King VikramaSena
carried the corpse on his shoulder and went to the fig tree in the cremation
ground where the mendicant ShaantiSheela was waiting for him on that new moon
night.
The mendicant was
seated inside a circle on the ground built of white bones; blood had been sprinkled
all over the ground; pots were kept filled with blood; huge lamps burnt brightly
filled with oil; fire for ‘Homa’ was burning in the center. Other ingredients
were arranged in the due manner. The desired deity was getting worshipped.
The mendicant got up as soon as he saw the King. He said-
“King! You have done a great service to me not possible
for anyone else on this earth. Who can equal you?
What sort of a great task this is!
What sort of a time and place this is!
It is true indeed when they praise you as the greatest
among kings! Who else will neglect one’s own comforts and do service to others?
This is greatness of the great men that they do not swerve from completing the
intended task even at the cost of their own lives.”
The mendicant was happy that his wish was getting fulfilled.
He got the corpse on the shoulder of the king down on to the ground. He bathed
the corpse; garlanded it; and placed it inside the circle. He then applied
ashes all over his body; wore a sacred thread made of hair; covered himself
with the cloth which was on the corpse.
Then by the power of meditation, the mendicant worshipped
the spirit inside the corpse in the due manner. He offered Arghya (water) from
the skull-bowl; flower from the clean new teeth; application of fragrant paste
with blood; fragrant smoke from human
eye; flesh as food; finished the worship and said to the King who was seated
nearby-
“King! Salute this great king of Magical hymns who has
manifested in this corpse by falling fully in the ground with all your eight
limbs touching the ground. He will give you any boon you desire.”
The King remembered the warning of Vetaala and said-
“Bhagavan! I do not know how to salute in that manner.
You please show me how to do it. Then I will do exactly as you said.”
The mendicant showed him the method by himself lying on the
ground, prostrate. The King immediately sliced off his head with the sword;
tore open his chest and took out the heart-lotus and offered the head and the
heart-lotus to the Vetaala.
All the dead spirits praised him with good words.
Vetaala was pleased by the king’s action. It spoke to him
through the corpse-
“King! This mendicant wanted the emperorship of
Vidyaadharas. You will get the same after the end of your life as a king on
this earth.”
The King said-
“Yogeendra! If you are pleased, what boon will not be
possible for me? Yet I ask you this boon; I know your words will not fail.
Let these twenty four pleasant stories with questions and
answers complete with the twenty-fifth one which you told me become famous in
the world and become praiseworthy.”
Thus prayed by the King, Vetaala said-
“King! Let it be so! I will tell you more! Listen!
He who tells and listens to these ‘twenty four stories
previously told and the last one which fulfills the desires’, with sincerity
will be freed of sins. Where these stories are praised, there the Yakshas,
Raakshasas, Daakinis, Vetaalas, Kooshmaandas, and BrahmaRaakshasas will not
trouble.”
Vetaala said this much; came out of the corpse and went back
to its abode through
Yoga-Maayaa.
Lord Shiva appeared there along with his groups of Gods
pleased by all this. The king saluted him with devotion.
Lord Shiva said-
“Well-done my child! You have killed the deceitful
ascetic who wanted to attain the emperorship of Vidyaadharas through ‘HataYoga’.
You Vikramaaditya have been created with my essence to subdue the demons who
have taken birth on this earth as lowly beings and for controlling the arrogant
wicked men. Therefore you will keep in control the entire earth with its
islands and nether worlds; later become the emperor of Vidyaadharas. There you
will enjoy the pleasures of that world for long and renounce them by your own
will and will get absorbed in me at the end. Accept this sword named ‘Aparaajita
(unconquerable)’. With the help of this sword you will be able to accomplish whatever
I told you.
Lord Shiva gave him the sword. The king offered him flowers
of hymns.
Lord Shiva disappeared along with the Gods.
EPILOGUE
After all the work was completed, and the night disappeared,
the King entered his city in the morning. The people of his city welcomed him
with festivities. He spent the day taking bath; charity; worship of Shiva;
music and songs.
Within few days, by the grace of Lord Shiva he brought under
control the entire earth with the islands and nether worlds. He ruled the
kingdom without any problems. Later he attained the great emperorship of the
Vidyaadharas; enjoyed the pleasures for long; and got absorbed in Lord Shiva at
the end.
TWENTY FIVE
STORIES OF VETAALA ARE COMPLETE
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