वेतालपच वंश तः TWENTY-FIVE STORIES TOLD BY ‘VETAALA’ TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL SANSKRIT TEXT BY Narayanalakshmi 1 VETAALAPANCHAVIMSHATI INTRODUCTION These stories are a part of the ‘Kathgaa-Sarit-Saagara’ of Somadeva. Vikramaaditya (Sun among valorous men) was a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India, famed for his wisdom, valor and magnanimity. The term ‘Vetaala’ means ‘a spirit’ acting through a dead body; not exactly a vampire. ‘Vetaala-Panchavimshati’ is a collection of twenty five stories related by the spirit to the king. A great Yogi with his Yogic power enters a corpse and tells these stories to the king. World is a collision-network filled with so many varieties of relations, passions, desires, philosophies, gods, demons and what not. Strange situations rise up in life making us wonder what is right and what is wrong. The Great Yogi presents the king such varied situations in twenty four stories and asks him to analyze the right or wrong of situations. The king answers all the questions based on Dharma. In the last and twenty fifth one, the Yogi purposely presents an impossible situation, which has no answer proper and thus ends the king’s torment and bestows on him the emperorship of Vidyaadharas. OM 2 KING TRIVIKRAMASENA On the bank of River Godavari, there is a country named ‘Pratishtaana’. Son of VikramaSena named ‘TrivikramaSena’ a celebrated king equaling Indra in valor ruled that country. When the king attended the court, a Buddhist mendicant (Bhikshu) named ShaantiSheela daily visited the king and offered him a fruit. The king just took the fruit and handed it over to the treasurer who was standing next to him. In this manner, twelve years passed. One day the mendicant as usual gave the fruit to the king and left the court premises. On that day, the king gave that fruit to a ‘performing monkey cub’ which had escaped from its guardian and had entered the court by chance. The moment the monkey ate it, a priceless excellent precious stone fell out of the bitten fruit. The king saw that and questioned the treasurer- “Where have you kept the fruits offered by the mendicant which I handed over to you daily?’ The treasurer answered with fear- “Lord! I threw all the fruits out of the window. If permitted, I will go and search for them.” He went out permitted by the king and returned within some seconds and said- “Lord! I found a heap of rotten fruits and countless precious stones shining in their midst.” The king ordered the gems to be placed in the treasury. Next day, when the mendicant came, the king said to him- “Hey Bhikshu! Why do you serve me like this spending so much wealth? If you do not tell me the reason for your action, I will not accept any more fruit from you.” The mendicant took the king to an isolated place and said- “O Brave one! There is some achievement that can be completed only with the help of a courageous king like you.” The king agreed to help. The mendicant was happy and said to the king again- 3 “Lord! You should meet me in the large cremation ground, under the fig tree, on the forthcoming fourteenth night of the dark half of the lunar month.” The king promised to meet him as requested and the mendicant ShaantiSheela returned to his monastery happily. On the fourteenth day of the dark half of the lunar month the honorable king remembered the request of the mendicant; wore a blue turban on his head; held a sword in his hand; and went to the cremation ground at night-fall. He searched for the mendicant here and there in that cremation ground; found him sitting under a fig tree reciting some chants. He approached him and said- “Bhikshu! I have come as I promised! What do you want me to do now? Tell me!” The Bhikshu saw the king; was very happy and said- “King! If you want to please me, go in the southern direction alone towards that Shimshapaa tree at a distance; bring me the corpse hanging there; and thus help me.” The king who never broke any promise he ever made, heard his words; said “So be it” ; and walked in the southern direction. After he walked in that cremation ground alone like this for some distance, he saw a Shimshapaa tree and a corpse hanging from that tree. He climbed the tree; cut the rope tied to the corpse; and made it fall on the ground. The moment the corpse touched the ground; it cried loudly as if it had become alive. Then the king climbed down the tree; wondered if the person was alive; and touched it moved by kindness. Immediately the corpse laughed uproariously. The king then understood the corpse to be possessed by a spirit (Vetaala) and said without fear – “What are you laughing for? Come on, let us go”. Before he finished his words he saw the corpse had vanished from the ground. He looked up and found that the corpse was hanging from the tree as before. Again the king climbed up the tree; brought down the corpse with great effort; placed it on his shoulder and started walking silently. वीराणां च तं व ादप अखिडतं अकयं || The minds of the brave ones are harder than the diamond and never tremble in fear. 4 STORY ONE As the king kept walking, the spirit staying in that corpse (Vetaala) said to the king- “King! To entertain you on your journey, let me tell you a story! Listen!” There is a city named Vaaraanasee, where resides Lord Shiva. Meritorious people visit the place as if it is the Kailaasa, the abode of Shiva. The heavenly river Ganges surrounds it like a pearl garland. A king named PrataapaMukuta (one who has valor as his crown) lived there, who had destroyed the forest of enemies by the blazing fire of his valor. He had a son named VajraMukuta (one who wears a diamond crown) who equaled Manmatha, the god of love in beauty and subdued the arrogance of others by his bravery. He had a friend named MahaaMati (one of great intelligence) who was the son of the minister. Once the prince and his friend went to the forest to enjoy the hunting-sport and had journeyed far into the forest. As they moved in a slow pace slicing away the manes of the lion-heads which were like the chowries fanning the Goddess of valor, they reached a very huge forest. They found a lake there; quenched their thirst with the water; washed their hands and feet; sat under a tree growing on the bank of the lake. At that time they saw a young girl coming toward that lake to bathe in its cool waters. She was extremely beautiful; was wearing finely made clothes; was filling the lake as it were by the flowing waters of her charm; was producing lotuses there as it were by her looks; making the lotuses feel ashamed by the beauty of her face shining brighter than the moon. She stole the mind of the prince the moment she was seen by him. That prince also pulled her eyes towards him instantly. The girl was infatuated by the handsome prince. Yet she could not speak her mind out to him, overcome by shyness. But she communicated her feelings to him through some gestures. She took a lotus and placed it on her ear. Then she bared her teeth. She then placed the lotus on her head and touched her chest. The prince could not understand the meaning of her gestures; but the minister’s son who was very intelligent understood what she communicated through her gestures. Within few moments, her companions came and took her away. She went home and lay down on her bed. Her mind was lost in thoughts about the handsome prince she had seen in the forest. The prince also was deeply in love with her; went home somehow with the help of his friend; pined for her company and emaciated. 5 The minister’s son observed his distressed state of the mind and consoled him saying that the girl was easily attainable. The prince who had lost all hopes of ever seeing her said- “Friend! The name or village or the family of that girl is not known at all. How can I see her again? Why do you raise hope in me wastefully?” The minister’s son said- “Lord! Did you not observe what she communicated through her gestures? When she placed the lotus (Utpala) on her ear (Karna), she meant- ‘I reside in the country ruled by King Karnotpala.’ When she bared her teeth, she meant –‘I am the daughter of a dentist.’ When she placed the lotus on her head, she meant –‘My name is Padmaavati’. When she placed her hand on the chest, she meant- ‘My lives are with you’. There is a king named Karnotpala who rules the KalingaDesha (Kalinga Country). A dentist named ‘SangraamaVardhana’ lives there. He is very much favored by the king and is a very prosperous and rich man. This girl Padmaavati, a gem among women is his daughter who is dearer to him than his lives. I have found out all this through some men. That is how I was able to understand the meaning of her gestures.” The prince was immensely happy when he heard the words of his friend and praised him for his intelligence. He now knew how to get the girl of his heart.