Introduction In the heart of an ancient Indian epic, the noble warrior Arjuna, accompanied by his divine charioteer Krishna, raised a question that had long lingered in his mind: “Who is the noblest giver in the land?” Without pause, Krishna named Karna—Arjuna’s rival on the battlefield. The answer struck Arjuna like a silent blow. Though he said nothing, his pride bristled. Could it be true that his rival surpassed him not only in valor, but in generosity, too? Krishna, as always, sensed Arjuna’s inner turmoil. Days passed. Then one evening, as they rode across the horizon, Krishna pointed to two distant mountains, their peaks shimmering in the golden light of dusk. Slowly, they transformed—solid gold from base to crest. “Arjuna,” Krishna said, “you must distribute these two mountains of gold to the poor villagers below. Do not stop until you have given away every last pebble.” Arjuna’s Effort Driven by the desire to outshine Karna and prove his worth, Arjuna gathered the villagers an...
Introduction One day, Krishna and Arjuna were out walking when they encountered an old Brahmin begging. Feeling pity for him, Arjuna gave the man a bag of gold coins. The Brahmin, overjoyed, went home, but on his way, he was robbed by a thief in the forest. He cursed his fate and set out to beg again the following day. Once more, Krishna and Arjuna saw the Brahmin, and upon hearing his plight, Arjuna gave him a large diamond. The man kept it safe in an old pot at home, but his wife accidentally broke the pot while fetching water, causing the diamond to fall into the river. The Brahmin, devastated, set off to beg once more. Again, Krishna and Arjuna saw the Brahmin, and Arjuna, feeling frustrated, said to Krishna, "I don’t think this man is destined to be blessed. I can’t help him anymore." Krishna then gave the Brahmin two pennies. Arjuna, confused, asked, "How could two pennies help him when gold and diamonds could not?" Krishna smiled and said, "Let’s see....