वेतालपञ्चविंशतिः
TWENTY-FIVE STORIES
TOLD BY ‘VETAALA’
TRANSLATION
FROM THE ORIGINAL SANSKRIT TEXT
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
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
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-
“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 चित्तं वज्रादपि अखण्डितं अकम्प्यं ||
The minds of the brave ones are harder
than the diamond
and never tremble in fear.
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.
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.
He consulted his friend and decided to go again to that lake in
search of that girl.
He and his friend again started on their journey to the very same
forest on the pretext of hunting animals.
When they had crossed half the distance, both he and his friend
left the soldiers and other friends far behind and riding horses which ran with
the speed of the wind, reached KalingaDesha. They then reached the city where
the King Karnotpala lived; searched for the mansion of the dentist; found an
old woman’s hut nearby and decided to stay there for the time being. They fed
grass and water to the horses; hid them out of sight and entered the house of
the old woman.
The minister’s son asked the old lady-
“Old lady! Do you know anyone who attends to dental structures in
this place?”
The old lady welcomed them inside with affection and said-
“Son! Of course I know him. I work there only. I have been
appointed by him to serve his daughter Padmaavati. But today I did
not go there because my saree has been stolen away. My wicked son steals away
any good cloth that is seen by him.”
The minister’s son gave her the garment that covered his
upper body (Uttareeya) and made her happy.
Again he said-
“Mother! Whatever we tell you do it secretly. Go to Padmaavati,
the dentist’s daughter and tell her -
‘The prince whom you saw on the lakeside has come here now. He
requested me to meet you because of his love.’”
The old lady who was pleased by their charities immediately went
to meet Padmaavati
and told her-
“Daughter! The prince and the minister’s son have arrived here to
this city in order to meet you. Tell me what I should do.”
Padmaavati scolded her and applying camphor paste on both her
palms stuck the old lady on both her cheeks.
The old lady was hurt by the rude behavior of the girl and
returned home crying.
She told the two young men-
“Sons! See how she has made camphor marks on my cheeks!”
The prince felt very disappointed. But the wise son of the
minister took him aside and said-
“Friend! Don’t be so disheartened!
The girl has only tried to protect the secret and has sent a
message through those camphor marks seen on the old lady’s cheeks. She has said
that –‘The ten nights of these full moon phase are not conducive for our
meeting. Please wait.’”
The minister’s son consoled the prince; went out; sold some gold
he had in his hands; and got the old lady to prepare food of a very high
quality. Both of them ate along with the old lady. The old lady was very happy
for the delicious meals. Requested by them again, she went again to meet
Padmaavati.
She returned after some time and told the young men-
“Sons! I met the girl as you said. I stood there in front of her
silently for some time.
She loudly expressed her annoyance of you both disturbing her
again and again. She dipped her three fingers in the red paint used for
applying on the feet and hit me on the chest. I have returned now insulted by
her in this manner.”
The minister’s son took his friend aside and said-
“Friend! Do not mistake her actions. By applying the red marks
with her fingers she has said that the next three days she will be having the
menstruation process.”
The minister’s son consoled the prince and after three days sent
the old lady again to meet Padmaavati. But that day the old lady was welcomed
by Padmaavati with great affection; was offered food and drink; and entertained
the whole day.
In the evening the old day got ready to return home. At that time
a lot of terrified voices of people were heard outside the house.
“Ha! Ha! Look out for the mad intoxicated elephant! It has got
loose!
It is crushing everyone with its feet! Run! Run!”
Shouting like this and screaming in fear people were all running
helter skelter.
Padmaavati said to the old lady-
“Mother! Do not go out on the road now when the elephant is
running madly.
You sit on this small seat; I will tie the seat to the rope and
let you down through this big window into the garden. You climb the tree; jump out
of the wall; climb another tree and jump into your house.”
Then the girl made the old lady sit on a seat and tying it
securely with ropes with the help of her friends dropped her into the garden
through the window.
The old lady returned home safely and reported all that had
happened to both the young men staying at her house.
Then the minister’s son said to the prince-
“Friend! Your wish has been fulfilled! She has shown you what path
you have to use to meet her. At night-fall you go through the path used by the
old lady and meet your beloved.”
The prince went likewise and entered the garden accompanied by his
friend. He saw the seat securely bound by ropes hanging out from the window;
and Padmaavati standing next to the window with the maids holding the rope
tightly in their hands waiting for him. The moment he saw her, he started
climbing up through that rope. The maids standing at the window pulled him up
safely. He entered Padmaavati’s room through the window. The minister’s son saw
this and returned back to the old lady’s house.
The prince saw the beautiful Padmaavati. She had the face as
pretty as the full moon and her charm flowed out of that face like the pleasant
moon light. She was like the beautiful moon-lit night hiding from the new moon
night. She saw him and moved by extreme love for him rushed towards him; hugged
him and entertained him in many ways.
The prince married her through the ceremony of Gandharvas
(exchanging garlands) and spent a few days in her company happily.
One day he said to his beloved wife-
“Beloved! My friend the minister’s son who accompanied me to this
city is staying alone at the old lady’s house. I will just meet him once,
enquire about his welfare and return soon.”
Then that wicked Padmaavati asked
the prince –
“Master! I ask you this! Whatever gestures
I made, who could decipher them- you or that minister’s son?”
The prince replied-
“Dearest! I did not understand anything.
My friend who is extremely wise explained to me what the meaning of your
gestures was.”
The girl thought for some time and said-
“Master! You did an incorrect thing by not telling me this for so
long. Your friend is my brother. I should have honored him with auspicious
offerings in the beginning itself.”
(auspicious offering: Taamboola –betel leaves and betel nuts with
coconut and fruits)
That night the prince bid farewell to her and dropped out of the
window into the garden through the rope held by the maids and went to meet his
friend in the old lady’s house.
He told his friend what Padmaavati had said about honoring him.
The minister’s son being humble natured, refused such an honor as it was not
proper according to him.
The night passed as they conversed on various matters happily.
In the early morning as they completed their morning rites,
Padmaavati’s friend arrived there with a plate filled with cooked rice and
Taamboola. She enquired the welfare of the minister’s son; offered him the food
and cleverly making the prince avoid the food said-
“Your beloved is waiting there for you to eat food with you.”
Then the minister’s son said to the prince-
“Lord! I will show you some amazing thing. Come with me.”
He took a little of that cooked rice and gave it to a dog which
was standing there.
The dog ate it and died the very next moment.
Observing that, the prince asked the minister’s son-
“What is this amazing event?”
The minister’s son replied-
“Lord! As I deciphered her secret gestures to you, she thinks I am
too clever and wants to kill me because of her attachment to you.
She thinks –‘The prince will not be single mindedly attached to me
because of his friend. He will leave me here and follow his friend back to his
city as he has too much affection for him.’
So she sent me food mixed with poison. Therefore you go and pacify
her. I will think of some plan.”
The prince heard the words of the minister’s son; praised him and
said-
“Truly you are wisdom incarnate!”
At that time they heard some people shouting with distress-
“Alas! Alas! The king’s youngest son has died.”
The minister’s son became happy by hearing that and said to the
prince-
“Lord! Go to Padmaavati’s house tonight; you get her drunk with
liquor so much so that she loses consciousness and is almost paralyzed like
dead. When she is in such a swoon, heat the edge of a trident and brand her on
her waist; take away all her ornaments; climb down to the garden as before
using the roped-seat and come off.
I will later on do something to make everything alright.”
He got a trident made for that purpose and
gave it to the prince.
The prince took the trident ‘which was
made of heavy iron and crooked like the minds of his beloved and friend’, in
his hand; went that night to Padmaavati’s house; thinking that
‘the advice of a minister of pure heart
should be accepted by the king without a second thought’, he made her get
drunk; branded her on the hip with the trident; took away all her ornaments;
returned to his friend; told him everything that he had done and showed him the
ornaments.
The minister’s son was satisfied that his
plan was moving on very well. Next morning he went to the cremation ground
dressed up as an ascetic and got the prince to act as his disciple.
He said to the prince-
“You select the pearl necklace among these
ornaments; take it to the gold-smith and try to sell it. If the patrolling
soldiers catch you then tell them-‘My guru gave this to me for selling.’”
The prince took the pearl necklace as
advised by his friend; went to a shop for selling it; and was caught by the
soldiers. They were searching for the thief who had stolen the ornaments of the
dentist’s daughter and had caught the prince. They took him to the chief of the
city.
The chief saw that the soldiers had caught
an ascetic and so he asked politely,
“Sage! Where did you get this pearl
necklace? This was actually stolen from the daughter of the dentist.”
The prince replied –
“Good ones! My Guru gave this to me and asked me to sell it. So
please question him yourself.”
Then the chief went to the cremation ground and met the minister’s
son dressed as the ascetic Guru. He asked him-
“Sage! How did this pearl necklace get into the hands of your
disciple?”
The clever son of the minister took him aside and said-
“Good man! I am a man of penance. I wander here and there.
By some act of god, I saw at night an entire group of Yoginees
(female ascetics) coming here to this cremation ground where I stay. One
Yoginee among them offered ‘a prince whose heart-lotus had burst open’, to Lord
Bhairava. She was drunk and intoxicated. Using her magical powers she took
various forms with different faces and tried to grab away the garland of beads
which I use for my penance.
Seeing her arrogant behavior I got angry and took my trident;
recited some magical chants; branded on her hip region; and took away this
pearl necklace from her neck. Being an ascetic I could not keep it; so I sent
it with my disciple to sell it.”
The chief of the city went and reported all that had happened to
the king. The king saw the pearl necklace; sent an old lady who was trustworthy
to Padmaavati’s house; got the information that Padmaavati had a burnt mark of
a trident on her hip region; thought that his son had been eaten by the evil
spirit; went to the minister’s son who was dressed as an ascetic; asked him
what punishment should be meted out to Padmaavati; and according to his
suggestion punished her by sending her out of the country, though her parents
were crying hard. Padmaavati thrown out of the country and wandering in the
forest with torn clothes, did not give up her body knowing very well that the
minister’s son was responsible for everything. At the end of the day, the
prince and his friend removed their ascetic costumes; rode the horses and found
Padmaavati wandering in the forest and crying alone. They took her to their own
country. The prince lived happily with her thereafter.
The dentist thought that his daughter has been eaten up by some
wild animals and died grieving about her. Later his wife also died.
END
Vetaala finished the story and questioned the king-
“King! Who gets the sin for the death of the dentist and his
wife-
the prince, or the minister’s son or Padmaavati?
You look the best of the intelligent men. So clear my doubt.
If you know the answer and yet do not talk to me, your head will
burst into hundred pieces. If you give the correct answer, then I will again
jump from your shoulder and again will go to the shimshapaa tree.”
The king answered the spirit like this-
“Hey Lord of Yogis! What is not known to
you? Yet I will answer you.
None of the three named by you are
sinners.
The king Karnotpala alone gets the sin
of their death.”
Vetaala asked him-
“What is the fault of the king? Those
three alone did all the wrong actions leading to the death of Padmaavati’s
parents.
If the swans eat off the grains, what is
the fault of the crows?”
The king replied-
“All three of them did not do anything
wrong.
The minister’s son fulfilled his
master’s wishes; so he is not the sinner.
Padmaavati and the prince were burning
by the arrows shot by the god of love and had no proper sense of anything; so
they pursued their own selfish ends; and they are not the sinners.
The king was well-versed in the
administration science; he did not find out the true facts through his spies;
he did not know the actions of the cheats; he punished the girl without
enquiring about the true facts. So he is the sinner for sure.”
Vetaala heard his answer.
The very next moment, it flew back to
the shimshapaa tree through its magical powers wanting to test the mental
strength of the king. The king went back to the tree to get the corpse without
losing his patience in the least.
