Vikram and Vaitaal Stories-2
- Story 5 (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]
5-A Thief
Who Laughed and Wept
Vaitaal
said - "Your
Majesty, There is a country named Malaya on the western coast of Bhaarat
and in which there a city named Chandrodaya whose king's name was Randheer.
This king, in his youth, was a Sarv-raashi - means he ate, drank and
listened to music, looked at dancers much more than studied, prayed, or
sat with wise men. But after the age of 30, he became a good king. One of
his many officers was Gunashankar who was very honest and just. He was
very kind and helpful and never used to speak any rough or harsh language.
All the people of that country loved that magistrate.
But in
spite of his efforts he could not stop thefts occurring in his kingdom. At
last the people who suffered most came to him and said - "We cannot
live in this city any more, we are very troubled." Gunashankar
assured them that he will surely take care of the thieves and they should
not worry at all. He immediately increased people on vigilance and issued
orders to slay any person found stealing anything without asking any
question.
Many
people were on the guard the whole night but the thefts didn't decrease.
The merchants came again to the magistrate and said - "You increased
the people on watch, changed the guards, but still the thieves have not
been caught." He took them to the King himself and made them to
request to him. The King said - "Today I will set a new plan and by
the grace of God, you will never have to be worried any more."
In the
night, the King changed his guise like a thief and without saying anything to his
people in the palace he went out to the streets alone. After an hour, as
he was passing b a merchant's house he met, appeared to be a homeless dog
lying beside the wall. As he approached him, a human figure leaped over
him and asked him, "Who are you?" The king replied, "I am a
thief, who are you?" "Oh, I am also a thief, let us join."
Both started working on a theft. The gang seemed to swarm the street. They
were carrying out all the four modes of breeching the house - (1) picking out
the burning sticks, (2) cutting through unbaked ones, (3) throwing water
on the mud wall, (4) boring through one of wood.
When
the thief had filled the bag with valuables, he told the King to go there
where his mates were waiting for him. The King had made up his mind to hunt out
their den. On the way the thief taught his new companion to blow whistle,
to make signs peculiar to the gang and told him that he would smack the
lit that night. Thus saying to the King, he rapped twice at the city gate.
The gate immediately opened and they went to a rock about two Kos away
from the gate. Before entering the dark forest, the robber whistled twice.
After a few minutes the signal was answered by a hooting of the owl and
the robber answered it by a shriek of jackal.
At
this about half a dozen people rose from the grass. One of them came
forward to the newcomers to receive the signal. It was given and the guard
sank in the bowels of the earth. Both went in. Randheer was carefully
noticing everything, even the things that lay on the road. When he entered
the forest, he scratched all the tree trunks which were within his reach.
They came to a straight rock on which there were marks of vermilion pasted
hands.
The robber removed some grass from the ground and lifted a trap door.
They
descended in that hole with their bag of valuables. All kinds of things
were scattered there. There were all kinds of weapons also. It was full of
thieves, they were washing their hands etc, changing their clothes and
getting prepared for the enjoyment. As expected, the King had found his own people
there. They all sat down and started eating and drinking.
At the
same time, a maid came there and she recognized the King, she exclaimed -
"O King, How come that you are here with these wicked men. Better you
go from here as soon as possible otherwise they will kill you as soon as
they are awake." "But I don't know the way to go out." The
woman showed him the way, and he went out the same way as he came, by
climbing the ladder, opening up the trap door... When he was going away from
that place he again marked the trap door location and came back to his
palace.
He
had hardly changed his guise to his royal guise that he heard another
group of people complaining about their losses. He dismissed them saying
that either he would die himself, or destroy them before anything new
happens. He warned his secret service to be ready, and as his own people
returned from the den, he ordered to kill them. He now waited for the
night when they would come back to their den. Then he himself led them to
that rock.
But
after the disappearance of their new companion, those robbers got alert,
but they could not run in the daytime as they feared to be caught, and
they could not run in the night as they would be caught next morning.
Their leader suggested them to fight instead of running away. So they
became alert with their weapons. King was also proceeding carelessly
towards the cave. As the thieves were carefully alert, they attacked
king's soldiers suddenly and drove them back in confusion.
King
also ran away. Seeing them running away, the chief of the thieves shouted - "You are a Kshatriya and you are running away?"
Hearing this king stopped and both started fighting together. Once he
tried to hit the thief's leg, but he saved himself. But then he slipped
his foot and he fell down and the king brought him tied in his palace. He
was condemned for crucifixion. Melting gold was to be poured down in his
throat till his body had burst out. He was given all kinds of comfort till
his death.
Next
day he was taken around the city riding on a camel. By chance this
procession passed by a palace of a rich man of the city who had a daughter
named Shobhanee. She was very beautiful. She was never allowed to go out
of the high walls of the garden, because her nurse had given the warning
to her parents at the time of her death, that Shobhanee would be Satee-widow
before becoming a wife.
But
her fate was like that. It can strike anyone hiding even under seven
layers. Nothing could stop her. As the procession was going from that
palace, a fire broke out in the apartment of the women and all women ran
away towards the street. All heard the voices - "This is the thief
who has been robbing the city and noe he he is condemned to
crucifixion."
The
robber was very handsome, brave, and courage. As Shobhanee came out, she
saw him from very near. He made her quiver like a flash of lightning,
mesmerized her with his beauty and bravery, she ran away to her father saying
"Please, Father, save him this moment." "But my child, he
is a thief. He is caught after a long search." How can the King would
release him on my request?" "You must get him released, otherwise I
will not live."
He
went to the king and offered him 400,000 Rupees to release him but the
king bluntly refused him saying "He has been robbing so many
people for quite some time, how can I release him?" He came back to
his daughter and said to her - "I have done my best but the king is
not ready, so we die."
In the
meantime, the procession had reached the cross. The executioners have
begun their work - nailing him on the cross. The thief could tolerate the
agony of his pain, but when he had heard what the rich man's daughter has
done, he wept bitterly. But surprising after a moment he laughed heartily.
All were startled at his laugh. No one could see any reason for it. When
he died, Shobhanee who was married to him in the spirit, said -
"There are 35 million hairs on one's body. Who ascends the pyre of
her husband remains in the Heaven for the same number of years. No other
duty is more virtuous than this for a woman at the time of her husband's
death."
Thus
beautiful Shobhanee resolved to burn herself with he thief. She threw her
finger into the flame of the torch till it became cinder and she solemnly
bathed in the nearest stream. The pyre was prepared, the thief's body was
kept on the pyre. She then gave away all her ornaments to her friends,
tied cotton thread around her both wrists, tied some rice and cowrie-shells
in the end of her body cloth These she gave to the bystanders while
walking seven times around the pyre. She then ascended the pyre, put the
thief's head in her lap and ordered to ignite the fire to the pyre. She
was seen unmoved. Seeing his daughter burning herself like this her father
also beheaded himself."
Vaitaal
got silent after telling this. Dharmdhwaj asked his father - "Father,
Why did he laugh?" Vikram replied thoughtlessly - "At the girl's
foolishness." Vaitaal cried - "I am once more indebted to
Majesty for releasing me from this unpleasant position. But before going I
will explain to your royal son and the heir that why the thief wept first and
then laughed. He wept, because she could not save him even after giving up
everything for his sake; and he laughed because the Heavens gave him such
a treasure that he could not use it, could not protect it.
Before
returning to my tree, in virtue of your unintelligent reply, I may remark
that men laugh and cry, or cry and laugh about anything in this world from
their neighbor's death their own personal matter. For example I laugh at
everything because it animates the brain, stimulates the lungs. Now Good
Bye King Vikram." And Vaitaal escaped from his grip. As Vikram got
him again, he heard a voice again behind him.
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