The Tale of Two Painters

King Abhijit of Kosala was a great patron of the arts. One day, two famous painters, Puneet and Sidhesh, approached him. “Please test our skills and tell us which one of us is the better artist,” they requested of the king.

The king was in a fix. He was familiar with their work, but passing judgment on their skills was quite difficult. After some contemplation, the king said, “I’m giving you two houses that look alike and are next to each other. Use your talent and give them makeovers. Whatever you need will be provided to you.”

Puneet replied, “I’ll need a hundred colors, your majesty.” Interestingly, Sidhesh stated that he would not need any colors, which surprised the king.

Once Puneet completed his assignment, he invited the king to see his work. Confident in his ability, he believed he would be declared the superior artist. King Abhijit was highly impressed by the way Puneet had painted his house. “Puneet, you’re indeed a wonderful artist!” the king exclaimed.

The Unexpected Revelation

Next, the king went to Sidhesh’s house. As he approached, the king stopped in his tracks. A thousand shades and hues brightly lit up the walls and the surrounding area. Sidhesh had achieved this stunning effect without using a single color.

The king was left speechless. “How did you do this?” he asked, bewildered.

“I just scrubbed the walls of the house until they were sparkling clean, your majesty,” replied Sidhesh humbly. Like the pure heart of a child that reflects the goodness surrounding it, Sidhesh’s clean walls mirrored the brilliant hues on Puneet’s house!