There was an unscrupulous money lender who lived in a village and he had swindled a lot of people with his trick but then on a particular day there came a saint to his house and requested shelter for the night. Now it was not good manners to refuse a saint so the money-lender allowed him to sleep but since he was stingy told him that he would have to sleep on the verandah that he would not be provided any food, the saint nodded then the moneylender asked the saint what he would get in return for sheltering him for the night. The saint smiled and handed him a gold coin. The money-lender was a little surprised but greedily accepted what was given to him. Later after escorting the saint to his place, the money lender was left wondering "How could a poor fakir have a gold coin?" so he decided that he should keep a watch on the saint and quietly peeked from a window to the verandah where the saint was sleeping. The saint cleaned a spot and on that he placed an old conch. He folded his hands in front of the conch and said "O Shankh Maharaj, I would like to eat a simple meal today" and lo, behold! there appeared a plate of fruits and dalliya in front of him. After finishing his meal, the saint with folded hands requested for a shawl because it was a chilly night, and now lo behold there was a small shawl near the shell. After watching this spectacle, the money-lender was very surprised and more so was overcome with greed. So when the saint was sleeping, he replaced the conch with an ordinary one. The next day the saint went his way. Now from time to time when the money lender felt like it, he would use the magic conch and partake delicious food.
After a few days the money-lender saw that the same saint was coming towards his way again, now this time he was overcome with fear, what if he asked for his conch again. He would not part with conch shell. Anyway the saint came to the money-lender and asked to stay for the night, the money lender again took a gold coin from him but this time he greeted him nicely and instead of the verandah he gave him a room and provided food. Then when everyone had retired to rest for the day, he peeked into the room where the saint was staying. The saint cleaned an area and brought forth an extremely white shiny shell, he placed it on the floor and said to it. " O Shankhji I have had enough to eat, and I have a shawl to use while sleeping but can you give me 10,000 gold mohurs." The money lender almost fell down on hearing this and then he heard the conch reply "10,000 gold mohurs is too less, please accept 50,000 coins" Then the saint said, its not safe to carry such a big amount so I will take it tomorrow. The shankhiya said "As you wish maharaj ji and then the shankhiya moved and went into the saint's bag itself. The money-lender meanwhile thought to himself, a conch which gives gold coins!! which walks and talks this is better than the one I have so when the saint was sleeping, he returned the old conch that did not walk and did not talk back in the saint's bag and instead took out Shankhiya the new white shiny conch shell.
After the saint had left, the money-lender removed the conch and placed it on a clean floor, then he said "O Shankhiya, may I have 10,000 gold mohurs" the conch replied " No my lord, you should at least take 50,000 gold mohurs." OK" said the money-lender "50,000 then" the conch said "No my lord you should take 1,00,000 (lakh) gold mohurs" so the greedy landlord was very happy and he said, "OK give me 1,00,000(lakh) gold mohurs and then the Shankhiya said "No my lord, that is too less, let me provide you with 1,00,00,000 (crore) gold mohurs" the money lender was overcome with emotion now, said "Quick quick give it to me so that I may be richer than Raja Raees himself." Then the shell broke into uncontrolled laugher. It laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and finally said "My lord, I am a magic conch (Shankhiya) but I am a dhapor shank, I only talk and talk but never provide" the real work was done by the Shankh Maharaj and as you know he never says a thing. The money-lender was gripped with regret but also realization that his greed to have everything had led him to let go of the thing which actually provided.
