13th Figure's Story - 13-Keertimatee
The Greatest Donor

As Raajaa Bhoj tried to sit on the throne again, this time the 13th figure whose name was Keertimatee burst into laughter and asked him - "Do you still think you are the right person to sit upon this throne?" Raajaa Bhoj again said with courage - "Yes." She said - "First listen to this story and then decide if you can sit on this throne. Listen, Once Raajaa Vikram organized a great feast. He invited many Pandit, learned people, Braahman, traders etc for that feast. During the feast people had a discussion about "Who is the greatest donor?" Everybody declared Vikramaaditya the greatest donor.

Vikram was watching all people's faces. He noticed that one Braahman was silent and did not agree with this declaration. Raajaa asked his opinion, he said - "Who will listen to me if my opinion will be different from others?" Raajaa insisted him to tell what was on his mind. He told that he was in a fix. If he told the lie, he was attached to sin; if he spoke the truth he will have to face the anger of the King.

Raajaa got curious to hear what he wanted to tell, so he again insisted him to tell the truth without any fear. Then he said - "This is true that Vikramaaditya is a great donor, but he is not the greatest donor." Everybody got stunned to hear this, they asked - "Is it possible?" The Braahman told that there was a kingdom across the sea, its King Keertidhwaj does not take food or water until he donates 100,000 gold coins everyday. If somebody could prove it a lie, then that Braahman was ready for any punishment. Raajaa's huge dining room fell in the state of pin-drop silence. Braahman further told that he himself was in Keertidhwaj's kingdom and went to take those coins. Raajaa got very pleased hearing his truthfulness, he bade him farewell with lots Daan and Dakshinaa.

After the Braahman had left, he changed his guise to an ordinary man and remembered his two Vaitaal. When they appeared, he asked them to take him to Keertidhwaj's kingdom. They took him to his kingdom instantly. He went to the gate of Keertidhwaj's palace and introduced himself as an ordinary citizen of Ujjayinee and expressed his desire to meet the King. When the King came to meet him, he requested to give him some job in his kingdom. The King asked him what he could do, Vikram told him that whatever nobody could do, he could do that work. Raajaa Keertidhwaj liked his reply and gave him a job of the gatekeeper.

During his working period he found that the Braahman was speaking the truth. The King did not take food or water until he donated 100,000 gold coins everyday. He also noticed that the King used to go somewhere in the evening, and when he came back he had a bag full of 100,000 gold coins.

One day he followed him. He saw that Keertidhwaj took bath in the sea and went in a temple. There he worshipped an idol and jumped in a frying pan filled with boiled oil. His whole body burnt immediately. Some Yoginee came there and ate his burnt body to their satisfaction and went away. After they had left, a Devee appeared from the idol. She sprinkled Amrit drops on the King's body and made him alive. Then she dropped gold coins in his bag, and Keertidhwaj went home happily. Next morning he donated the same gold coins to beggars. Now he understood the secret of donating 100,000 gold coins.

Next day when Keertidhwaj went away after taking the gold coins, he also took bath in the sea, worshipped Devee, and jumped in the frying pan of boiling oil. When Yoginee went away after eating his burnt body, Devee came out of the idol and made him live sprinkling Amrit drops over his body. She gave him the gold coins, but he refused to take the coins saying  that her blessings were enough for him. Devee insisted him to take that bag again, but he refused to take that bag again saying the same thing. This he did six times.

Seventh time Devee asked him to ask for anything he wished for. Then Vikram asked for the bag from which those coins came out. As soon as Devee gave him the bag, a miracle happened. The temple, idol everything disappeared. Now he could see the sea as far as he could see.

When next day Keertidhwaj came there, he got very disappointed not to see the temple and idol. His routine of donating gold coins was broken. He went back to his palace and lay down in his room without taking food and drink. He got weak and his condition got worse day by day. Seeing this Vikram went to him and asked the reason of his sickness. He told him the whole story. Vikram told him that he got moved seeing him dying daily for gold coins, that is why he himself got that bag from Devee.

He gave that bag to the King and thus maintained his promise which he made to the King at the time he took the job with him. He did that work for him which nobody could do for him. Then he gave his real introduction. The King got very happy to meet him and told that he was the greatest donor in the world, because he had donated him that thing which he obtained after taking so much trouble, as if it was a very ordinary thing for him.