Karna’s Generosity

One day, while Lord Krishna and Arjuna were out for a walk, Arjuna asked,

“May I ask you something, Krishna?”

Krishna smiled and said,
“Of course, ask freely.”

Arjuna said,
“I don’t understand why people say Karna is the most generous person. I give a lot too.”

Krishna smiled again and replied,
“I could tell you, but it’s better if you see it for yourself.”

With a blink, Krishna turned two nearby hills into gold.

Then he said to Arjuna,
“Go and give this gold to the villagers nearby.”

Arjuna quickly went and called all the villagers. He made them stand in a line and started giving gold to each person one by one. The villagers praised him, and Arjuna started feeling proud. Slowly, ego crept into him.

He kept distributing gold day and night for two days. But the gold never seemed to run out. More and more villagers kept coming back for more. Finally, tired and frustrated, Arjuna went back to Krishna and said,
“I can’t do this anymore. I’m exhausted.”

Krishna replied gently,
“That’s fine. You can rest.”

Then Krishna called Karna and asked him to give the gold away.

Karna went to the golden hills, gathered the villagers, and said,
“This gold is yours. Take as much as you need.”

And without waiting for thanks or praise, Karna left.

Arjuna was surprised and confused. Krishna looked at him and explained:

“When you gave the gold, you were deciding who gets how much. You were doing charity—but also expecting recognition. Karna simply gave everything away and walked off. He wasn’t looking for appreciation or applause. That’s true generosity—when giving becomes effortless and ego-free.”

Arjuna understood the lesson.

Moral:
True giving is selfless. If we expect something in return—like thanks or praise—then it’s no longer a gift, but a transaction. Real charity comes from a place of pure kindness, without expecting anything back.

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