THERE was a goldsmith who kept a jewellery
shop. He looked like a great devotee, a true
Vaishnava, with beads round his neck, rosary in his
hand, and the holy marks on his forehead.
Naturally people trusted him and came to his shop
on business. They thought that, being such a pious
man, he would never cheat them. Whenever a
party of customers entered the shop, they would
hear one of his craftsmen say, 'Kesava! Kesava!'
Another would say after a while, 'Gopal! Gopal!'
Then a third would mutter, 'Hari! Hari!' Finally
someone would say, 'Hara! Hara!' Now these are,
as you know, different names of God. Hearing so
much chanting of God's names the customers
naturally thought thai this goldsmith must be a
very superior person. But can you guess the
goldsmith's true intention? The man who said
'Kesava! Kesava!' meant to ask, 'Who are these?
Who are these customers?' The man who said
'Gopal! Gopal!' conveyed the idea that the
customers were merely a herd of cows. That was
the estimate he formed of them after the exchange
of a few words. The man who said 'Hari! Hail!'
asked, 'Since they are no better than a herd of
cows, then may we rob them?" He who said 'Hara!
Hara!' gave his assent, meaning by these words,
'Do rob by all means, since they are mere cows!'
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