STORY TWELVE
The king climbed the tree again, got the corpse down, placed the
Vetaala on his shoulder and started walking towards where the mendicant was.
Vetaala spoke again-
“King! You are
still unperturbed by all this and that is why I like you so much! I will
relieve you of your fatigue by entertaining you with a pleasant story, listen!”
A young king named YashahKetu (one with the flag of fame) ruled the Country
of Anga. He was very handsome; so
handsome that he appeared as if Manmatha instead of getting burnt by Shiva had
escaped and had disguised himself as the young king.
He had conquered all the enemies by the prowess of his mighty
shoulders.
Indra, the king of gods had Brihaspati to advise him; this king had
likewise a wise minister named DeerghaDarshee (far-seeing one) to guide him.
In course of time the kingdom was freed of all problems; and the
youthful king slowly started to spend his time in enjoying various pleasures;
and he left the kingdom in the care of his wise minister. The king never left
the harem and the company of the lovely girls. He was lost in listening to
their love-filled songs; had no ears for the advice of the well-wishers. He enjoyed
standing near the latticed windows looking at the moon in the company of pretty
maidens; he never showed interest in the affairs of the kingdom.
DeerghaDarshee carried on the works of the kingdom tirelessly alert at
all times.
A rumor rose among the populace-“Minister DeerghaDarshee has made the
king interested in vices and is enjoying the riches of the kingdom himself.”
The minister came to know about this and consulted his intelligent wife
Medhaavini like this-“Beloved! The king is happy in his own world of
pleasures. I am taking care of the kingdom in his stead. Yet the people accuse
me of swallowing the kingdom. The ill-fame affects even the great ones. Rama
had to renounce even his dear wife Seeta because of rumors talked by people
about her character. So what do you think I should do now?”
His wife who befitted her name by being
extremely intelligent said-
“Lord! Approach he king and request him to permit you to go on a
pilgrimage for a few days. Considering your age he will relieve you of your
duties towards the kingdom. The people will understand your honest disposition.
The king will be forced to attend to the affairs of the country. Slowly he will
get rid of his pleasure-seeking habit. When you return, you can again join as a
minister and nobody will blame you any more.”
The minister agreed to her suggestion,
He met the king on the pretext of wanting to
discuss some important issue with him. After the discussion was over, he
requested the king like this-
“King! I am now old and should perform some meritorious deeds. Allow me
to go on a pilgrimage for some days.”
The king was shocked and said-
“No! Do not say like that! Other than visiting holy centers, you can do
so many Dhaarmic acts like charity etc. Can’t you go to heaven by doing
meritorious deeds at home?”
The minister replied-
“Lord! Charity requires that the objects given should be of very pure
nature. Holy centers are always pure. When the body is still healthy and
capable, the wise one should finish off visiting the holy places. When the life
in the body is so unpredictable, there is no saying that it can be done at
later times.”
As both of them kept arguing like this, the
door-keeper entered and said-
“Lord! God Sun with his countless rays is diving into the waters of the middle-sky.
Therefore get up. This is your bathing time.”
The king immediately got up hurriedly to
attend to his bath. The minister saluted him and went away to prepare for his
pilgrimage. His wife also desired to accompany him. But he stopped her and went
away on his journey not even informing his servants.
He journeyed alone and wandered many
countries; visited many holy places; and in the course of his wanderings
reached the Odra country. He entered the city situated not far from the ocean;
saw a temple of Shiva
When the minister was resting after food, the
merchant asked him-
“Who are you? From where are you? Where are you going?”
The minister said-
“I am a Brahmin named DeerghaDarshee. I am from Anga Country.
I am on a pilgrimage visiting all holy centers.”
The rich merchant said to him-
“I will be visiting ‘Swarna-Dveepa’ to attend to some business. You stay at
my house till I return. You are tired by the journey and you should take rest
for some days before you start again on your journey.”
DeerghaDarshee said to him-
“I have had enough rest here! Let me also accompany you to the island.”
The merchant agreed. The minister spent the
night sparsely sleeping.
Next morning he left with the merchant. They
both reached the ocean; boarded a ship filled with goods to be sold. They crossed
the ocean terrifying with turbulent waves and reached the ‘Swarna-Dveepa (Golden Island
A KalpaVriksha (Wish-fulfilling tree of the
Heaven) rose up suddenly from the ocean waters. It was adorned by fresh
sprouts; beautiful branches; shining stems made of gold; fruits made of
precious gems; and attractive flowers. On its huge trunk there was a couch made
of gems; on that bed sat a lovely girl of extreme charms with a Veenaa
(stringed musical instrument).
As the minister was wondering about all this,
the girl started playing her Veenaa and sang melodiously-
येन यत्कर्मबीजमुप्तं स निश्चितं तत्फलं भुङ्क्ते।
पूर्वकृतं हि कर्म विधिनाऽपि अन्यथा कर्तुं न शक्यते ॥
“He who has sowed the seed of Karma (action)
will reap the fruits of that Karma
definitely!
The (results of the) Karma of the past
cannot be changed even by the Creator!”
Having sung the meaningful song, the divine lady disappeared into the
water there itself along with the Kalpa tree.
‘What is this wonderful sight seen by me here today? What is this ocean?
Who was that divine lady who disappeared along with the tree? If this ocean has
such a magical nature always, then why won’t Goddess Lakshmi, moon and heavenly
tree of Paarijaata come out of it?’ (They appeared when Gods and demons churned
the milk ocean.)
As DeerghaDarshee was lost in thoughts like this, amazed by the magical
sights, the boatmen said to him-
“O Good man! This auspicious lady always makes her appearance like this
and disappears within a moment. Maybe for you this is a new experience!”
The minister was surprised by their words. He reached the shore along
with NidhiDatta.
The goods were carried by the servant and the merchant happily reached
his home along with the minister. He spent many days happily in the merchant’s
house.
Later one day, he said to NidhiDatta,
“Merchant! I have had restful days in your house for long. Now I want to
return to my country. May auspiciousness be there with you.”
DeerghaDarshee took leave of the reluctant merchant and left that place
with only courage as his companion.
After crossing many countries, he reached his own Anga country. The
soldiers who were ordered to search for the minister by king YashahKetu saw him
coming towards the city. They reported this to the king. The king who was
distressed by the separation of the minister came personally to the city gates
to receive him. He approached him affectionately; embraced him; brought the
minister tired by the journey inside the palace; and spoke to him when he was
rested.
“Minister! Why did you leave us and brought the mind to such a ‘harsh
state bereft of attachment along with your body’?
Or, who can fathom the ways of Goddess destiny because of which you
wanted to visit many pilgrimage centers!
Tell me now! What all countries were visited by you? What new things were
seen by you?”
The minister talked about his tour in detail and told him also about the
journey to SvarnaDveepa; the divine damsel who was the essence of the beauty of
all three worlds rising from the ocean along with the tree where she was
seated, and singing a song.
Hearing about her, the king was smitten by passion. He felt that his life
as a king was wasted without her company. He called the minister privately and
said-
“Minister! I have to see her immediately. Or know me to have lost my
life. I will offer worship to the Goddess of destiny and go to the same place
mentioned by you. Do not stop me from going. Do not follow me also. I will go
alone secretly unknown to others. You take care of my kingdom. Do not go
against my words now. You are to do what I say vowing on my lives.”
He sent away the minister not allowing him to protest in any way.
There was a grand festival arranged to welcome the minister. But the
minister was worried still. Which
minister can be happy when the king has decided on an impossible venture!
Next day, the king handed over the responsibility of the kingdom to the
minister; disguised himself as an ascetic and left the city at night unseen by
any one. On his way he met a Sage named Kusha. The king saluted the Sage. The
Sage could read his mind and blessed him saying-
“Child! You go to the ocean accompanied by the merchant LakshmiDatta in a
ship. You will attain the girl of your heart. Do not be worried.”
The king felt happy by his words and saluted him again.
He crossed many countries and mountains and reached that ocean. On the
shores he met merchant LakshmiDatta who was leaving for SvarnaDveepa. The
merchant saw the auspicious marks of ‘discus’ on his feet and agreed to take
him along with him.
As the ship reached the center of the ocean, the divine lady came out of
the waters sitting on the branch of the Kalpa tree. As the king kept looking at her like a
chakora bird at the moon, she sang to the accompaniment of the Veenaa-
येन यत्कर्मबीजमुप्तं स निश्चितं तत्फलं भुङ्क्ते।
पूर्वकृतं हि कर्म विधिनाऽपि अन्यथा कर्तुं न शक्यते ॥
तस्मात् यत्र
यथावत् यस्य यत् दैवयोगेन भवितव्यं।
तत्र तेन भवितव्येनासौ
जन्तुर्विवशो नीयते॥
“He who has sowed the seed of Karma (action)
will reap the fruits of that Karma
definitely!
The (results of the) Karma of the past
cannot be changed even by the Creator!
Therefore,
that which has to happen, wherever, in whichever manner, to whomsoever,
that
will surely happen because of destiny
and the man has to experience it powerless to
oppose it.
Looking at her singing a meaningful song like that, the king stuck by
passion remained frozen at that moment. He started praying to the God of the
ocean-
“Hey storehouse of gems! Salutation to you for you have managed to hide
this beauty within you and cheated Vishnu (gave her only Lakshmi)! I have taken
shelter in you. Please fulfill my desire.”
As he was praying the girl started to sink into the waters. The king
without a moment’s loss jumped into the ocean following her. Observing this merchant
LakshmiDatta was shocked. He thought that the king was dead and decided to give
up his body in the ocean.
At that time a voice spoke to him from the sky-
“Do not do such a hasty act! No danger awaits the man who jumped into the
waters.
He is King YashahKetu disguised as an ascetic. He has come here only for
this girl.
She is his wife of the previous birth. He will attain her and take her
back to his country.”
The merchant lost his apprehension and continued his journey to his
desired place.
King YashahKetu who jumped inside the ocean found himself in a divine
city.
The city had beautiful mansions. The pillars of those mansions were made
of lustrous precious gems; the walls were made of shining gold; the windows had
the network made of pearls. The gardens were filled with wish-fulfilling Kalpa
trees; and pools with steps studded with precious stones.
The king entered every house there and searched for that girl. No one was
there. The city appeared deserted. At last he saw a tall mansion made of gems;
climbed the stairs; opened the door of the room and entered inside. There was a
cot studded with precious stones inside. A girl was sleeping there with her
whole body covered by a cloth. No one else was there. He wondered whether she
was the same girl he was after. He lifted the cloth covering the face and found
out that she was the same girl. He felt like a traveler walking in the desert
in the hot summer sighting a river. The girl opened her eyes; saw the handsome king;
and quickly got out of the bed. She offered him refreshments. Then she stood in
front of him with her feet drawing circles on the ground overcome by shyness.
Bending her head she whispered slowly-
“O Great one! Who are you? Why have you entered the nether world like
this?
Your feet are endowed with the auspicious marks belonging to a king.
Then why are you dressed as an ascetic?
O Great man! If you are pleased by me, then answer my questions.”
The king spoke to her like this:
“Hey beautiful girl! I am the king of Anga country. My name is
YashahKetu.
I heard from my close acquaintance about you being seen here. To meet you
I left the kingdom and came here dressed like this. I followed you when you
disappeared into the waters. Now tell me who you are.”
She looked at him lovingly and feeling shy spoke:
“O Great man!
There is the king of Vidyaadharas named MrgaankaSena. I am his daughter Mrgaankavati.
My father left me here alone in this city and went away taking all the citizens
with him. I don’t understand why or where. So I come out of the ocean rising up
from this deserted city and sitting on the Kalpa tree sing the song about
destiny.”
The king remembered the words of the Sage and conversed with her with
love and affection. She also fell in love with him and agreed to accept him as
her husband. But she put forth a condition.
“AaryaPutra! Every month, on the fourteenth day and eighth day of the
full moon and the new moon day, for four days I will lose control over my
actions and go anywhere.
You should not stop me at those times and not see my actions also.
Understand that there is a reason for all this.”
The king agreed to her condition. He married her as per the customs of ‘Gaandharva
Marriage’ and started living with her there itself.
Once Mrgaankavati said to the king who was happily reclining
on the cot-
“Lord! Wait here! I will be going somewhere for some
work. Today is the fourteenth day of the new moon phase.
AaryaPutra! Do not
enter the room made of crystals here.
Do not fall into the well also for instantly you will
enter the earth-world.”
She took leave of him and went outside the city. The king
was curious and followed her with a sword. He saw a demon coming there who was
like the netherworld personified. He had a mouth deep and dark as if made of
darkness. The demon pounced on Mrgaankavati with a great roar; put her in his
mouth and swallowed her off. The king
became angry by this sight. He removed the sword from its sheath like a snake slithering
out of the skin; ran towards the demon with anger and sliced of the demon’s head
where the teeth were biting the lips hard in anger.
As the king stood there in that dark terrifying night
distressed by his wife’s death and lost to his next course of action, suddenly
breaking the cloud-like dark body of the demon, Mrgaankavati came out alive and
unhurt like a clear moon personified.
Seeing her who had crossed over the danger somehow, the king
rushed towards her and embraced her with love saying “Come Come!”
“Beloved! What is this? Is it a dream or a delusion?” he
questioned her with disbelief.
She answered him like this:
“AaryaPutra Listen!
This is neither a dream nor a delusion. This was the
curse of my Vidyaadhara father towards me. My father had many sons; yet being
very much attached to me he would not consume even a morsel of food without me.
I was very much devoted to Shiva and used to come here
for worshipping ‘Sharva’ on the fourteenth day of both fortnights. Once on the
fourteenth day of the fortnight I stayed here the whole day absorbed in the
worship of Goddess Gouri. My father was waiting for me at home without taking any
food. He was angry and annoyed at me. He consumed no food or water. I reached
home at night and stood in front of him with bent head feeling guilty about the
whole thing. Moved by destiny he cursed me like this-
‘As you disregarded me and could not remember the whole
day that I was waiting here for you hungry and thirsty, every month on the
eight and fourteenth day of the fortnights when you go out of the city for
worshipping Shiva, a demon named ‘Krtaanta-Santraasa’ (Harassing like Death)
will swallow you; and you will come out of him breaking his body. But you will
not remember the curse or the demon afterwards. You will remain alone in this
city from now on.’
I begged him for forgiveness and asked him a way to
redeem the curse. Then he said-
‘YashahKetu the king of Anga country will become your
husband; will kill the demon when he sees you getting swallowed by him. When
you come out breaking the body at that time, you will be freed of the curse and
remember all that you had forgotten.’
Then, he left along with all the citizens to the Nishadha Mountain
Today I am freed of the curse. I remember everything
now.
Now I will go and join my father at Nishadha Mountain
You be here or return to your country. You are free to do
what you like.”
Shocked by her words, the king pleaded with her-
“Beautiful lady! O pretty faced beauty! Please stay here
for seven more days. Please grace me. I will spend those days in your company
in this garden and feel happy. Later you go to your father; and I will return
to my country.”
Mrgaankavati agreed to his words. He spent the next days
sporting with her in the pools rising waves like the swans and Saarasa birds,
pleading her with tear filled eyes not to leave him and go. He tricked her into
entering the area where the well which led to the earth was there. He embraced
her suddenly and jumped into the well along with her and got out of the pool in
his own garden at AngaDesha.
The soldiers guarding the garden were happy to see the king
there with his wife. They reported the news to the minister DeerghaDarshee. He
immediately came to the garden; saluted the king who had brought off the lady
of his heart and took them both to the palace.
‘Aha! How was this divine lady obtained by him? I saw her
like a lightning flash just for a second. What is written on the head of a
person happens even if it is impossible.’
The minister exchanged his thoughts like this with the other
friends of his.
Meanwhile Mrgaankavati found herself in the king’s garden
after the seventh day. She wanted to return to her father’s place at Nishadha Mountain
The king enquired about her sudden depression.
“Beloved! Why are you so depressed? Tell me!”
The Vidyaadhari lady said to him-
Though I was redeemed of the curse, I stayed with you all
these days being attached to you. Now my diving knowledge is lost!”
The king felt happy that the Vidhyaadhari girl was forever
his. He made a great celebration of this good fortune and the city wore a
festive look. But the minister was not very happy by what had happened. He
returned home at night and died on his bed with a broken heart.
The king took care of the kingdom himself and lived with
Mrgaankavati for long, happily enjoying heaven-like pleasures.”
END
Vetaala finished the story and asked the king-
“King!
When the king had achieved what he wanted, why did the
minister die of a broken heart? Was he
depressed because he himself could not obtain the divine girl?
Or was he sad because the king took back the ruler ship
of the kingdom?
If you know the answer and still do not speak out, then
you will be transgressing the path of Dharma and your head will break into
hundred pieces.”
The king addressed the Vetaala and said-
“Hey Master of all Yogis!
The minister is of a noble character. None of the two
reasons you mentioned could have caused his depression. He must have thought –
‘When the king was infatuated by ordinary women of earth
itself, he was neglecting the affairs of the kingdom. Now what would happen
when he has the company of a divine lady?! Though I tried hard, the problem has
only increased much more.’ and must have died of a heart attack.”
The spirit with magical power immediately left the king on
hearing him speak and returned to the tree. The king tirelessly walked towards
the Shimshapaa tree to bring back the corpse.
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