A moneylender named Ratnachandran lived in Vijayanagaram. He charged heavy interest from the people for the loans. While he charged 50 percent interest, other moneylenders charged only 10-15 percent. Raman came to know about the exorbitant interest charged by Ratnachandran. He decided to teach a lesson to the moneylender. Raman borrowed five copper plates from Ratnachandran. 

 

It was borrowed as loan through his friend Yogayya. When he returned the plates there were five small utensils in addition to that. Ratanachandran was surprised^Why is this small utensils?’, he asked. ‘These were the utensils delivered by the big plates’, Yogayya said. As a cunning greedy moneylender Ratnachandran was eager to possess the small utensils also. ‘Okay. I forgot to remind you that the utensils were pregnant at the time of lending’. He took away all the utensils to his room. After a week, Raman called Yogayya again, ‘You go and borrow two gold plates as loan.’ Ratnachandran handed over gold plates without any hesitation. He reminded Yogayya that the gold plates were pregnant. ‘You must return the baby plates, when you come back.’ Ratnachandran’s shrewdness began to work.  Yogayya reached Raman’s house with the gold plates. Raman melted the plates and converted them into small ones. He presented the small melted plates to those people who suffered at the hands of Ratnachandran earlier. After two days, Ratnachandran called on Yogayya and demanded the gold plates. He was expecting the gold plates and little utensils. Yogayya replied that the mother and baby utensils died at the time of delivery. He had been well taught by Raman to fool Ratnachandran. The dejected moneylender approached the king and complained. Raman who intervened in the matter told the king the whole episode. The king ordered to arrest Ratnachandran for charging excessive interest on loans.