(2) Who is fit to marry Mandaaravati?

 STORY TWO

King TrivikramaSena again went to the shimshapaa tree to bring down the corpse possessed by the spirit. He reached the tree and saw all around. He found the spirit (corpse) lying on the ground and making weird noises. The king placed the corpse with the spirit on his shoulder and started to move fast towards the mendicant silently.

The spirit spoke to him through the corpse’s mouth-

“King! You are undergoing an unnecessary strain. So let me entertain you with a story. Listen-

There is a Brahmin’s colony named BrahmaSthala on the bank of River Kaalindi.

A Brahmin named AgniSwaami who was well versed in Vedas lived in that colony.

A daughter named Mandaaravati who was extremely beautiful was born to him. Lord Brahma who created such a fresh and unseen beauty must have felt disgusted with the divine damsels of the heaven as his failures, after he saw the excellence of his talent in her creation. She grew up to be a pretty maiden crossing her childhood state.

Three young Brahmins who were equally endowed with all virtues came from KaanyaKubja to ask her hand in marriage. Each one of them begged the Brahmin separately for the hand of his daughter.

The Brahmin would not think of offering her in marriage to any other person other than those three even at the cost of his life. He decided to choose one among them as his

son-in-law. The girl was afraid of hurting the other two by choosing one and so did not consent to the marriage.

Those three remained there itself watching her moon-like face day and night taking on the vow of a Chakora bird (which lives on the rays of the moon).

Suddenly the girl was stuck by a high fever and suffering by the heat of the fever, she died. The three Brahmin youths saw her dead body and were very much distressed. They decorated the body with flowers and ornaments; took it to the cremation ground and offered it to the fire.

One of them built a hut upon those very ashes and lived there on alms.

The second one collected her bones and went to the River Ganges to deposit them in the waters. The third one became an ascetic and went away aimlessly to wander in the foreign lands. As he wandered once he went to a village name Vajraaloka and remained as a guest in some Brahmin’s house. He was worshipped by that householder and offered food. As he started to eat, the householder Brahmin’s child started to cry loudly. It did not stop its crying though it was consoled in many ways. Then the lady of the house took the child in her arms and threw it into the blazing fire with anger. That child of delicate limbs instantly turned into ashes. The ascetic youth was shocked and his hairs stood on end as he watched that horrifying scene.

He said-

“Alas! Fie! Ah the suffering! I have entered the house of a BrahmaRaakshasa (a Brahmin demon). This food is the form of direct sin. I will not eat any more.”

The Brahmin householder said to his guest-

“Brahman!

See the power I have obtained by mastering the science of MRTA-SANJEEVINI (making the dead alive)!”

He opened a book; brought out the ‘magic learning’; recited some chants; sprinkled some water on the ashes. The moment the water drops fell on the ashes, his son stood there alive and healthy. Then the ascetic ate the food happily. The Brahmin householder hung the book on an elephant tusk stuck on the wall. He also ate food along with his guest and slept in his room.

When the man of the house was fast asleep, the ascetic youth got up quietly and wondering whether his beloved Mandaaravati could be made alive again, removed the book from its place. Immediately he left the house unknown to the Brahmin host; walked night and day; and reached the cremation ground.

He saw the second youth who had gone to deposit the bones into the River Ganges. He then went to the third youth who was sleeping on the ashes and living in a hut there.

He said to him-

“Get away from the hut, brother. I will make our beloved alive again.”

As the other two started asking him questions, he just took the book out; opened the page of chants; recited the chants; and sprinkled the water over the ashes. The moment the water drops fell on the ashes, Mandaaravati stood there hale and hearty.

Having come out of the fire she shone more beautiful now with a golden hue. Seeing her alive all the three were stuck by passion and started to fight with each other, wanting to marry her.

One of them said-

“She has been made alive by me uttering the magical chants. So she has to be my wife.”

The second one said-

“I have visited sacred places and offered prayers. She became alive by the merits I have acquired. So she must become my wife.”

The third one said-

“I have kept her ashes safe; that is how she could be brought back to life. So she is fit to be loved by me as a wife.”

END 

Vetaala said-

“Hey king! You alone are capable of solving their dispute.

Then tell me, for whom should she become the wife?

If you know the answer and yet do not talk to me, your head will explode 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 replied-

“He who made her alive by chanting the hymns becomes the father by giving her life.

He who went to deposit the bones in the river becomes the son by such an act.

He who lived in the cremation ground hugging her ashes alone takes the place of a lover and becomes fit to marry her.”

The spirit along with the corpse flew back to the tree immediately. The king again walked towards the shimshapaa tree to fulfill the promise given to the mendicant.

प्राणात्ययेsपि महासत्त्वाः प्रतिपन्नमर्थं असाधयित्वा न निवर्तन्ते ||

Men of noble character do not ever leave the work they have undertaken

 without completing it,

even at the cost of their lives.