STORY TWENTY THREE
The king again climbed
the Shimshapaa tree and brought down the Vetaala; placed it on his shoulders
even as it was making lots of weird noises and gestures; and started to walk
silently. Vetaala spoke to him from the shoulder-
“King! You are
obstinately clinging on to this task which cannot be completed. Anyhow to relax
your mind let me tell you a story.”
There is a city
named Shobhaavatee in the country of Kalinga. Meritorious souls lived there as
if in heaven. Well-known for wealth and valor like Pradyumna (Vishnu or son of Krishna ), a king named Pradyumna ruled that city
prescribing proper rules of conduct for everyone.
In that king-
pulling of Guna
(string) गुणापकर्ष was in the bow but not गुणापकर्ष decline of character in
people;
beating with hand कराहति was in drums but not कराहति taxes levied on people;
Kali was in Yugas
but not Kali (deceit) among people;
sharpness तीक्श्णता was in
intelligence but not in the words.
The king had constructed a Brahmin’s colony named
YajnaSthala in his city in some corner for sheltering the Brahmins. There lived
a Brahmin named YajnaSoma who had mastered the Vedas; who was very rich; who
worshipped Sacred Fire; and who worshipped guests.
When he was old, he got a son through his devoted wife. The
boy named DevaSoma grew well under the care of the father; was endowed with all
good qualities and was very much loved by his parents.
When he was sixteen years of age, that boy who was loved by
all because of his learning, politeness and other qualities was stuck by fever
and died. YajnaSoma saw the dead body of the son; embraced him and cried “Ha1
Ha!”
He did not allow the body to be cremated in fire.
The elder Brahmins advised him-
“Brahman! You are learned in all scriptures. Don’t you
know that the world is like the illusory city created by Gandharvas?
Even those kings who parade on the earth believing themselves
to be immortal, each one of them have climbed the cremation fire carried as a
corpse (Preta) followed by the crying people in the cremation grounds; have
been burnt by the flesh-burning fire; have been consumed by wild animals or by
Time; no one was able to prevent their ends; what to say of ordinary people?
Hey learned man! What will you get by holding on to this
corpse? Tell us!”
Somehow they were able to remove him from the boy’s dead
body. They took the body on a cot and took it to the cremation ground
accompanied by drums etc.
There lived some ascetic in that cremation ground. He
followed the disciplines of Paashupata cult; lived in a hut; had a body
emaciated by excessive age and penance; held fast by nerves which were afraid
of breaking as if; wearing matted brown locks; appearing like a second Shiva. He
had a disciple who was very rude and arrogant in behavior but helped in begging
alms.
When the old ascetic heard the drum noise in the cremation
ground, he said to the disciple who was having the food-
“Son! What is the sound outside? Go out and find out the
cause of the noise and quickly come back. Why so much noise which has never been
heard in the past so far?”
The disciple rudely retorted-
“I am not going! You can go yourself! I have to eat my food now.”
Guru said-
“You Fool! Fie on you! Glutton! When only half the hour
has passed in the day, what urgency is there for you to eat now?”
The disciple said with anger-
“Fie on you, you old idiot!
I am no more your disciple; you are no more my Guru. I
will go elsewhere.
You can carry this bowl yourself.”
He threw the begging bowl and the stick in front of the Guru
and ran away.
The ascetic just laughed and came out of the hut.
At that time the dead body of the boy was brought there. The
ascetic saw the people crying and weeping for the young boy. He decided to
discard his old body and enter the boy’s young body. He went to some solitary
place; wept aloud; danced shaking his limbs in various ways. Then the next
moment the ascetic desirous of enjoying a youthful body discarded his old
emaciated body and entered the dead body of the young Brahmin boy. Next instant, the boy got up alive from the
pyre which was about to be lit.
All the people were amazed by the sight and happily shouted-
“The boy is alive! Alive! By Good fortune he lives!”
The Yogeshvara who was in that body told them-
“When I went to the other world, Lord Shiva gave me new
life and ordered–
‘You must follow the disciplines of the Paashupata cult’.
So I have to leave now and live accordingly performing
penance. Otherwise I cannot remain alive.
You people go home. I will go from here.”
He took leave of them all who were happy and sad at the same
time; with a determined mind sent them all off them back home. He threw his old
body into a hole; and went away to continue his ascetic life.
END
Vetaala asked the king-
“King! Tell me why the great ascetic cried before
entering the other young body?
Why did he dance? I am very curious to know the answer.”
The King said-
“Listen Vetaala! As his original body was loved and cared
for by his parents from birth and as it had helped him attain many Siddhis, he
cried because of his attachment to the body. Later he danced in joy because he
could perform more penance through the other young body.”
Vetaala heard his words and flew back to the Shimshipaa tree.
The king without getting distressed followed it with a determined mind.
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