11-Learning
One
should learn from others
As Vikramaaditya
was going, Vaitaal said - "Vikram, Listen to another story, so that
we pass time. I tell you the story of Bhadrasen who was the king of
Punyapur. He was very religious and a learned king. As he grew old he
thought "if I have not enjoyed pleasures being a king, then my life
was useless". So he started enjoying beautiful women, so much so that
he forgot his kingdom.
Bhadrasen's
minister Suyash was also very intelligent. He got worried seeing the
king's condition. He tried to explain the king several times but Bhadrasen
was adamant. He didn't listen to him at all. His desires grew so much that he took
even one of his courtier's
wife as his keep. His people were abusing him but Suyash was so
intelligent that people were not able to agitate against the king.
Suyash's
wife was also worried hearing all this. One day she said to her husband -
"For how long we will tolerate this defame. Let us go from here
pretending that we are going for pilgrimage." Suyash agreed at this.
Next day he requested the king to grant him leave for the pilgrimage, and
he left the city with his family.
The
king appointed another minister replacing Suyash, but he himself started conspiring to take the kingdom. One day Suyash got the news that the
people of the kingdom had agitated; the minister, who had replaced him, had taken kingdom, and
expelled the king. Suyash got very sad to hear this, but he didn't return
from the pilgrimage. Suyash had come to Raameshwaram where Raam built the
bridge on sea. Next day when he went to take bath in the sea, he saw a
beautiful woman sitting on a branch of a tree coming out of the sea. Seeing
that woman Suyash got attracted to her, she also smiled at him, and the
tree disappeared in the sea along with the woman.
Suyash
got very surprised to see this, he came back but he could not forget that
woman and he longed for her. Next day he again came at the same spot and
as he came there, that tree again appeared there. The woman sitting on
that tree smiled at him. Suyash could not hold himself any more and jumped into the
sea. He swam to the tree and sat beside the woman. He introduced himself
to the woman, and asked her introduction. She said that she lived in
Paataal Lok, but she liked the people of Prithvi Lok that is why she used
to come here often. She waited for somebody to come there but nobody came there.
She had seen only him and she had liked him.
Suyash
also liked her. She said to him - "Come along with me to Paataal Lok."
Suyash agreed and the tree went into the sea. Thus for how long he stayed
there in Paataal Lok with her, he couldn't know. He didn't remember his wife also. After a while
that Naag woman was fed up with Suyash and she asked him to leave. Suyash
was not ready to go, but she threw him out of the sea forcefully. As he came out of
the sea, he remembered his wife. He came to know that his wife died
waiting for him sitting on the shore of the sea. Suyash got shocked to
hear this. She died many months ago. He went mad.
After
saying this Vaitaal got silent. He spoke again - "Now Vikram, Do
justice. What punishment should be given to that Naag woman for the death
of Suyash?
Vikram
was silent, but he had to do justice, so he said - "Why should that Naag woman be punished?
What is her fault? She is innocent." Vaitaal said - "But she is
responsible for Suyash's condition." Vikram said - "No, Suyash
knew all this, that what is the result of enjoying such pleasures. King
Bhadrasen's kingdom was gone because of this, even he was expelled. Still
Suyash did this? He did not learn from king's mistakes? Listen, Who does not learn from others, he suffers like
that. That is why Suyash himself is responsible for his death, nobody else."
Vikram
got silent after saying this. Vaitaal broke into laughter and ran away
again.
Vikram tried to hold him tightly, but he escaped and hung on the same tree
upside down. Vikram again had to go back to bring him. He said - "You
again ran away?" "No King Vikram, I am coming with
you." and Vaitaal himself came to sit on his shoulder. Vikram again moved
towards the cremation ground.
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