King Harishchandra - Truth Above All

Dadi: "Guddu beta, do you know there was a king who sold his own wife and child to keep his word?"

Guddu: "SOLD them?! That sounds terrible!"

Dadi: "The story of King Harishchandra is the most extreme test of truth-telling ever told. His name has become a symbol for honesty itself - when we say someone is "like Harishchandra," we mean they never, ever lie."

Guddu: "Why would he sell his family?"

Dadi: "It started with a promise. The sage Vishwamitra once asked Harishchandra for a donation. The generous king said, "I'll give you anything - silver, gold, my kingdom, whatever you want!""

Guddu: "That was nice of him!"

Dadi: "But Vishwamitra asked for everything - the entire kingdom, all his possessions. And because Harishchandra had given his word, he gave it all away."

Guddu: "Couldn't he say no? That seems unfair!"

Dadi: "A promise is a promise, beta. But there's more. As the family was leaving with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Vishwamitra stopped them and said, "You still owe me additional donation for the Rajasuya Yajna.""

Guddu: "But he had nothing left!"

Dadi: "Exactly. Harishchandra had one month to find the money. He traveled to Varanasi with his wife Shaivya and son Rohitashva. When time was running out, his wife said the most heartbreaking thing..."

Guddu: "What?"

Dadi: ""Sell me. Use the money to pay your debt." Harishchandra was torn apart, but he couldn't find another way. He sold his beloved wife and child to a Brahmin as servants."

Guddu: "(quietly) That's so sad, Dadi."

Dadi: "And it got worse. Still needing money, Harishchandra sold HIMSELF to a chandala - someone who works at cremation grounds. The great king became a worker at a funeral ghat, covered in ashes, dressed in rags, collecting fees from grieving families."

Guddu: "From king to... that?"

Dadi: "For twelve months he worked there, barely remembering his own past. Then one night, a woman came carrying a dead body - a child who had been bitten by a snake."

Guddu: "Oh no..."

Dadi: "It was his wife Shaivya, carrying their son Rohitashva. Neither recognized each other at first - they had both changed so much. When they finally realized who they were, their grief was unbearable."

Guddu: "Did he help them for free?"

Dadi: "Here's the test, beta. Even in that moment of absolute tragedy, Harishchandra asked his wife for the funeral fees. He couldn't betray his duty to his master, even for his own dead child."

Guddu: "That's... I don't understand how..."

Dadi: "Shaivya had nothing. She offered half the cloth she was wearing. The couple, destroyed by grief, decided to end their lives together."

Guddu: "This story is too sad!"

Dadi: "Wait, beta. At that moment, the heavens opened. Gods appeared - including Vishwamitra himself. It had all been a test! Their son was revived, alive and healthy."

Guddu: "It was fake?"

Dadi: "It was a divine test to see if any human could hold to truth through absolutely everything. Harishchandra had passed. Indra offered to take them straight to heaven."

Guddu: "Did they go?"

Dadi: "Harishchandra refused! He said, "What about my subjects back in Ayodhya? They've been suffering while I was gone. I cannot accept heaven while they suffer.""

Guddu: "Even after all that, he thought of others?"

Dadi: "The gods were even more impressed. They restored his kingdom and blessed him. And here's the beautiful ending - Harishchandra asked that ALL his subjects receive the same blessings. He took his entire kingdom to heaven with him!"

Guddu: "He was truth-telling to the very end."

Dadi: "The cremation ghat in Varanasi is still called Harishchandra Ghat in his honor. His story teaches us that truth isn't just about not lying - it's about keeping your word no matter what it costs."

Guddu: "I don't think I could be that truthful..."

Dadi: "Few can, beta. But every time you choose honesty when lying would be easier, you're walking Harishchandra's path - just in smaller steps. Now sleep, and may truth always guide your words."