Vikram and Vaitaal Stories-2
- Story 11 (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]
11-The Last
Story Which Puzzled the King
Vaitaal
spoke - "O King Vikram, There is a queer time coming. Braahman will
disgrace themselves by becoming soldiers and thus being killed; Shoodra
will wear Yagyopaveet; in fact the whole society will be of mixed castes.
Wars will last for six weeks and their causes will be forgotten soon;
there will be no Gems of Science. People will shave their beards instead
of their heads. They will never offer Tarpan to their ancestors. They will
quarrel about their faith. Their tempers will be fierce. These outcast
people will be ruled by women chiefs, they will prostrate in front of such
women who cannot even kill one head. They will dance for themselves holding
hands of strange women. Women will eat with their husbands and with other
men, and yawn and sit carelessly before them showing the backs of their
heads.
The
women will not allow their husbands to have more than one wife, and even
that
single wife will not be available when her husband will need her services, being
busy in collecting wealth, in ceremonial purification and feminine duty,
in preparation of daily food etc etc. What Raam said of Seetaa - "If I
chanced to be angry, she would bear my impatience like Mother Earth
without murmur; in the hour of necessity, she would cherish me like a
mother cherishes her child; in the moments of repose, she would be a lover
to me; and in times of happiness, she would be my friend." And it is
said - "A religious wife assists her husband in worship; she gives
her all mind to make him happy; she is as faithful to him as a shadow to
the body; she esteems him whether rich or poor, good or bad, handsome or
deformed; in his absence or sickness she renounces all gratifications; and
at his death she dies with him."
But
these women will talk aloud and make the house a scene of variance, they
will have no fear of losing their noses or ears, they will hold other
men's hands, accept presents from them; and the worst of all they will
show their white faces openly without the least sense of shame. They will
dance and sing instead of taking care of their children. And do you think
that they will be satisfied by this only? No, the more they will have
the more they will desire.
There
will be a white race of people who will lead their women into every kind
of temptation and when any accident will occur they will blame them only,
they will go to magistrate, and make all evil as public as possible. When all this
change will be over, they will be restless, take flight and fall in
Aryaavart (India) like locusts. Starving in their own country they will
find ample food here to eat and to carry away also. They will be as
selfish as crows.
In the
beginning they will hire a shop near the mouth of Gangaa River and they
will sell lead and bullion, fine and course woolen cloth and all the
materials of intoxication. Then they will become soldiers from
shopkeepers, they will beat and be beaten. At last they will spread like a
host of ants all over the land."
Vikram
was in a silent mood otherwise he would not have allowed him to speak all
this ill-omened discourse to pass uninterrupted. He did not speak,
Vaitaal continued - "Those days will be very bad for the kings of
India, when the red-coated men of Shak will be amongst them. Now listen to
me.
The Story
There
will be a city named Dharmpur in Vindhya mountains whose king will be
Mahaabal. He will be well skilled in art of war. He will duly regard
omens. He will encourage his men for single combats. He will promise
Heaven to those who will die in battle. Honors will be offered to those
who never turn their backs in the war. but King Mahaabal will be attacked
by white people who will employ gold, fire and steel against him. They
will use the terrible fire weapons and bullets as big as hurled by the bow
of Bharat. (Notes 185) Mahaabal will
march out of the city to meet him. In front of him will be flags on which
Garud bird, bull of Shiv, Hanumaan, the lion, the tiger, seven palm trees
etc.
The
white outcastes will come in a red thin line spitting fire like a
Jwaalaamukhee. (Notes 187) King Mahaabal
will receive them with his troops formed in circle, another in the shape
of half-moon, another in the shape of cloud, another in the form of lion,
tiger, carriage etc. But as the white will spit fire, elephants will
return killing their own people. Mahaabal will enter his palanquin and
will run away to the forest along with his wife and only daughter. For
some time they will live on jungle food and maybe on games too.
After
a while they will come to a village where Bheel will be living. They will
ask the King to throw his arms, but the King will shoot his arrows so fast
that none of the Bheel will be able to come to him. But he will have
failed to bring his inexhaustible quiver. This conflict will continue for
three hours. At length an arrow will hit the King's head and he will fall
dead. Seeing the King dead, his wife and daughter will run away towards
forest. Thus they will escape the Bheel. Then they will sit after four
miles of journeying and will think about many things. They are beautiful,
but the forest is dark, dense, fearful. They don't want to be touched by
Bheel so they will rise and start walking again.
By
chance two white people, a father and his son, with their party will be
searching for more people and to slay them all. That they will see
footprints going towards the forest and will identify them of women. They
will be surprised on their discovery. The father will say - "How come
that these human footprints are in this forest?" The son will say -
"These are of women, a man's footprint cannot be so small. And see
this print, this looks like a married woman's footprint. See how she
treads on the inside of her soul because of the bending of her
ankles."
The
father will say - "Come, Let us look for the women. And look at this other
footprint, it is much longer. The toes have scarcely touched the ground,
whereas the marks of her heel are deep." Son will say - "Then
let us look for them and when we find them, you give me the one who has
shorter feet and take the other one yourself." Deciding like this
they will, at last, find the women lying on ground half dead with fear and
fatigue. Each tackles his prize on his horse back to their tents. The son
takes the queen and the father takes the princess. They both marry their
women and in due time the father is blessed by a son and the son is
blessed by a daughter."
After
telling this story Vaitaak asked Vikram - "Now tell me O Vikram, What
relationship will be between these two newborn children?" Vikram
pondered and pondered but could not speak. Vaitaal was impatient to hear
the answer, but Vikram was still silent. In the meantime Vaitaal said -
"In the meantime wouldn't you like to hear another story?"
Vikram was walking fast. He saw the fire burning at a distance, so he
hurriedly proceeded towards it.
Vaitaal
did not leave the hope, he said - "Perhaps the young king can reply
my question." but Dharmdhwaj also wouldn't reply at all. Vaitaal again
spoke - "May I know that why didn't you reply my question? Is it
because of your complete ignorance or because of your inability? I suspect
the latter one is correct." Vikram kept silence squeezing his lips
tightly.
Vaitaal
Saves Vikram
Vaitaal
continued - "Now I will fulfill my original promise, now you will
derive that benefit from me which nobody can bestow you except me. But
first would you let me have a little fresh air?" Dharmdhwaj pulled his
father's sleeve but Vikram didn't pay any attention to it, nor he spoke a
single word. Vaitaal again spoke - "Now you listen to what I
have to tell you. Remember this saying, "A man is justified in
killing one who has a design to kill him."
The
young merchant Maldev who placed costly gifts at your royal feet; and
Shaantaa-Shil who is working on his spells, incantations and magical rites in a
cemetery on the banks of Godaavaree, are the same person - the same terrible Jogee,
whose wrath your father aroused in his foolishness and whose revenge
your blood alone can satisfy . I am the oilman's son. That Jogee, fearing
from me, lest I interfere with his projects, slew me by the power of his
penance, and had suspended me downward - as a trap for you.
That
Jogee who has sent you to fetch me, will thank you for bringing me to him and
cast on to his feet. I warn you to beware. He will take you to the temple of
Durgaa and after he had finished your praise, he will ask you to do Sa-Ashtaang
Pranaam to him." Then Vaitaal whispered something in Vikram's ears.
Then a rustling sound was heard - Vaitaal was disengaging himself from his dead
body tied in the bundle and Vikram felt the burden of the bag very light. He
bade farewell to the King and his son and went away.
The
King proceeded towards the Jogee. He was beating a skull like a drum. He
was surrounded by various kinds of spirits. The King approached the Jogee,
untied his bundle, and took out the corpse. Shaantaa-Shil's eyes glittered
in dark. He thanked Vikram to bring it there. He repeated certain charms
facing south. Then he sacrificed the human flesh untouched by steel to
Devee along with other things. He then filled the skull with burning
ambers and motioned the King and his son to follow him to Durgaa Temple -
the Shamshaan Kaalee. King saw that her idol was standing with one leg on the chest of
his husband Shiv and the other one on his thigh.
The
Jogee kept the skull in front of her, and took out a sword from his
clothes and murmered - "Prosperity to shrine and your son for ever and ever."
and he muttered some prayer. Then he said to Vikram - "See, The Sun
is now about to rise and our work is soon going to finish. Pay your respects
before this deity by doing Sa-Astaang Pranaam. This will spread your
glory. The Eight Powers (8 Siddhi) and Nine Treasures (9 Nidhi) will be
yours."
Vikram
suddenly remembered Vaitaal's warning. He brought his joined hands to
touch his forehead, touched his eyebrows with both thumbs several times
and replied with great humility - "O pious person, I am ignorant of
the ways to do such rites. You are a spiritual teacher, please teach me
how to do it, then I will do it." The cunning Jogee had fallen in his
trap. As he bent down to salute Devee, Vikram immediately drew his sword
and cut his neck. At the same time Dharmdhwaj pulled his father to escape
from the fall of the idol which fell with a loud sound.
At the
same time a small thin voice was heard - "A man is justified in
killing one who has a design to kill him." Then the glad sounds of
triumph and victory were heard from all around. Indra himself came there
to shower the flowers on Vikram and asked him to ask for a boon. Vikram
said - "Let my this history be famous throughout the world."
Indra said - "It is well. As long as the Sun and the Mon will
shine upon the Earth your adventure will also be remembered over the
Earth. Meanwhile you rule the mankind."
Vikram
took the two corpses and threw them in the ditch. At once two heroes
started their new life. Vikram said to them - "When I call you, then
you come." Vikram returned to his palace with his son.
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