Vikram and Vaitaal Stories-2
- Introduction-2 (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]
The
first edition of this
book was published in 1870. This book lists 11 stories including the
last story which puzzled the King Vikramaaditya. He has given a good
introduction to the stories of Vikram and Vaitaal. A short description of
that introduction is given here --
1. Who
was King Vikramaaditya
2.
Bharatrahari's Rule
3.
Vikramaaditya Returns
4.
Vikramaaditya Meets Vaitaal
How
Bharatrahari Became the Regent of Ujjayinee?
Once
Vikramaaditya thought that he should go to some other places, mainly for spying. So
he gave his kingdom to his younger brother Bharatrahari, and he assuming
the guise of a Saadhu, took his second son Dharmdhwaj and started going city
to city. The regent was in a melancholic mood because he had lost his dear
wife in youth. Once he went out for hunting and came to pass a funeral
pyre where a woman was becoming Satee. He told this incident to his wife
Seetaa Raanee, she immediately said that "Yes, All virtuous women die
with their husbands."
He
also performed his kingly duties like his brother. He was distinguished by
an umbrella of peacock feathers. Thus he was passing his life abstaining
from what he wanted to do. He began to pride himself. He had become a
quietist and a philosopher. He limited himself only to Nine Gems and
Braahman. He placed a man of his own to take care of the war. His name was
Maheepaal. He was very intelligent and very handsome.
His
youngest wife Dangalah Raanee was extremely beautiful. He became the slave
of her beauty. He loved her so much that his love started troubling her.
Consequently, the queen fell to Maheepaal. All three were happy but
since the foundation was wrong, this happiness soon changed into sorrow.
Bharatrahari
Receives the Fruit
There
lived a Braahman in Ujjayinee city (Notes 24) along with his wife, just in the vicinity of
the palace. They were passing their life with great austerity. After a
while they got a reward - the fruit of the Kalp Vriksh. Whosoever would
eat it would become immortal. As the God disappeared, the Braahman opened
his mouth to eat it, that his wife said - "What we will do of this
immortality living in this poverty? Dying is a passing pain, while living in poverty
is an eternal pain. Let us die instead of living in poverty for ever.
"
The
Braahman's mouth remained open and his eyes got fixed on that fruit. When
he gathered himself, he said to his wife - "You are right. You have
opened my eyes. I will do what you say." She resumed - "If this
fruit had restored your old age, I would not have told you this."
Braahman was about to throw that fruit into the fire, that she snatched
the fruit from his hand and said - "This is too precious to throw
into fire. Take this fruit to the Regent, give it to him and you will get
a huge sum of money which we can use for our good."
Braahman
went to the court, presented the fruit to the Regent telling its qualities
and said - "Take this fruit and give me some money. I will be happy
to live in your long lived kingdom." Bharatrahari took him to his
inner cell where stood heaps of gold. He asked him to carry as much as he
could. The Braahman took as much gold as he could and went away. The
Regent went to his dearest wife, Bangaalaa Raanee, and gave her that fruit
to eat so that she will be young and beautiful forever. The queen said -
"Eat it yourself or let both of us eat this fruit together then we
can enjoy more." But the Regent went away saying that it meant only
for one person.
After
the Regent had gone, she called Maheepaal and gave that fruit to him.
Maheepaal met Lakhaa, a maid of honor, and told her the wonderful power of
that fruit, and gave it to her. She thought that that fruit was worthy for
the Regent, in the absence of the king, so she presented that fruit to Bharatrahari.
The Regent accepted that fruit and dismissed her with many thanks.
His
eyes filled with tears as he saw the fruit. (Notes
28) He sighed and groaned
with grief. He understood the delusion of wealth and love. He decided to
abandon the world. But before leaving, he could not refrain seeing his
queen once more. He went to the palace of his queen, and asked her,
"What happened to the fruit I gave to you?" She innocently said
- "I have eaten it." Then he showed that fruit to her and said -
"But that fruit is here, with me." The queen stood aghast unable
to speak anything.
The
Regent gave the orders to kill her, washed the fruit, ate it, and quitted
the throne to become a Yogee without saying a word to anyone. Some say
that he is still wandering in the forests, while some say that he has been
absorbed by God Himself.
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