तस्य मार्गे एकः मिष्टान्नापणः आसीत्। तस्माद् आपणात् नवपक्वानां मिष्टान्नानां मनोहरः परिमळः समन्ततः प्रसृतः। तं गन्धं समाघ्राय कुचेलस्य जिह्वा लोलायितेव बभूव। स च किञ्चित्कालं तत्र स्थित्वा तं सुगन्धम् अनुभवन् मनसा तृप्तिं लेभे।
अथ कुचेलः चिन्तितवान् - “दरिद्रोऽहम्। न मया एतानि मिष्टान्नानि क्रेतुं शक्यन्ते।” इति। ततः सः गन्तुम् उद्यतः।
तस्मिन्नेव काले विक्रेता उच्चैः स्वरम् उवाच - “भोः पुरुष! तिष्ठ तिष्ठ। मूल्यं विना कुत्र गच्छसि?”
कुचेलः विस्मितः पप्रच्छ - “मूल्यं नाम कस्य?”
विक्रेता प्राह - “एतेषां मिष्टान्नानां मूल्यं देहि।”
कुचेल उवाच - “किं ब्रवीषि? मया तु किमपि न भक्षितम्।”
विक्रेता प्रत्यवदत् - “यद्यपि न भक्षितम्, तथापि तेषां परिमळस्त्वया अनुभूतः। गन्धास्वादनं नाम भोजनतुल्यमेव।”
एवं श्रुत्वा स कुचेलो महान्तं विषादमगमत्।
तस्मिन्नवसरे तत्र कश्चित् प्राज्ञः वृद्धपुरुषः समुपस्थितः आसीत्। सः कुचेलस्य दुःखकारणं ज्ञात्वा तमेकान्ते नीत्वा कर्णे किञ्चिद् उपायवचनम् अवदत्। तच्छ्रुत्वा कुचेलस्य मुखे प्रसादः समजनि।
ततः स पुनर्विक्रेतुः समीपमागतवान् । स्वकोशे स्थितानि कतिपयानि नाणकानि कम्पयित्वा झणझणेति शब्दं कारयामास।
तच्छब्दं श्रुत्वा विक्रेता हृष्टः सन् उवाच - “साधु! इदानीं धनं समर्पय।”
कुचेलः प्राह - “समर्पितमेव मया।”
विक्रेता क्रुद्ध इव उवाच - “कदा समर्पितम्? न मया किञ्चित् प्राप्तम्।”
ततः स कुचेलः स्मितपूर्वकमुवाच - “भोः श्रेष्ठिन्! किं त्वया नाणकानां झणझणशब्दो न श्रुतः?”
विक्रेता उवाच - “श्रुत एव।”
कुचेलः प्राह - “यदि गन्धस्य ग्रहणं भोजनतुल्यं भवति, तर्हि धनशब्दस्य श्रवणमपि धनप्राप्तितुल्यमेव। अतः मया मूल्यं दत्तमेव।”
स च विक्रेता लज्जितमुखः तूष्णीमेव तस्थौ। कुचेलस्तु वृद्धस्योपदेशेन संकटात् मुक्तः सन् सन्तुष्टमनाः स्वगृहं जगाम।
तस्मादुच्यते -
युक्त्या यत् साध्यते कार्यं न तत् शक्यं बलादपि ।
प्रज्ञावतो हि लोकेऽस्मिन् विजयः सर्वदा ध्रुवः ॥
English Translation:
Once, in a certain village, there lived a poor man named Kuchela. One evening, weary from his day's labor, he set out for his home.
On his way stoo
d a sweet shop. From that shop spread all around the delightful fragrance of freshly prepared sweets. As Kuchela inhaled the aroma, his tongue seemed to yearn for the sweets. Standing there for some time and enjoying their pleasant fragrance, he felt a sense of satisfaction in his mind.
Then Kuchela thought, “I am poor. I cannot afford to buy these sweets.” With that, he prepared to leave.
At that very moment, the shopkeeper called out loudly: “Hey, good man! Stop, stop! Where are you going without paying?”
Surprised, Kuchela asked, “Paying? For what?”
The shopkeeper replied, “Pay for these sweets.”
Kuchela said, “What are you saying? I have not eaten any of them.”
The shopkeeper answered, “Although you did not eat them, you certainly enjoyed their fragrance. Enjoying the smell is equivalent to eating.”
Hearing this, Kuchela became greatly distressed.
Just then, a wise old man happened to be there. Learning the cause of Kuchela's distress, he led him aside and whispered a certain piece of advice into his ear. On hearing it, Kuchela's face brightened.
Then he returned to the shopkeeper. Taking a few coins from his pouch, he shook them and made them jingle loudly.
Hearing the sound, the shopkeeper became pleased and said, “Good! Now hand over the money.”
Kuchela replied, “I have already paid.”
The shopkeeper, as if angry, said, “When did you pay? I have received nothing.”
Then Kuchela, smiling, said, “O merchant! Did you not hear the jingling sound of the coins?”
The shopkeeper replied, “I certainly did.”
Kuchela said, “If enjoying a fragrance is equivalent to eating, then hearing the sound of money is likewise equivalent to receiving it. Therefore, I have already paid the price.”
The shopkeeper stood silent, his face filled with embarrassment. Kuchela, having escaped his predicament through the advice of the wise old man, returned home with a contented heart.
Therefore it is said:
“That which can be accomplished through cleverness cannot always be achieved by force. For in this world, victory surely belongs to the wise.”
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