabhan asked.
“This is my city.” The beggar replied.
“No, it can’t be. Everyone in this city knows that I don’t do any charity. Why did you come here?” Saying this, Suryabhan brutally turned him down and drove him away from there. The beggar walked from there and reached Chandranath’s house and started asking for donations. Chandranath welcomed him into his home, gave him some money and some food. Happily, the beggar went away from there.
Amidst all this, little did the city of Uttam Nagar know that the true essence of the characters of these men was about to be revealed.
Suryabhan died a few days later. Since he had never done any good to anyone, the angry townspeople buried his body on the roadside. No one shed tears on his death. The well-to-do man, who had never extended a helping hand, found himself laid to rest without any mourners, without any formality. His death became evidence of a life devoid of compassion.
However, a surprising transformation took place in Chandranath. After Suryabhan’s death, whenever the poor and beggars came to Chandranath asking for donations, he used to say, “What do I have to donate?”
Despite his former reputation as a philanthropist, he began to decline donation requests. The whole city was surprised by this changed attitude of Chandranath. This news reached the city chief. He was too, curious about Chandranath’s transformation, called him to reveal the mystery behind his changed behavior.
Here Chandranath revealed a best kept secret before the chief.
The secrets of Suryabhan
“Many years ago, Suryabhan’s father, Somsesh, lived with his family in our neighboring city of Dhara Nagar. He was a tyrannical and greedy man. He used to usurp the property of those who asked him for money through his shrewd diplomacy, who ever had taken loans from him to survive in their tough time.. Once he acquired a poor man’s land by deception. The poor man could not bear this injustice. He raised his voice against Somsesh. But due to his powerful influence, Somsesh got the poor’s family killed..
But karma has its own way. Somsesh’s slander started spreading everywhere. Although because of his sinful deeds he became very rich, but no one respected him or his family. His wife died untimely. Ultimately, Somsesh became paralyzed due to an unknown disease. His body started rotting. Within a few days, maggots and worms started appearing in his body. Then he understood that all this was the result of his sins. On his death bed, he called his only son Suryabhan and told him his last wish that he should never do injustice to anyone and always help the poor and needy.
Obeying his father’s last wish, Suryabhan tried to help others through charity. However, the tarnished family name made his philanthropy ineffective. Everyone reproached him and said, “We do not want to make ourselves accomplices of sin by taking anything from you and your family.” Hearing all this, Suryabhan decided to leave the city of Dhara Nagar and come to Uttam Nagar. He decided to help others by remaining celibate throughout his life. He did not want his children to suffer the humiliation he had endured.
In those days, Uttam Nagar was suffering from severe drought. I had taken some loan from a local rich man for the crop but it all dried up. The rich man was harassing me to compensate me for the crop I had sown. There was not a single grain of food in the house and my family was starving for 3 days. Fed up with my poverty, I thought of committing suicide. One night I went to the mango tree near the river.
I was about to put my neck in the noose when Suryabhan appeared before me and stopped me. When asked, I told him about my problems and he offered help. I did not know Suryabhan. Therefore, I refused any help. Then he narrated his ordeal and said, “I myself see your plight, so let me help you. If you accept my help, then my father’s sins will be repaid.” That’s why I accepted Suryabhan’s help.
Then Suryabhan said, “There would be many people like you who might be killing themselves due to lack of help. If they could be helped, it would be a relief for me. If not today then one day I will be recognized and if that happens then no one will accept my help. So I want you to help them on my behalf. I will give you some money every month. Donate one third of it to beggars, the other part to poor brahmins and guests, and the third part to the needy city residents.”
Thus, unknown to the entire city, Suryabhan was quietly helping the needy, attempting to redeem his family’s tainted legacy.
The realization of real charity
Chandranath, who received Suryabhan’s help, narrated the entire story to the city chief and said, “A great philanthropist is one who selflessly donates without showing off. Donation made just for the sake of showing off to others is not real charity. Suryabhan explained the true definition of charity to everyone and showed how much of a philanthropist he was. He used to give me immense wealth to donate and pretended to be stingy around people. He made me swear that I would not tell anyone that all this wealth belongs to him. But I am telling you this now because he has passed away and I have become an ordinary man again. Now I have nothing to donate.”
This revelation of Chandranath made the city chief aware of the greatness of Suryabhan. Later that week, he and the city chief of Dhara Nagar organized a grand ceremony where they addressed the people of Dhara Nagar and Uttam Nagar and told them the story of Suryabhan and his silent altruism. Everyone realized that all the townspeople have unknowingly punished Suryabhan for Somasesha’s sins. Seeing the greatness of Suryabhan, everyone understood the true meaning of charity.