Once upon a time. there were two travelling salesmen known as Kachchaputa and Serivanija in Andhapura, Dambadiva. They sold ornamental and fancy items such as bangles.
One day, Serivanija was going past an old house. It was occupied by an old woman and her granddaughter. On seeing the salesman, the little girl started pestering her grandmother to buy her a pair of bangles. The grandmother called the salesman. The girl selected a pair of bangles, but her grandmother said she had no money to pay. However, she offered to give an old bowl in exchange for the bangles. Serivanija examined the bowl and saw it was pure gold. To deceive the old woman he said it was a worthless bowl.
On the following day, Kachchaputa happened to go past the old house. The little girl once again started crying for bangles. Her grandmother called Kachchaputa and the girl selected a pair of bangles. The grandmother offered the same old bowl in exchange for the bangles. Kachchaputa examined the bowl carefully and found that it had been made with pure gold. He said the bowl was very valuable and offered to give all his fancy items and part of the money he had. He promised to come the following day with more money.
After Kachchaputa carried the bowl away, Serivanija visited the house and offered to give a pair of bangles in exchange for the old bowl.
The old woman said, that another salesman came and gave all his fancy items and some money and took the bowl away.
Serivanija knew that Kachchaputa had taken the bowl away. He started running to the nearby river and saw Kachchaputa in a boat which had almost reached the other side of the bank. He shouted to the boatman and offered to pay double the fare if he came back. The boatman did not.
Serivanija had a stroke and died on the spot.