Honorarium

Once a rishi, named Vartentu, when finished the education of his pupil Kauts Brahmchari, told him to leave the Asharam and to go to his house to lead the remaining life with peace according to the teachings given by him. Now Kauts brahmchari had grown to a scholar of Vedas.
Next day, when he was leaving the Asharam he told his guru, "Guruji! now I am leaving so please tell me what should I offer you as honorarium (reward)?"
"There is no need of it.", guruji replied.
He again requested , "Guruji! plz tell me what should I give you as honorarium?"
He again replied the same.
He again requested him repeatedly. But the rishi replied the same. When Kauts asked again and again, the rishi in a little bit anger, told him to give Fourteen Lakh (1.4 million) of golden coins as reward for the education that he had given to him. Listening that, he went out of the ashram and went straight to the peoples of the region in villages to give them teachings of vedas and he asked for money from them in return as he was collecting money for his Guruji through this way. When some months passed and he could not collect money of even a little golden coins, he became anxious.
A person of the village where he was wandering for begging, told him that he can not collect enough amount with this method. He advised him to go to the King Raghu and added that he could get his desired amount because the King was very kind to the scholars of Vedas.
By getting this advise he went to the palace of the King. When he reached there and asked for the King at the gate, he was sent to a room where he was entertained and welcomed high. For eating and drinking, the material was served to him in clay pots. Kauts was surprised that they did not have even a single golden or silver pot. He guessed that the king was poor and possibly he could not help to get the desired amount needed.
When the king Raghu with his wife came to him himself in the evening and asked about his health and any other requirement for what he came to the kingdom, he (Kauts) dared not to say anything else.
But when the king asked him again and again, the reason of his arrival, he told his wish before them.
In fact, Raja Raghu had just performed a great sacrifice for which the whole amount of his treasure was spent so he decided to get this amount for Kauts from Lanka where King Kubair reigned and ordered his army to attack on Lanka. When Kubair came to know that Raghu is about to attack Lanka, he himself came to Ayodhya with two chariots full of golden coins and ornaments.
Now in the court of Ayodhya all these three were gathered.
When Kubair gave that gold to Raghu, he requested Kauts to take the whole. But Kauts said, "O Sir! I need only fourteen lakh of golden coins. What shall I do to take more than it. I can not take more."
Kubair told Raghu to submit the remaining gold to his treasure and admitted that he has donated it to him so he can not take a bit of it back
Raghu said that he was a man who believe in taking amount whenever required and said that he had just done a grand sacrifice in which he had spent whole amount of his treasure as to lead a simple life similar to the people of his ruled area. This was the reason, he could not take the amount.
Now a dispute occured. When the incident was going on, Rishi Vashishtha reached there. He advised the King Raghu to donate the remaining amount to cows. So he sent the gold to the place where cows were looked after.
Now Kubair returned to his country happily. Kauts went straight to Ashram of his guru Vartentu. He gave the whole amount of fourteen Lakh golden coins to him. Vartentu said, "I accept your honorarium, o dear! now return it to them back from where u got it."
He said anxiously, "Guruji! There already a dispute have occured, they can not take it back."
Rishi Vartentu suggested him, "Collect material of oblation and let us arrange a grand sacrifice so that the money of the real honour of the gold may return back to them."
They performed a great Yagya with this amount and with the help of Yajana, that amount returned back, to the peoples who were real honour of that amount in the form of raining, fresh air and health.
This Yajana gives us health, fresh air, raining and protects us from harmful diseases. This it did for them.
So, through this incident of Treta Yug, we came to know that Yajna is the medium by which material and money of honours can be returned back to them indirectly.
The change what is done by Yajna make an effect positively on the real owner of the oblation material.
See u in the next post with more incidents of our Mythology.

Truly
Anubhav Sharma