STORY FIFTEEN
The king again went
to the Shimshipaa tree; placed the corpse with the spirit on his shoulder and
started to walk towards the fig tree. Vetaala again started telling him a
story-
There is a city
named Shivapura in the kingdom
of Nepal
The king entrusted
the care of the kingdom in the minister’s hand and enjoyed the company of his
prime queen ChandraPrabhaa (Luster of Moon) always. As time went by he got a
daughter named ShashiPrabhaa (Luster of Moon) through his queen.
ShashiPrabhaa attracted the eyes of
the world like the luster of moon. ShashiPrabhaa grew up into a charming young
lady. She on some day of the spring season went to the garden along with her
friends to watch the festivities conducted for some worship. Meanwhile a young
and rich Brahmin youth named ManahSwaamy (controller of the Mind) also came
there intent on watching the festivities conducted at the garden.
He chanced to see
ShashiPrabhaa when she was plucking flowers for the worship with her hands
raised high and her bosom slightly exposed. Infatuated by her youthful charms
he lost control of his mind.
‘Is this girl Rati,
the spouse of Kaama Deva (God of Love) in person plucking the flowers provided
by the spring? Or is she the Forest Goddess who has arrived here to worship the
God of Spring?’
As he was looking
at her in wonder, the princess also saw him. She lost sense of her body and the
flowers, the moment she set her eyes on that handsome youth who was standing
there as ‘Kaama Deva’ born anew.
Attracted towards
each other as they stood there frozen like painted pictures looking at each
other, suddenly there was a lot of screams and shouts all over. They lifted their
heads to see what was going on. A rogue
elephant had felt the smell of another female elephant; had broken the chains
tied to the stake; had thrown away the care-taker; was trampling the trees on
the way; and was rushing madly uncontrollably with the sharp goad (Ankusha) still
stuck to its neck.
The people who had
accompanied the princess ran away frightened of the mad elephant. ManahSwaamy without wasting a moment rushed
towards the princess; lifted the frightened and shy princess on to his
shoulders and took her to some safer area, away from the path of the elephant.
Soon her retinue found her. She returned home burning in the flames kindled by
the God of passion.
The youth saw her
entering the harem of the palace and thought-
‘I cannot remain alive
even for a second without her. I will consult the deceitful Guru named Shree
MoolaDeva (Master of roots) who is an expert in preparing magical tablets.’
Somehow passing the night in great agony, he set out in the
early morning to meet the Siddha; saw him seated with his friend Shashi;
saluted him; confided his problem to him.
The Siddha agreed to help him.
That deceitful Yogi placed a magical tablet inside his
mouth; turned himself into an old Brahmin. He took another tablet and put it in
ManahSwaamy’s mouth. ManahSwaamy turned into an attractive girl immediately.
The Yogi took him in the form of a girl to the king’s
presence. He told the king-
“King! I have only one son. I brought this girl from very
far by begging, to get married to my son. But my son seems to have gone
somewhere. I have to go in search of him. Till I return please take care of
this girl. I trust you more than others.”
The king consented and called for his daughter
ShashiPrabhaa. He told her-
“Daughter! Take this girl to your harem and take care of her.
Make her sleep next to you.”
The princess took ManahSwaamy in the form of a girl to her
private harem.
MoolaDeva returned to his place. ManahSwaamy lived in the
company of the princess and slowly became a close friend of hers.
One night as the princess was rolling in the bed unable to
sleep, smitten by the thoughts of her lover, ManahSwaamy in the form of a girl
asked her-
“Friend! You are becoming pale day by day. Your face has
lost its luster. You seem to suffer as if separated from your lover. Tell me?
What is there to hide from trustworthy friends? If you not confide in me, I
will not eat food.”
The princess sighed deeply and said-
“Of course I do trust you. Listen, I will tell you
everything.
Once I had been to the garden to attend to some
festivities conducted for some deity. There I saw a Brahmin youth. He was as
attractive as the moon coming out of the snow. His very sight was inducing
passion. He was like the garden blooming fully at the arrival of spring. As my
eyes were drinking the nectar oozing out of his face-moon like chakora birds, a
huge intoxicated rogue elephant dark in hue like the untimely cloud of disaster
came there roaring; all the guards and friends who were with me ran away; I was
frightened and alone; that Brahmin youth lifted me on to his shoulders and took
me to a safe place; I do not know what it was like; his touch was so intoxicating
like the cool sandal; like the nectar shower. Soon the guards found me and
brought me back to the palace. I felt as if I had fallen on the earth from
heaven.
From then onwards I live in my lover’s company in imagination
only. I see my lover equal to my life always next to me; I embrace him when on
bed.
What more to say? I always think of him only. The fire of
separation of my lover burns me day and night.”
As her nectar like words entered his ears, ManahSwaamy felt
very happy. He felt that he had achieved fulfillment in life. He decided that
it was the right time to reveal his true identity. He removed the magical
tablet from his mouth and revealed his true form.
He said-
“Beautiful girl! I am the same person who saw you in the
garden and immediately became a slave of your beauty. I was agonized by your
separation. I have taken this form of a girl just to meet you alone. Grace me
with your cooling looks and remedy the limbs burning by passion.”
The princess for a moment stood there not knowing what to do,
being filled at once with all the emotions of shyness; joy; and surprise. They
both married as per the Gaandharva custom and enjoyed each other’s company
unknown to anyone else.
ManahSwaamy appeared like a girl at day time by putting the
magical tablet in his mouth; became his original self at nights by removing the
magical tablet from the mouth and enjoyed her company.
King YashahKetu had a brother-in-law named MrgaankaDatta. He
had a daughter named MrgaankaDattaa. He married off her to the Brahmin minister
PrajnaaSaagara’s son in all grandeur. Princess ShashiPrabhaa also attended the
marriage conducted at her uncle’s house along with ManahSwaamy in the form of a
girl. The minister’s son was stuck by the arrows of the God of love with
passion as soon as he set his eyes on the girl accompanying the princess.
Though he had with him, his newly wedded wife he felt dejected and forlorn.
After going back to his home also, he spent his time always in the thoughts of
that beautiful girl. Observing his disinterest in all the festivities of the
palace-life, the servants reported the matter to his father.
When his father enquired him and assured him of the fulfillment of any wish of
his, he confided his love for the girl accompanying the princess and lamented
about the suffering he was undergoing smitten by passion.
The king was duly informed of all this. He came there and
saw the minister’s son’s condition and found him to be in the peak point of passion.
He said-
“How can I give him this girl entrusted to my care by the
old Brahmin? This young man will die if he does not get her. If he dies, the
minister will also die unable to bear the loss of his son. If he dies, the
kingdom will surely perish. So what is to be done?”
The king consulted other friends of his about this matter.
They all said-
“King! The king’s primary duty is to protect the people
of his kingdom. That depends on the good advice. That depends on a good
minister. If the minister dies, the advice is lost and Dharma cannot be
protected.
By the death of the Brahmin-minister along with his son,
you will incur sin also.
Therefore you must try your best to prevent this destruction
of Dharma somehow.
This girl entrusted to your care by the Brahmin should be
given off to the minister’s son. Later when the old Brahmin comes back, we will
compensate his loss with some wealth or other”
The king accepted their suggestion and got the preparations
made to give the deceitful girl who was ManahSwaamy to the minister’s son.
The marriage date was fixed.
ManahSwaamy was brought from the harem of the princess. Then
ManahSwaamy in the appearance of the girl said to the king-
“King! I was brought here by someone else for some one
else and if you give me to some one else, then your wish has to be obeyed. You
are the king. You know the good and bad of things.
But I have one condition to be fulfilled if I have to
marry.
I should not be forcefully dragged to the bed to be in
the company of the husband.
He should finish some pilgrimage tours for six months
before such an occasion comes. Otherwise
I would have broken my wow like cutting my tongue with my own teeth.”
The king informed about this to the minister’s son.
The minster’s son had no objection to all this. He married
the girl of his heart; kept her in the harem of his wife MrgaankaDattaa under one
roof; appointed some guards to protect the harem and left for his pilgrimage
tour. ManahSwaamy in the female form had to share the same bed with
MrgaankaDattaa in her harem.
One night, when all the servants had retired to sleep,
MrgaankaDattaa said to ManahSwaamy in the girl’s form.
“Friend! I am not getting any sleep. Tell me a story.”
Then ManahSwaamy in the girl’s form told this story:
“Friend! There was once a king named Ila born of the
Solar dynasty. He was once cursed by Goddess Gouri and attained a female form
which could infatuate the whole world. Once Budha (Mercury), son of Chandra (Moon)
saw her in the heavenly garden and fell in love with her. By their union
Purooravas was born.”
After briefly relating the story, the deceitful Brahmin
youth said-
“Friend! Like this, by the command of a God or by using
some magical herbs or potions, a man can turn into a woman and a woman can turn
into a man. Such unions happen even in the lives of great people.”
Hearing this story, that innocent girl confided in him-
“Friend! After listening to the story, I feel a sudden
change in my limbs. I feel different as if longing for something. What is it?”
The Brahmin in the female form said to her-
“Friend! These are the signs of passion which you have
never experienced before. I know how it feels. Do not feel shy to tell me whatever the matter
is.”
She said again-
“ Friend! You are close to me like my life. Why will I
not tell you? Can you tell me how a man
can be made to enter this harem?”
That disciple of the deceitful Yogi told her-
“If it so, then I will tell you a truth. I have been
blessed by Lord Vishnu. I can become a man at night. For your sake I will
become a man now.”
ManahSwaamy removed the magical tablet from his mouth and
revealed his handsome manly form to her. The girl was infatuated by his beauty.
ManahSwaamy gave her company at nights as a man and as a woman in the day time.
Some days passed like this.
It was time for the minister’s son to return from his tours.
ManahSwaamy took the minister’s son’s wife and ran away to some distant place.
MoolaDeva who knew all this went to the king now accompanied
by his friend Shashi and politely requested King YashahKetu-
“Lord! I have brought my son along with me now. Give me
back my daughter-in-law.”
The king offered him all the worship due to a Brahmin; and
frightened of the Brahmin’s curse said-
“Brahman! I do not
know where you daughter-in-law is gone! Forgive me! I will give my daughter to
your son and thus compensate your loss.”
He somehow conciliated the angry old Brahmin and got his
daughter ShashiPrabhaa married off to the deceitful Yogi’s friend Shashi,
thinking that he was truly the son of the old Brahmin.
MoolaDeva returned home accompanied by the bride and
bridegroom.
ManahSwaamy came there when he heard this news. Shashi and ManahSwaamy
got into a violent argument in front of MoolaDeva.
ManahSwaamy said-
“Give this ShashiPrabhaa to me. I have already married
her in the harem with my guru’s help.”
Shashi said-
“Fool! Who are you to her? She is my wife for sure! Her
father has offered her hand in marriage to me in the presence of the sacred
fire.”
Having deceitfully obtained the princess, both of them
argued for long without any decision getting reached properly.
END
“So my king! Whose wife is she? Remember my curse and
clear this doubt of mine.”
Vetaala asked.
The king answered the Vetaala like this:
“I think she is rightfully the wife of Shashi only. She was
married to him in the presence of all the people with proper rites in front of
the sacred fire. ManahSwaamy attained her through the Gaandharva method of
marriage using deceitful methods.
A thief cannot claim the ownership of the property he has
stolen.”
Vetaala flew back to the Shimshapaa tree when it heard the
words of the king.
The king never failing in his effort went to the tree and
took the corpse on his shoulders and started walking towards the fig tree.
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