2-Three Suitors
One
should regard relationship too
Vikram
again came after him, caught him, put him on his shoulder and started
walking. Vaitaal said - "I pity you, O King, that you are
making untiring efforts, without relaxing, to take down me there as if you wish to achieve
something. However, you will realize the futility of the whole thing if
you listen to my story. So just to pass time, listen to
this story now." Vaitaal started his story and Vikram started
listening.
Vaitaal
said - "There was a city named Dharmsthal on the banks of Yamunaa
River. There lived a Braahman named Keshav, in that city. He was a very
religious and learned Braahman. He had a daughter, her name was
Madhumaalatee. She was very beautiful. When she became of marriageable
age, her parents started looking a suitable match for her.
One
day Keshav went to one of his Yajmaan (customer), and he saw a handsome
Braahman boy sitting there. He was very happy to see that Braahman boy. He
talked to his parents about the marriage of his daughter to their son, they agreed, so he fixed her marriage to him. When
he came home, he was about to tell this to his wife, that she said -
"Our daughter is very lucky that she has got a good husband sitting at home
only. You have heard the name of Tryambak Shaastree, did you?" He
knew him very well. He was a a very learned Pandit and knower of Puraan
etc. The wife said - "I have fixed her marriage with his son."
Keshav
said - "I have also fixed her marriage at one place." and he
told her his own story. In the meantime his son came and told them that he
had also fixed his sister's marriage with a very qualitative boy. In spite
of being agreeing with one another, they could not decide one boy to whom
to marry her. So all the three boys came to their house and claimed to
marry Madhumaalatee. All wanted to marry her because of her beauty. Madhumaalatee
also liked all the three boys, so she was also unable to decide to whom to
marry.
Now, by
chance, Madhumaalatee went out in the courtyard and a black snake bit her.
All the three boys started crying for her. Several people were
called to cure her but she could not be revived and she died. At last she
was cremated. The three boys were very sad. The first boy's name was
Vikram, the second boy's name was Vaaman and the third boy's name was
Madhusoodan.
Vikram
tied her bones in a bundle, kept them with him and started doing Tapasyaa
in a forest. The second one, Vaaman, had stored her ashes and started
living in a hut. He used to cry a lot in her remembrance. The third
one, Madhusoodan started wandering around assuming the guise of a Saadhu.
Once he came to a kingdom in which he stayed in the house of a Taantrik.
Taantrik came very late for his dinner.
The
Taantrik didn't like the food, so he became angry and he threw his son
into the fire. His son died. At this his wife started weeping. Taantrik
got pity on her, so he took out his book of Sanjeevanee Vidyaa, gathered
the ashes and bones of his son and brought him alive. Madhussodan got very
happy to see this. He stole that book and ran away from there. He searched
his other two companions. He met them. Vaaman gave him her ashes and Vikarm
gave him her bones. Madhusoodan took out his book and brought Madhumaalatee
alive.
Now
all three started claiming her as their wife. Madhusoodan said -
"Because I brought the knowledge to revive her, that is why she is
mine." Vaaman claimed that if he had not preserved her ashes, Madhusoodan
could not have brought her alive, that is why Madhumaalatee was his."
Vikram said - "I have given the bones, that is why Madhumaalatee is
mine." Now you tell me whose wife is Madhumaalatee?
Vikram
pondered a little and said - "She was the wife of Vaaman."
"How" "Listen O vaitaal, One has to see the relationship in
this world. Madhusoodan gave her life, that is why he was her father; Vikram
kept her bones, that is why he was like her son; and who has kept her
ashes,
only he can be her husband. That is why Madhumaalatee was the wife of
Vaaman."
The
King had broken his promise by speaking, so, saying "You
are right." Vaitaal ran away laughing loudly from the king's
shoulder and hung upside down from the same tree. The King Vikramaaditya
got worried at this. He took out his sword and
came back to the same place. At the same time a snake appeared there and
changed into a handsome young man. He said to the king - "Excuse me
Raajan." The king asked - "Who are you?" "I am the
wishful snake. I want to save your life. One of those 32 figures in you
throne, Manjaree is my sister. Vaitaal Taantrik is Satan. You should not
involve in this matter. You may lose your life too."
The
king got silent. That young man spoke again - "I just came to tell
you the same only." And that young man went away again changing
himself into a
snake. The king stood silently for a while, but he was not going to accept
defeat. He considered to follow Dharm as his duty - to fulfill his promise
made to that Yogee. So he again went back to the tree, lifted that Vaitaal,
put him on his shoulder, and started walking again. The king was
holding him tightly and was walking fast.
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