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Vikram and Vaitaal Stories-2
- Story 3 (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]
3-A High
Minded Family - Story of Roopsen and Beerbal
Vaitaal
again started a story - "O king, There lived a great warrior
Raajeshwar in the city of Bardavaan in the kingdom of Roopsen. He was a
very distinguished warrior. Instead of following Braahman, Shaastra etc he
used his own judgments and experience. He acted upon the spur of the
moment. He also paid attention to the handles of sword which were in use
for 1,800 years and were considered perfect for use. I relate you his one
judgment in this regard - he noticed that his master had employed armies
from Northern India. They were old and could not fight properly so
Raajeshwar gave them pension and retired them.
Once
Raajeshwar was sitting in a room that he heard some noise outside the
door, he asked - "Who is at the door and what is this noise?"
The gatekeeper replied - "Some people have come to the rich man's
door and asking for livelihood and wealth. When they gather, they talk on
different topics, that is why this noise is." Raajeshwar got silent,
but in the meantime a soldier named Beerbal came to him for the livelihood.
Raajeshwar asked him to come in.
Beerbal
said - "Sir, I am a very distinguished person for the use of weapons,
that my fame goes to the other end of Bharat-Khand." Raajeshwar was used to
such introductions, so he asked him to show him some sample. Beerbal at
once drew his sword, put forth his left hand extending his forefinger,
waved the blade, and with a stroke he cut the nail and not a drop of blood
appeared on the finger. He knew that he was not an ordinary sword user, so
he employed him. He appointed him near the palace of King Roopsen and asked him
to resume his duty immediately.
He
asked him his salary, so Beerbal said - "Give me 1,000 ounces of gold
daily." Raajeshwar asked astonishingly - "Do you have an army
with you?" "No Sir, I have
only four people - a wife, a son, a daughter and myself." All the people sitting in the court laughed.
Beerbal was dismissed.
So if
you set your price high, people will think that you must be having
something in you. Tell everyone that you are brave, handsome, or clever
and they will begin to believe you, after that it will be difficult to un-convince them. Roopsen thought "why did he ask so much money, what
is his specialty?" Next he thought, "when we are giving him so
much money, some day it will give him its return."
Now,
Beerbal used to divide his money in two portions every morning, one of
which went to Braahman and Purohit; and the remaining money was again
divided into two parts, one of them went to pilgrims, Vishnu's Bhakt and
Sanyaasee etc; and the remaining fourth he used to prepare food for poor.
He ate only what remained. All night he used to watch, if Roopsen woke in
the night and called "Is there anybody?", he replied "Beerbal
is there." Often times Roopsen gave him unusual commands and he used
to carry out at once.
Once,
in night time, the king woke up hearing a loud sound of wailing a woman
and asked as usual, "Is there anybody?" and as usual got the
reply, "Beerbal is there, Sir." He asked him to go and find out about
the woman. Beerbal immediately went away. The king also followed him unseen
quietly in black dress just to see what does he do.
Beerbal
arrived at the scene and saw a woman crying. He was holding a horn in one
hand and a necklace in another. There was not a tear in her eyes, but she was
wailing. Beerbal asked him - "Who are you, why are you wailing like
this?" She said, "I am Raaj Lakshmee. Low class actions (Shoodra)
are done in king's palace, hence some misfortune will certainly fall on
him. He will die in a month time. I have brought much happiness to him,
that is why I weep. Unfortunately my words are not untrue." Beerbal
asked - "Is there a way so that king can live for hundred years to
come?" "Yes, There is. You will find a temple of my sister Devee
about eight miles away from here. If you sacrifice your son with your own
hand to her, then only this calamity can be removed." and that woman
disappeared.
Beerbal
didn't wait for a moment and immediately set off to his house. King also
who had heard all this secretly, followed him. He told everything to his wife. Wise
say that wife is the same who receives her husband with affectionate and
submissive words. Beerbal woke his son and daughter and all proceeded
towards the temple. On the way he said to his wife, "If you give your son
willingly, I will sacrifice my son to Devee for our master's sake."
She
said - "I have no relation except you. Wife is not made only by gifts
to priests, nor by performing religious rites, her virtue is in waiting
upon her husband, in obeying him, in loving him; though he be lame, dumb,
deaf. blind, one eyed, leprous, or humpbacked. It is a true saying that a
son under one's authority, a body free from sickness, a desire to acquire
knowledge, an intelligent friend, and an obedient wife - whoever holds
these five is lucky. While an unwilling servant, a parsimonious king, an
insincere friend, and a wife not under control give troubles."
Then
she said to her son - "By giving you as a gift to God, the king may
live long and the kingdom unshaken." The boy replied - "First I
must obey your command, second it saves the life of master, and third this
body will be of use to God. There is nothing better than this, so make
haste." His sister said - "If a father sells his son, mother
gives poison to her child, and king seizes all the property, where one
should look for protection?"
Thus
talking they came to the temple. There was a large black idol of Devee in
the temple. Beerbal prayed Devee, wished for the long life of the king,
and struck his sword on the neck of his son. He then threw the sword down,
that his daughter took it up and struck it on her neck that it separated
her head from her body. Seeing this their mother also cut her neck, and
seeing all his family dead, Beerbal also killed himself thinking "now
what for I will earn the money?"
The
king was watching all this. He said to himself, "This whole family is
dead just because of me. Such king is a curse on his people for whom a
whole family has to be sacrificed." He took up the sword, and was
about to slay himself, that Devee appeared and held his hand. She then
asked him to ask for any Var. The king asked her that his faithful servant
and his family should be brought to life. Devee immediately brought the
Amrit and sprinkled on their bodies and raised them all as before. All
went away. In due course of time Roopsen divided his throne between
Beerbal and himself."
After
telling this much, Vaitaal further spoke - "Happy are the servants
who do not care for themselves in comparison to their masters; and three
times happier are the master of such servants. I ask you a question,
"Who was the greatest fool among all the five?" Vikram said -
"If you mean that who was the greatest fool of the noblest mind, then
it was Roopsen." "Why?" "Because a servant was bound
to give his life for his master; the son could not disobey his father; the
women instinctively killed themselves; but Roopsen killed himself for his
retainer which was not his duty. That is why I think Roopsen was the most
meritorious."
"Surely,
Vikram." And Vaitaal disappeared from the bundle, even though it was
placed upon the ground. But he was again bundled into the cloth was
carried away by Vikram, so he again started telling another story.
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