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Vikram and Vaitaal Stories-2
- Story 10 (Keral
Version)
"Captain
Sir Richard R Burton's Vikram and the
Vampire: classic Hindu tales of
adventure, magic and romance" / edited by his wife Isabel Burton. [etext
Conversion Project, Nalanda Digital Library, NIT Calicut, Kerala State,
India]
10-Three
Delicate Queens
Vaitaal
started his new story - (Notes 168) "There is a Vardhmaan named city in Gaur (Bangaal)
country. Its king's name was Gunashekhar, and his minister's name was
Abhaya Chand Jain by whose teachings the King also adopted Jain faith. The
worship of Shiv, Vishnu, gifts of rice balls, cows, gaming, spirit
drinking all was prohibited in his kingdom. Nobody could throw bones in Gangaa. The King
punished and banished such people on committing such crimes.
One
day the minister said to the King about the religion - "Whosoever
kills another, he is also killed in his next life. This very sin
causes one to be born again and again on Earth. By love, by wrath, by
pain, by desire Brahmaa, Vishnu, Mahaadev always incarnate on this Earth.
Far better then them is cow who is free from passion, enmity, anger,
affection etc, and whose progeny eases the people in many ways. These
Devtaa and Muni also believe in cow. For such reason believing in Devtaa
is not good, a cow can also be believed in. It is our duty to protect all
living beings." Saying such things the minister converted the King to
Jain faith. The King did the same what the minister had said to him. So
Braahman, Jogee, Janganee, Sanyaasee (Notes 172)
- nobody believed in anything else and the rule carried on.
After
some time Gunashekhar died and his son Dharmdhwaj sat on his throne. He seized
his minister Abhaya Chand, had his head shaved leaving seven locks of hair,
ordered to blacken his face, taken around the city mounting on an ass and
banished him from his kingdom. Since then he ruled without any anxiety.
One
day Dharmdhwaj went to his garden with his queens to take a stroll. Many
beautiful lotus flowers were blooming in a large pond there, so he entered
the pond to take bath in it. He plucked a flower from the pond and gave it
to his queen, but by mistake it slipped off from his hand and fell on her foot.
It broke her foot. So immediately he came out of the pond and tried to
apply some remedies on it.
Then
the night fell and the Moon started shining upon the sky. Its rays fell on
his second queen's body, they formed blisters on her body. Suddenly a very
light sound of wooden pestle came from a far place, and his third
queen fainted with a severe pain in her head."
After
talking this much Vaitaal asked Vikram - "Among the three, who was
the most delicate queen of the King Dharmdhwaj? Vikram said -
"Certainly the third queen who fainted hearing pestle's sound, was
the most delicate queen of the King." Hearing this Vaitaal again ran
away and hung from the same tree. Vikram again followed him, tied him in a
bundle, put him on his shoulder and carried him away to his destination.
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