The King of Benaras was a kusala (skilful) king. He would not give harsh punishment to any of his subjects. Once, a minister of his court who was a naraka in his previous birth was caught for dishonesty. However, instead of punishing him, the king only banished him. The minister then went to the King of Kosala and advised him to attack Benaras. The King of Kosala invaded Benaras, and buried the king and his followers in neck-deep mud in a cemetery. A group of jackals tried to attack them but the king bit into their leader’s chin. In doing so, the mud around him loosened and he became free. Two narakas were fighting nearby. They saw the king and asked him to resolve their problem. The king helped them. In return, they restored the king to his palace with their magic powers. Seeing that even the narakas respected the king’s goodness, the King of Kosala realised his mistake and gave back the kingdom.
Moral: Wisdom gets one through the difficult times even.
