Once there lived a potter named Yudhisthira in a certain kingdom. He was very poor and earned his livelihood by selling pots made by him.

One night when he was returned after drinking more than he could bear, he slipped and then fell over some of the pots. When he got up in the morning he saw blood was oozing out from his forehead and he had pain also. There was a deep cut due to a broken piece of pot. But as he was poor, he did not have money to go to a doctor for medicine. Thus his wound would not heal for a long time. Days passed away and after many days the wound finally healed by itself, but it left a bid mark on his forehead.

After some time there was a famine in the country and most of the people left the place. So he decided to leave the place and travel to a distant place. As he left he joined a group of people on his way who served to the royal household. In this way he also started serving to the royal household along with them.

After some days, the king noticed the big mark on his forehead and he began to thought, “This man must be a great fighter and this mark is a proof that he has received such wound in some battle. He is a brave person.”

Thus the king promoted him as a warrior besides this he was honoured with a top place amongst the best warriors of the kingdom. But the other household workers knew that he was not a warrior but a potter, so they became very jealous from the potter as the king favoured him although he did not deserve it truly.

After few days a battle was approaching so the king called upon all his warriors. He wanted to meet all of his warriors personally to give them some precious items as an encouragement. The king addressed the warriors with encouraging words and then gifts them. He personally inspected the equipments and all weapons and even horses and elephants also.

At the same moment the potter who was no real warrior, feared for going into the battle. He was very scared from all this and the preparations for the battle increased his tension. But he was decided to prove himself as a warrior in the battle ground.

During the inspection, as the king noticed the potter he took him aside and said, “O great warrior, during which battle you get this scar? I know you a great warrior.”

Then the potter thought for a while and decided to tell him the truth. He replied, “O king, this mark was not caused during any battle. As I am a potter by profession my home was full of pots. One night when I approached home after drinking too much I slipped over them that caused the wound on my fore head. And due to improper attention the wound left a big mark there.”

When the king heard the truth he felt very ashamed for his earlier decision. He immediately asked his soldiers, “O warriors, he is a potter by profession and he deceived me by pretending to be a warrior. He should be punish for this. Drive him away from the army now.”

The potter immediately fell on his knees and pleaded to the king, "O King, please forgive me and don’t do this with me. Please have mercy on me and I promise you I prove my bravery in the battlefield. Please give me a chance to prove my strength.”

Then the king replied, “O Potter, you may have brilliant qualities, and you may be brave. But you do know how to fight at the battle field. When the other warriors will come to know that you are only a potter, they will laugh at you. You may get yourself killed on the battlefield. So it’s better for you if you leave, and return to your home.”

The potter understood the king’s advice, and immediately left the place.

The wise indeed say:

Continue being what you are, else you pay for it.