Vikram Vethal, 26. The Damsel and the Sea

The Damsel And The Sea

Long ago, a great king Vikramaditya ruled a prosperous kingdom from his capital Ujjain. He had immense love for learning and adventure.

King Vikram rewarded the virtuous, punished the evil-doers and encouraged scholars, poets, musicians and artists. Many people came to meet him and they brought him gifts of jewels, gold or other precious things. Among such visitors was a mendicant who on every visit presented the king with a fruit. The king handed over the fruit to the royal storekeeper.

One morning, the mendicant gave him his usual gift and the king accepted the fruit and went out playing with it. While playing with it, the fruit fell down. Instantly a monkey swooped down upon it and tried to crack it with his teeth. The fruit popped open and out came a ruby. The king was surprised. He picked up the ruby and sent for an expert to examine it. After examination, the ruby was rated as the finest ruby ever seen. The king asked the storekeeper to get all the fruits presented by the mendicant. He found a ruby in each one of those fruits and was amazed.

When the mendicant came the next day, the king asked him, “Why have you been so kind to me?”
“O king, I wish a favour from you.  But I can only tell you about it in private,” replied the mendicant.

The king led him to the private audience chamber. The mendicant then said, “I know how brave you are. Hence I wish you do something for me that requires courage. But, for that, you must meet me under a banyan tree in the middle of the cremation ground beyond the city, at night, on the 14th day of the dark half of the month.”

Vikram hesitated for a while. But the spirit of adventure got the better of him. He decided to meet the mendicant at the appointed hour. It was a dark night. A terrible gale was blowing. When Vikram reached the cremation ground, he heard the howling of foxes and jackals. Ghouls and ghosts stared at him and danced. Vikram reached the banyan tree and met the mendicant.

”Yes, what work do you want me to do?” asked the king. “At the northern-most corner of this ground there is a very old tree. There is a corpse hanging from one of its branches. I am seeking certain occult powers which I will gain only if a king brings me this particular corpse and if practise certain rites sitting on it. Can you fetch the corpse for me?” asked the mendicant.

Getting a corpse that hung on a distant tree on that stormy night was not an easy task. But King Vikram managed to reach the old tree. Raising a burning torch he found the hanging corpse. He climbed the tree and by a stroke of his sword cut the rope with which the corpse was tied to the branch. The corpse fell on the ground, but gave out an eerie cry.

Vikram, unaware that the corpse was possessed by a spirit, thought it was alive. He came down and lifted the sprawling body. The corpse began to laugh. Surprised, the king asked, “Why do you laugh?”

When the king opened his mouth the corpse slipped away and hung on the tree again. This happened over six times and then he realised that his talking was the reason for the corpse to slip away.

The seventh time, Vikram put the corpse on his shoulder and began walking quietly. He took a few steps when the corpse, which was a vampire, said, “O King, tiresome is the way. Let me tell you a tale to keep you amused.” He began the tale.

Long ago Yasaketu ruled the kingdom of Anga. He led a lavish life and left the affairs of the state to his minister. Luckily, his minister was an extremely honest man and governed the kingdom well. But the other officers were jealous of him and spread rumours that he was a corrupt.

The disheartened minister asked his wife for advice. “Leave the country for a few months. Either the officers will realise your value or the king will come back to his senses. Whatever happens will be good for you,” she said.

The minister was convinced. He went to the king and said, “O King, I am going on a pilgrimage. Please do not neglect to discharge your duty during my absence.”

“There is no use going on a pilgrimage,” shouted the king.

The minister replied, “I must go when I have the strength to travel. I can’t go when I am old.”

The King didn’t say anything and plunged back into merrymaking.

The minister started travelling. He reached a harbour where he met an old merchant friend. The merchant was about to travel to an island and was happy to accommodate the minister. They reached the island. After the merchant finished his business they began their journey back home.
It was a moonlit night. The merchant and the minister were strolling on the ship’s deck when the water whirled before them and a bejewelled tree rose from the waves. They saw a beautiful damsel sitting on the tree and playing a veena.

”Beautiful!” exclaimed the minister. “No doubt but nothing unusual. We have seen this several times,” commented the minister. The tree and the damsel disappeared in a moment but the minister gazed in the direction for a long time.

King Yasaketu was worried about the minister’s absence. When he was informed by the spies that the minister was approaching the capital, he welcomed him and asked, “Tell me, where did you go and what all did you see?”

The minister narrated his experience including the damsel he had seen. The king was thrilled to hear of the strange sight and exclaimed, “My dear minister, take charge of the kingdom, I am off in search of the lady.”

They were not able to dissuade the king. He hired a ship and began his search. After a couple of days, on a moonlit night, he saw the strange sight that the minister had described. He looked on, spell-bound, at the damsel who emerged from the sea. As soon as she disappeared, he shouted, “Take me with you!”

The king plunged into the sea where he found a magnificent palace. He entered it and saw the damsel resting on an ivory cot. The doe-eyed damsel asked, “Who are you? What brings you here?”

“I am Yasaketu, the king of Anga. I have risked my life and come here to meet you,” answered Yasaketu. He asked, “But will you please tell me who you are?”

”I am Mrigankavati, a nymph. My father left me here. Once in a while I can rise above the water seated on a magical tree,” answered the nymph.

They enjoyed each other’s company. As days passed, the king requested the nymph to marry him.

The nymph agreed but on a condition that every month on four different days she would go away from the house and shouldn’t be questioned about it. The king agreed and they got married.

They lived happily for a year. One day, while the nymph was on her mysterious mission, the nymph said, “Be cheerful, I will be back soon. Remember not to jump into the well in the corner of the house. If you do, you will find yourself in your kingdom!”

When the nymph left, the king followed her. On her way, a demon appeared before her and swallowed her. The king killed the demon and the happy nymph emerged from the demon’s corpse.

“Is this a dream?” asked the baffled king.  “No, it isn’t. Let me tell you a story. I used to attend to my father faithfully.  But on four auspicious days of the month I went to worship goddess Durga and neglected my father. My father was displeased and cursed me, as a result of which a demon swallowed me on those four days. He would vomit me at the end of the day. My father assured me that if the demon was killed, I would be free from the curse. You just did that. I am free now, a full-fledged nymph with supernatural powers. But the sad fact is that a man and a nymph cannot live as husband and wife. I must go back to my father and you must return to your kingdom.”

The king was disheartened when he heard the words of the nymph. He requested the nymph to stay with him for another week and she agreed. At the end of the week, the king stood near the well to jump into it. The nymph sobbed inconsolably.  Suddenly, the king held her hand and jumped into the well. They both landed in Yasaketu’s palace. Once on earth, the nymph became a human being.

The news of the king’s arrival spread and people flocked to the palace to meet him. The minister too arrived. As soon as he saw the damsel, he collapsed and died.

The vampire finished the story and asked King Vikram, “Tell me, O King, why do you think the minister died? Was it because he was going to lose authority now that the king was back?  Or was it because he had a secret desire to marry the nymph and was disappointed to see that the king had married her?

If you know the right answer and yet choose to keep quiet, your head will be shattered to pieces!”


Answered King Vikram, “None of these was the cause of the minister’s death. As it is, the king neglected his duty and the poor minister had to bear the burden of administration and also the rumours spread about him.  With a beautiful queen, the minister knew the king would never find time for the kingdom. The minister’s agony will never come to an end. It was this thought that killed him.”

As soon as King Vikram spoke, the vampire slipped off his shoulder and hung on the tree.

Vikram Vethal, 25. The Magic Necklace

The Magic Necklace

The dark night and cracks of thunder, preceded by flashes of lightning, revealed weird faces and created a frightening atmosphere. The jackals howled and peals of evil laughter could be heard. King Vikram was however undeterred. He climbed the ancient tree again, brought down the corpse and threw it across his shoulders. He began crossing the deserted cremation ground when the vampire that possessed the corpse spoke up:

“O King, are you doing this to master some supernatural power? It is very risky to possess supernatural power. Bhimsingh was a person who had this kind of power. Do you think it did him any good? Listen to his story. This may enlighten you and bring you some relief from this dreary task”.

The vampire went on: “Bhimsingh was a farmer who worked hard on his farm. One day, while levelling the ground, his shovel clanged against something hard in the soil. And he dug out a jar! He opened it and was surprised to find in it a gold necklace and a palm leaf with something inscribed on it. He took both home, and deciphered the inscription on the palm leaf after a struggle.

The inscription narrated the strange story of a man who lived more than a century before. This man had received a magic necklace from a mendicant. Whenever he wore the necklace, he was able to know the secret thoughts of anyone he met. He misused this power to blackmail many wealthy persons and the king’s officers, who nursed sinful or criminal desires. He became very rich through the bribes he received from them in order to remain silent. One day, when he wore the necklace, he found that his wife did not love him anymore and was in love with someone else. He went mad with fury and killed his wife. After a while, he was overcome with remorse. So he buried the necklace along with his account of the consequences of using the necklace. Then he left for the forest to live the life of a hermit.

The discovery of the necklace and the manuscript amazed Bhimsingh. However, curiosity got the better of him and he put the necklace on, and strolled through the village. He owed money to a certain Lombu Singh, a relative of the landlord. As soon as he saw Lombu, he realised that the fellow was plotting to kill the landlord. Lombu had employed two ruffians to attack the landlord during his daily evening stroll around his grove.

“But isn’t our landlord a noble soul?” Bhimsingh muttered. Astonished, Lombu looked at Bhimsingh with suspicion. Bhimsingh was now sure of the magic powers of the necklace, but he did not reveal anything. He proceeded to the grove where the ruffians were hiding and he himself hid behind some bushes. On seeing the landlord, the ruffians who had been waiting for him, got up and raised their sticks.

Instantly Bhimsingh jumped forward and brought down an iron rod on the ruffians. They fell down and groaned. Bhimsingh called out to the villagers and many came running. The ruffians confessed about their plan implicating Lombu Singh, who then had to flee from the village. Feeling grateful, the landlord gave Bhimsingh a big reward. The landlord praised Bhimsingh constantly.

In course of time, the people realized that Bhimsingh had the power to read the minds of other people. But nobody knew how Bhimsingh had acquired such powers. One day Bhimsingh came to know that his neighbour’s daughter Ratna loved him. He proposed to Ratna and got married to her with her father’s blessings. .

Once while talking to a group of well-dressed travellers, Bhimsingh became aware that they were imposters, who had come to loot the treasury. He sent word to the king, and the king’s soldiers rushed to capture the gang of bandits. In the same way, Bhimsingh helped to capture many bad elements and foiled many sinister plots. He grew famous for his amazing deductive powers. Gradually it became known that there was a threat to his life. Many criminals were waiting for a chance to kill him. But Bhimsingh had an advantage over his adversaries because he could know their plans in advance.

“Can you tell me what I am thinking about right now?” asked the king.

“Your Majesty, you are thinking that it won’t be possible for me to spell out your thought”, replied Bhimsingh.

The king complimented him and appointed him as a courtier. Bhimsingh became richer and more famous. He ran a parallel centre of power since all the court officials paid him to find out what the king thought about them!

One evening, the king sent for him and asked him confidentially: “Do you know why I called you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, you wish to know the mind of the queen!”

“Excellent. Now, go and meet the queen under the pretext of delivering this message to her and read her mind”, said the king, handing him a letter.

Bhimsingh took the letter to the queen. It contained information that a celebrated musician was expected to entertain them in the evening. Looking at the queen, Bhimsingh realised that she did not have any love or respect for the king. Her thoughts were about several persons to whom she felt attracted.

However Bhimsingh on his return to the king, said: “Your Majesty, the queen loves you very much”. The king was so happy that he gifted him the most precious jewel he was wearing then.

At home, Bhimsingh behaved strangely; he hurled the magic necklace into the fire. Instead of melting, it just evaporated. Later that night, Bhimsingh and his wife left the kingdom for a far away town.

The vampire paused and turned to King Vikramaditya: “Tell me, O King, why did Bhimsingh destroy the magic necklace? Wasn’t the necklace helping him as well as others? Why did he leave the kingdom? Answer me, O King, if you can. If you keep mum though you may know the answer, your head would roll off your neck. Beware!”

The king answered forthwith: “Bhimsingh was a man with essentially good beliefs and values. He made proper use of the powers the necklace gave him as long as he could. But a stage came when he knew it was not possible for him to use the power and remain good at the same time forever. Though one may have special powers, one must be mentally strong, too. Both the qualities may not be found together in any person. Bhimsingh lacked the will to tell the king the truth as he knew it; at the same time he felt wretched for having told a lie to the king. He, therefore, decided to give up his power and position. He had to leave the kingdom, because the king and the others would continue to expect his service and they would only get annoyed if he did not oblige them. Besides, in the absence of the necklace, he knew that he could not survive in that land”.

No sooner had the king concluded his answer than the vampire, along with the corpse, gave him the slip. Vikramaditya drew his sword and went after the vampire.

Vikram Vethal, 24. A Sensible Move

A Sensible Move

Another new riddle was posed by the Vetal the following night. King Vikramaditya climbed the tree, placed the corpse on his shoulder and made his way through the edge of the forest to the desolate cremation ground. As he walked, the Vetal possessing the corpse spoke:

“O King, children born in royal households are taught the arts and sciences that require a lot of courage and perseverance. Consequently, they become hard working and determined. They are as persistent as you are and work with one-pointedness towards their goal. But there are exceptions because some people lose heart at the last moment and give up before they reach their goal. Listen to what happened a long time ago to Shruthavarma, who was then the crown prince of the Uddhanda kingdom. Let me tell you his story”. The Vetal began its narration.

Marunthavarma, the King of Pravala, had a daughter who had beauty and brains. She was named Kaumudi because she was born on a full moon night. The king was very fond of his daughter and also proud of her. He knew that he would have to be very careful when he chose a groom for her because the boy would have to be a proper match for his brilliant daughter and also capable of ruling a kingdom. In fact, he had in mind his own nephew Shruthavarma.
Shruthavarma and Kaumudi were the Rajaguru Mukundacharya’s students. Manimanth, the minister’s son, also studied with them. Kaumudi, like the boys, got trained in archery, fencing and other martial arts. The three of them thus spent a lot of their childhood together. Manimanth and Kaumudi enjoyed debating with each other. In fact, Mukundacharya was very impressed with some of their arguments and their ideas. Shruthavarma, too, joined them sometimes, but he was not as bright as they were.
King Marunthavarma observed the growing friendship between the two young men and his daughter with some misgiving. He suspected that Kaumudi had a soft corner for Manimanth. He feared that if this was not checked, he would face many problems. Would Manimanth be worthy enough to succeed him in Pravala? He wanted to know what was in his daughter’s mind before he took any decision. So he got a close friend of hers called Malathi to talk to Kaumudi. Kaumudi disclosed that she was not interested in marrying Shruthavarma and considered him only as a dear cousin. She was in love with Manimanth. She felt he alone could make her happy in every way. She also did not wish to leave Pravala and live in another country. If she married Manimanth, they could rule Pravala together.
Marunthavarma was not the only one who had sensed the growing love between Manimanth and Kaumudi. Shruthavarma also realised which way the wind was blowing. From their childhood, he had assumed that Kaumudi would one day be his wife. Now he felt betrayed and upset. He thought about the way matters had developed and then discussed them with his uncle, King Marunthavarma.
The king wondered how he could solve the problem. He advised his nephew to speak to Manimanth frankly. He said: “Tell Manimanth that you suspect that he is in love with Kaumudi. Tell him you love her more than anyone and, therefore, the only way out of this problem is to fight it out like honourable men. Whoever wins can claim Kaumudi’s hand. Then use all your strength and power to defeat Manimanth. If you have any problem, I’ll think of a way to ensure that you win?
.
Shruthavarma thought over his uncle’s suggestion and said: “The truth is that Manimanth and I are equal in strength and skill, but his self-confidence is such that it seems to give him greater stamina and power. Let’s do one thing. In the Aravalli ranges nearby, there is a martial arts school run by the great guru Krishnachandra. Let me go and study under him for a while and improve my skills. After that, we’ll do as you say?. Marunthavarma agreed and Shruthavarma went to guru Krishnachandra to learn whatever he could.
He worked with great determination and concentration for six months. After the course was over, when it was time for Shruthavarma to leave, the guru said: “You told me that the King of Pravala is your uncle. Do you know his minister’s son Manimanth” Shruthavarma was surprised to hear Manimanth’s name being mentioned. “Yes, I do know him very well. But why do you ask” he said curiously. “Well”, said the guru, “I often roam about in disguise to know what is happening in the countryside. One day, I happened to attend the Spring Festival held at Pravala. There I saw an exhibition of strength by Manimanth. I haven’t seen a brighter man or a better fighter than he. Not many have that kind of ability. When you see him, please tell him that he has an invitation to come here anytime?. Shruthavarma was silenced for a while by these words. Then he said: “I had also taken part in the competition that day”. The guru was surprised. “Really” Were you there” he asked, and then smiled.
The next day Shruthavarma went back to his uncle at Pravala and said: “My confidence and skills have certainly improved a lot in these last six months, but I feel it would not be fair to go against Kaumudi’s wishes. So it might be better if you permitted her to marry Manimanth?.
The Vetala stopped the story there and addressed King Vikramaditya. “O King, Shruthavarma spent six hard months improving his skill. Then why did he lose heart at the last minute and give up his goal” Wasn’t he foolish to give up when he had almost reached his goal” If you know the answers to my questions and still do not want to speak, be warned, your head will break into a thousand pieces!?
Vikramaditya spoke at once. “Shruthavarma respected guru Krishnachandra and his judgement greatly. When the guru praised Manimanth, Shruthavarma realised exactly how much stronger and more adept Manimanth was than him. When he revealed the fact that he too had taken part in the same event, the guru did not say anything. So, he understood that he was not even a patch on Manimanth. Being a realist, he knew he could never win against Manimanth and so decided not to make an attempt even. Certainly, Sruthavarman made a wise move. He proved himself to be a man of judgement who could accept face the truth gracefully”. As soon as the king spoke, the Vetal vanished to its favourite haunt on the same ancient tree.

 

Vikram Vethal, 23. The Hermit Riddles

The Hermits Riddles
It was a dark night and the spirits laughed wildly. Bones and skulls strewn around made walking through the cremation ground difficult. But King Vikramaditya had to keep his promise to the mendicant and so he went back to the ancient tree. He climbed the tree, slung the corpse over his shoulder, and walked across the desolate cremation ground when once again the Vetal spoke:
�O King! Why do you continue in this fruitless exercise? Has someone asked you to perform this terrible task? Maybe you are doing this for some strange recluse or hermit who speaks in riddles. It is very difficult to make out what these hermits have in their minds when they quiz us. Let me tell you a story and maybe you�ll learn something from it�. And so the Vetal started on another story:
Vajrapur was ruled by a king called Martand Dev who was a wise and good ruler. He needed a knowledgeable adviser to aid him in his administrative tasks. He felt that Ratnakar, an intelligent and smart nobleman of his court would be the best person for the post. When he told his queen about his choice, she disagreed with him. �My uncle Vishwas is clever and as accomplished as Ratnakar. Moreover, he is older and more experienced; hence I feel he�ll make a very good adviser. Why don�t you give him the post?� she requested.
�I am sure he is as knowledgeable as you say, but I think we should test them both before we take a final decision�, the king replied.
The chance to test the potential advisers arose soon. A rich merchant with a very lovely daughter came to the king with his problem. The daughter apparently had three suitors, young men who were eligible in every way. The merchant could not make up his mind as to who was most suitable for his daughter. So he sent the three men to a wise hermit who lived in the hills and in whom he had tremendous faith. The holy man looked at the three men quietly for a while. Then, without a word, he handed over a shell full of earth to one of them, another shell full of water to the second young man and yet another shell full of grains to the third one.
The merchant was clueless. What does the hermit mean by this? Looked like only a smarter brain could crack the riddle! So he took the three young men to the king’s court with the hope of understanding the meaning of the hermit’s action. The king asked the three young men what they thought of the holy man’s action. “Your majesty”, said the first suitor, “I was given a shell full of earth. Without earth, neither water nor grain is of any use. So, I think the hermit has indicated that I’m the most suitable man for the merchant’s daughter”. The second one said, “Well, I feel that earth and grain are of no use without water. All life depends on water. So I think that by giving me the most precious thing, the sage has chosen me”. The third one had a totally different perspective. He said, “Water and earth are only conditions for the grains to grow. What’s important is the crop and everything works towards producing that. I was given the grains and so I think the sage’s choice is obvious”.
Now the king himself was in a quandary. He found all the three suitors’ replies credible. Then he had an idea: this would be the right opportunity to test the wisdom and resourcefulness of the two potential advisers. Fortunately, both Ratnakar and Vishwas were present in the court at that time.
The king turned to Vishwas. “What’s your opinion?”
“Well, I think water is the most important and significant of the three. It makes both earth and grains purposeful. Without water neither of them is of any use”, said Viswas.
“What do you think?” the king asked Ratnakar next.
“Your majesty, I must look at the things more closely before I give my opinion”, said Ratnakar. He then tasted the water, smelt the earth and ran his fingers through the grains. Then he said: “Your majesty, the hermit’s choice is the suitor who was given the earth”.
Which of the two was right? The king was in a fix. Therefore the king summoned the hermit to the court, the next day. He smiled serenely and said: “True gems are rare. O King! You have one in your court. Recognise it, for the good of the people of your kingdom!” King Martand Dev grasped the indication at once. He smiled back and decided on who would be his adviser.
The Vetal stopped his narration and asked King Vikramaditya. “O King! The hermit seems to have spoken in riddles. Can you tell me whom the king chose as his adviser and why? If you know the answer and still refuse to answer me, your head will explode into smithereens. Therefore, O King, think carefully and give me your answer”.
King Vikramaditya spoke right away. He said: “King Martand Dev was a wise man. The convincing answers of all the three young men to the riddle, left him confused. But being resourceful, he invited the two potential advisers to solve it. Again, when he could not decide which of them was right, he sent for the hermit. He was confident that the hermit, who had chosen the right suitor for the merchant’s daughter, would also choose the right man to be his adviser. The hermit, true to his nature, spoke in riddles again. But this time the king caught the hint in a trice. When the hermit spoke of true gems, he was actually referring to Ratnakar. ‘Ratnakar’, means ‘a good gem’, so there was the answer! King Martand appointed Ratnakar as his adviser. Everyone present in the court had seen the young men and looked at the three shells they carried. But none of them examined the contents carefully except Ratnakar. Superficially, the three things, earth, water and grain, are of equal importance, like the three equally good suitors. But when he examined each element carefully, he found that there was something wrong with the water and the grain. The water was perhaps saline or contaminated, while the grain had some chaff. On the other hand, the earth was clean and smelled sweet. Using that as substantiation, Ratnakar made his remarks confidently. And he was rightly made the king’s adviser”.
Finding King Vikram absolutely right as usual, the Vetal, without another word, flew away with the corpse to the ancient tree. King Vikram drew his sword and went after the Vetal.